West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint Race 2: GINAN Sails to Victory! 

It was another stunning day for the West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint Race 2. With boats up at sunrise in preparation for the 8:00 am start off Queenscliff, the dawn painted the sky with mesmerising shades of blue behind the iconic Queenscliff lighthouse. Due to anticipated light winds, the course was altered to the shortened eastern course; however, this did little to dampen the spirits of seasoned sailors and eager newcomers.

It was a clean start, with a fleet of 15 boats over the start line. The north-westerly prompted a spectacular kite run toward the first marker before a demanding reach toward Cape Schanck. With glass-like conditions on the water and the erratic nature of the wind, the race momentarily slowed to a mere knot, testing patience and prompting some early retirements and playful antics among the crews. True to the spirit of sailing, the wind eventually picked up, breathing life into the race with speeds of 3-4 knots.

GINAN held an impressive lead on the fleet for most of the (if not the entire) course, with a gallant effort from VERTIGO, who challenged GINAN for the lead throughout the race. Ultimately, GINAN, skippered by the seasoned Nigel Jones and his skilled crew, emerged as a dominant force, taking both line honours and first place in the AMS.

On speaking to Nigel after the race, he was pleasantly surprised with the weather conditions after “preparing for storms yet applying sunscreen!” First, over the start, he was “unsure how the low-pressure system would play out, starting with the A2 spinnaker and then alternating between the A1.5 and Code 0 spinnaker ten times throughout the race!” While Nigel was navigating today, he was complimentary of Stuart Bloom’s helming and the overall crew effort, noting they are now well-versed together, having done many ocean races this year and understanding GINAN’s capabilities. He was also complimentary of VERTIGO’s race, noting they kept them on their toes.

The West Offshore Products Coastal Sprints aren’t just about seasoned sailors but also a celebration of new beginnings. PZAZZ, RAKU, and QUEST marked their inaugural Coastal Sprint Race, adding fresh energy and anticipation to the competition.

Behind the scenes, the race's success was indebted to the tireless dedication of volunteers and organisers with special thanks extended to volunteer Race Directors Tyson Smallgood and Joanne Harpur, as well as Parks Victoria for granting exclusive access to Port Nepean, providing a vantage point to witness the thrilling spectacle unfold.

We look forward to the series’ third and final Coastal Sprint, scheduled for 20 April 2024 with entries open now here 

Provisional Results being:

AMS

• 1st Ginan (M111) skippered by Nigel Jones
• 2nd Vertigo (R935) Skippered by Timothy Olding
• 3rd Alien (R880) skippered by Justin Brenan

ORC

• 1st Ginan
• 2nd Alien
• 3rd Faster Foward (R6155) skippered by Matt Fahey

PHS

• 1st Vertigo
• 2nd Ginan
• 3rd Alien

Double Handed:  

• 1st Maverick

For complete results, please click here.

Photo: Winners of the West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint Race 2, 2023- Winners are Grinners: Team GINAN!