While the bigger, faster and technologically advanced racing machines coped with very light winds last Saturday to race around the iconic island and up to HYC, their smaller cousins in the associated Dash for Cash event struggled.
Dominating the double-handed division in the Rottnest race were local Hillarys sailors Ryan Binedell skippering Low Flying Duck into first place with Kraken (Todd Giraudo) fourth and Dart Vader (Wayne Pitcher) sixth.
In division three Mark Pitt’s Mulberry from HYC was first and fastest and Ian Holder on Bad Habits was fifth.
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READ NOWOf 17 yachts that entered the Dash for Cash event that took them up to Scarborough and return there were five retirements due to the lack of wind making it a long and frustrating day.
Des Riley and crew on Hard Evidence picked the pockets of the wind best and sailed to first and fastest in division one ahead of Salamander (Bruce Bradford) and VayaCon Dios (Chris Blackney).
In division two Covert Operation (Graham Atkinson and Bart Brouwer) was first and fastest with Helga (Mark Taylor) and Pandora (Chris Grant) filling the minor places.
Brian Buzzard on Sana 11 in division three was persistent to the end, taking first and fastest ahead of Steve Okeefe on Comfortably Numb.
As night fell the last of the Rotto boats arrived and crews settled in for an evening of refreshments and the official presentations.
Many were hoping for a visit from the Fremantle Doctor for the return race the next day.