Racing Group C produced another close, calculated contest on Day 2, with Race 3 demonstrating just how tight this division has become. Sailed over the same course length as Race 2, the conditions allowed for a direct comparison between the two races. The names at the front were familiar, but the gaps between boats told a more nuanced story.
Setting the tempo on the water was Paul King's Nautilass. The Beneteau First 36 crossed the finish line in 44 minutes 52 seconds, a touch slower than her previous outing but more than enough to take line honours again. Racing through heavy rain, the crew sailed a controlled and efficient race. As in Race 2, the margin was not enough to leave the rest of the fleet behind.
From second place downward, the group bunched up considerably. The Racoon and Ilex finished just 22 seconds apart, with Fifth Dimension, Young Magic, and Cotton Bud arriving in quick succession after them. Positions two through seven were covered by barely two and a half minutes in total. Compared with Race 2, the fleet showed far less stretch through the middle order, pointing to more even conditions on the course and fewer chances for boats to break clear once they found their rhythm.
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Elapsed Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nautilass | Paul King | 00:44:52 | 1 |
| 2 | The Racoon | Paul Smith | 00:47:17 | 2 |
| 3 | Ilex | Sefton Powrie | 00:47:39 | 3 |
| 4 | Fifth Dimension | Ian Moore | 00:48:52 | 4 |
| 5 | Young Magic | Giovanni Belgrano | 00:49:04 | 5 |
| 6 | Cotton Bud | Doug France | 00:49:28 | 6 |
| 7 | Heartlight | Roger Sims / Rhys Cole | 00:49:40 | 7 |
| 8 | Opportunity | Dave Campbell | 00:50:18 | 8 |
| 9 | The Bondi Tram | Spencer Poborsa Cox | 00:51:06 | 9 |
| 10 | Farr South | Ian Templeman | 00:53:44 | 10 |
That compression through the fleet became even more significant once corrected times were applied.
On EHC, the race belonged to Opportunity for the second time running. Dave Campbell's Beneteau Oceanis 40.5 crossed the line eighth on elapsed time, yet climbed to the top of the corrected standings with authority. Unlike Race 2, this was no photo finish. Opportunity took the EHC win by nearly two minutes, a considerably larger margin than her previous victory.
Behind Opportunity, the racing was very close. Nautilass, The Racoon, Ilex, and Cotton Bud were all separated by less than half a minute on corrected time. Every small gain on an individual leg translated directly into a position change, and there was no room for error anywhere in the fleet.
A few boats also showed subtle but meaningful shifts compared with Race 2. Ilex, which had lost ground on EHC in the previous race, came back strongly to finish fourth on corrected time. Fifth Dimension, despite tracking closer to the leaders on the water, gave back those gains once the handicap numbers were applied. These were not large swings, but in a fleet this tightly matched, they are precisely the kind of patterns that skippers will be watching.
EHC RACING C Results
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Corrected Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opportunity | Dave Campbell | 00:33:06 | 1 |
| 2 | Nautilass | Paul King | 00:35:00 | 2 |
| 3 | The Racoon | Paul Smith | 00:35:16 | 3 |
| 4 | Ilex | Sefton Powrie | 00:35:19 | 4 |
| 5 | Cotton Bud | Doug France | 00:35:34 | 5 |
| 6 | Heartlight | Roger Sims / Rhys Cole | 00:35:37 | 6 |
| 7 | Fifth Dimension | Ian Moore | 00:35:46 | 7 |
| 8 | Young Magic | Giovanni Belgrano | 00:35:52 | 8 |
| 9 | The Bondi Tram | Spencer Poborsa Cox | 00:36:08 | 9 |
| 10 | Farr South | Ian Templeman | 00:36:26 | 10 |
Under PHRF, Young Magic again proved the reference boat for that system, returning to the top of the corrected order as she had done in Race 2. The notable difference this time was how little separated the leading group. Where Race 2 produced clearer gaps between the top finishers, Race 3 kept the first three boats within a little over 30 seconds of each other.
PHRF RACING C Results
| Result | Boat Name | Skipper | Corrected Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Young Magic | Giovanni Belgrano | 00:35:55 | 1 |
| 2 | Ilex | Sefton Powrie | 00:36:10 | 2 |
| 3 | Nautilass | Paul King | 00:36:34 | 3 |
| 4 | The Bondi Tram | Spencer Poborsa Cox | 00:37:15 | 4 |
| 5 | Fifth Dimension | Ian Moore | 00:37:49 | 5 |
Across two races of equal length, certain patterns have begun to take shape. Nautilass remains the standard for outright pace on the water. Opportunity continues to be the most dangerous boat on handicap. Young Magic keeps herself in front under PHRF. Yet no single boat is creating a decisive gap in any direction.
Racing Group C is not going to be decided by a single inspired performance. It is being shaped race after race by consistency, clean boat handling, and attention to the small details. With Thursday and Friday's racing still to come, nothing has been settled. Race 3 showed clearly enough that this group remains very much alive.
