Noakes April Fools Regatta
03/04/06
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“Team Yellow” wins the Noakes April Fools Regatta, which was keenly contested in Newcastle over the April Fools weekend of 1st and 2nd April 2006.
Eighteen extremely competitive (yet some slightly inexperienced) crew members from the various Noakes Boat and Shipyards, Noakes Youth and the AAPT yacht crew descended on Newcastle for a heartfelt battle aboard three identical Noakes 26 keelboats (modified thunderbirds).
Newcastle turned on its finest weather for the event, with day one being gusty and shifty, and day two being gloriously sunny with lighter winds to nurse some of the sore heads. The race course was set inside the port, with shouts of friendly aggression catching the interest of many spectators along the shore. Six races were conducted each day, with each team having to rotate skippers between races.
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The Blue Team, comprised of Chris Rawlings, Ben Taylor, Cathy Langman, Ben Cormack and Howard Keegan showed strength early on in the gusty conditions of Day One, with their boat having the best setup of the fleet.
“The Race Committee jinxed us” said helmsperson Ben Taylor. “They told us we had the best setup of all the boats, and then everything started breaking!” During a vicious pre-start gybe in Race 3, the mainsheet post snapped clean off the boat. The race was postponed whilst the damage was repaired, and the warning signal fired again.
However luck was not going their way, when their jib tack fitting came away from the bow in another pre-start gust. The crew (luckily, experienced in fixing boats) managed to make a temporary repair with only seconds to go until the race start, and made a clean start hot on the tails of the other two boats.
The Red Team benefited from the local knowledge of Teagan Drage and Nic Dallen, teamed up with Sydney-siders Shaun McKnight, Leonie Thornton and Matthew Readford. Despite some close encounters and plenty of shouting (and some attempts at bluffing the other teams) they could not quite score a win, but finished second on points at the end of the day.
The Yellow Team (Joe De Kock, Ed Christian, Mel Alsop, Adam Ross and Tim Brazier) had one moment of despair during Race One, when they thought they were going to lose a race. The Yellow Team was looking convincingly in front, until the Red Team (who were very late for the start with McKnight at the helm) took a flyer out to the right and got a gust into the mark, to round in front. The Yellow Team were very upset - but only momentarily. The Yellow Team won every race of the day to finish on a perfect score of 6 points.
A post-race BBQ was held at the Newcastle site of Noakes, with plenty of sabotage attempts later on during the night, with crews trying to inflict hangovers on the opposition for the next day’s racing.
The sabotage attempts did work, with the hungover Yellow Team finishing last in daily points on Day Two (carrying a disqualification for stealing the finishing mark in the last race) – with two crew changes, introducing Matt Bonsa and Erin Cameron. The lighter conditions favoured the Blue Team (who introduced Prue Harper to the team), finishing in front on points in Day Two; whilst the Red Team (with new member Roger Marchant) held their consistent second place.
Overall scores at the end of the regatta placed the Yellow Team in first place, followed by the Red Team in second, and the Blue Team bringing up the rear.
Thanks was expressed to Howard, Teagan and the rest of the Newcastle Noakes staff for preparing the boats and venue for the racing; Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club for providing marks and equipment; Jed Elderkin for providing the start boat; and Sean Langman - Race Officer/Jury/On water umpire for the event.
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