.
|
Carmen Bell, Sunday, 6 April 2008 The final aggregate race for the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club 2008 Championship was held in Queenscliff waters - Thank you to PRO Peter Gale and his team for setting a course that allowed the public to watch over 20 boats competing Gale conditions during the Queenscliff Maritime Weekend on the last weekend in February 2008 prevented all on-water activities and necessitated the re-scheduling of the Queenscliff Couta Boat Regatta to the 5th of April 2008.
After coming second on handicap two years in a row, Division 1 couta boat Matilda C127 not only won the 2008 Queenscliff Couta Boat Regatta on handicap but also achieved first home line honours for which her skipper Mark Foley received the coveted white fisherman's jumper with the logo of the Borough of Queenscliffe.
Since 2006 the Queenscliff Couta Boat Association has revived the 100-year old tradition of the fisherman who was fastest back to Queenscliff changing from his blue working jumper to a white jumper to indicate his success to everyone. It was a matter of great pride to wear the white jumper at the end of a no doubt hard day’s work catching barracouta with lines and jigs as it demonstrated his exceptional sailing skills.
In further acknowledgement of the historic background of the Queenscliff Couta Boat, handicap trophies were hand-made couta jigs, modeled after one that Harry Mouchmore still had in his shed at Fisherman’s Flat.
Division 2 winners were the same as last year, with Brett Almond winning line honours and the white jumper (his 3rd in a row!) with couta boat Defiance C136 and Russ Watson’s boat It’s all good ‘Nellie’ C148 winning on handicap.
The Queenscliff Regatta also acknowledges with a special Fisherman’s Trophy line honour results for the fastest couta boat of more than 50 years of age and which is indeed a true working boat. The Fisherman’s Trophy in Division 1 was awarded to Scoundrel C119, and It’s all good ‘Nellie’ C148 won it in Division 2 - a great double win for the old girl and her crew.
The other handicap place getters were in Division 1 Pearl C12 in second position and Zephyr C2006 in third; and in Division 2 Dawn C96 came second and Blondie C15 came third.
| 
