Multi Mania Hits Brisbane

QLD Multihull Championships
Day 1 – Thursday 6th April
By OG

Multi Mania has hit Brisbane.

Actually, they have completely overtaken our little club and now feature on the VIP Jetty, in the Marina Holding Bay and at the end of every marina finger we have here at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. In total, 21 of these oddly shaped racing machines varying from Graingers, Farriers, Crowthers, Contours, Saxby’s, Corsairs, Egans, Essentials and even Scarabs. Definitely a Multi-Cultural event!

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting S-SW winds 10 to 15 knots for the week, which is a little below what these speed freak sailors have wished for. Optimum weight aboard these boats is essential, and with the racing close and fierce, one skipper made an executive decision to have a tooth removed to ensure his crew weight was the exact calculation his Grainger required to slice through the slight chop that 10 knots of breeze and 2 knots of tide creates.

Today’s racing was a scenic tour of Moreton Bay with Course B sailing the competitors from Cleveland to St Helena Island and back again with a final port rounding of Hope Banks before the 4.5 nautical mile sprint to the finish line.

First over the line for today’s race was Voodoo Spirit skippered by New South Welshman Rob Hutchings with RQYS member Keith Glover bringing Trilogy home in second place. But this was just over the line; there is also PHS and OMR handicaps to be calculated so at this stage no definite results are available. These multi sailors have rather interesting scoring systems hence the bar being packed after the race as they eagerly anticipated the release of results… This explains why they are still at the bar!

Now there would be photos available from today’s racing, however there was a photography malfunction, so at this stage we need to use our imagination of what the boats looked like out there…

It was an overcast day on Moreton Bay
The multis gathered to race
The breeze set in
They were out to win
But only one would take the cake

Today it was Voodoo
Her spirit so bright
Cast a spell on the fleet
She was in full flight

The breeze was 10
The tide was 2
The rain had a go
But it was all Voodoo!

Ok, so maybe not a good as an actual photo, but you get the idea!

Another race is scheduled for Friday, and with the initial day one jitters out of the way, the racing is sure to be intense and possibly quite humorous! After all we are dealing with multihull sailors here!

Click here (QMC_-_Race_1.pdf) to view Race 1 results