Dark & Stormy wins handicap honours in 2010 Pittwater to Coffs race

3:52 AM Sun 3 Jan 2010 GMT

'Dark & Stormy Witch 2010' Damian Devine Click Here to view large photo

Dark & Stormy Witch, the Murray Custom 37 owned and skippered by the RPAYC's Bruce Staples and Jim King has taken out the coveted IRC overall handicap honours in the 2010 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht race.

These seasoned campaigners repeated their handicap result of 2002, their overall series victory in 2005, 1st in their Division in 2007 and their 3rd IRC overall and Division 2 win in last year's race.

Dark & Stormy are a picture of consistency and never far from the podium. They were awarded the honours on a corrected time of 35hrs 38mins 50secs, just under 20 minutes ahead of another RPAYC competitor Bill Ebsary's Beneteau 44.7 'Le Billet' who had a corrected time 35hrs 58mins 17secs with a further two minutes separating second and third with last year's IRC handicap winner Julian Farren-Price's Cookson 12 'About Time', who had a corrected time of 36hrs 40secs.

Crew of Dark & Stormy Witch celebrating their 2010 Coffs Harbour win - Damian Devine

There is plenty of offshore experience amongst the crew including 24 Coffs races, 5 Hobarts and 12 Southports for Bruce Staples; 25 Coffs, 5 Hobarts and 12 Southports for Brian Ellis and 13 Coffs, 5 Hobarts and 12 Southports for Jimmy King.

The downwind conditions which eventually came in suited Dark & Stormy, with the handicap lead changing many times during the race.

Speaking from the Coffs Harbour marina this morning, Staples spoke of the IRC victory, 'We're delighted with the win, the lead chopped and changed but in the end the conditions favoured us, so we're absolutely thrilled with the win.'

TopYacht Software: Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club - 4/01/2010 4:05:15 AM

RACE 1 [2/01/2010] Pittwater to Coffs Ocean Race 2010

PROVISIONAL RESULTS

Printed on : 4/01/2010 4:05:15 AM

Division 1 IRC Overall results Start : 13:00:00
Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Elapsd	AHC	Cor'd T	Skipper	Score	Fin Tim	ETOrd	DidNot
`1`	`189`	`Dark & Stormy Witch`	`01:09:05:55`	`1.077`	`01:11:38:50`	`Staples/ King`	`1.0`	`01:22:05:55`	`17`
`2`	`10447`	`Le Billet`	`01:08:20:54`	`1.112`	`01:11:58:17`	`Bill Ebsary`	`2.0`	`01:21:20:54`	`13`
`3`	`7700`	`About Time`	`01:08:07:27`	`1.121`	`01:12:00:40`	`Julian Farran-Price`	`3.0`	`01:21:07:27`	`12`
`4`	`8330`	`Nine Dragons`	`01:09:49:19`	`1.068`	`01:12:07:19`	`Robert Cox`	`4.0`	`01:22:49:19`	`23`
`5`	`MH9`	`MRZ`	`01:08:47:19`	`1.107`	`01:12:17:49`	`Phillip Rowe`	`5.0`	`01:21:47:19`	`16`
`6`	`6808`	`Flying Cloud`	`01:09:29:49`	`1.089`	`01:12:28:41`	`Howard Piggott`	`6.0`	`01:22:29:49`	`20`
`7`	`9339`	`Hussy`	`01:09:20:39`	`1.097`	`01:12:34:43`	`John Bacon`	`7.0`	`01:22:20:39`	`18`
`8`	`401`	`Alibi`	`01:09:46:04`	`1.093`	`01:12:54:30`	`Barry Jackson`	`8.0`	`01:22:46:04`	`22`
`9`	`6321`	`Allegro`	`01:12:26:29`	`1.015`	`01:12:59:17`	`John Taylor`	`9.0`	`02:01:26:29`	`33`
`10`	`6609`	`Amante`	`01:10:55:33`	`1.060`	`01:13:01:17`	`Dennis Cooper`	`10.0`	`01:23:55:33`	`31`
`11`	`7447`	`Alacrity`	`01:09:26:17`	`1.108`	`01:13:02:58`	`Matthew Percy`	`11.0`	`01:22:26:17`	`19`
`12`	`51408`	`Edake`	`01:07:51:50`	`1.165`	`01:13:07:17`	`Jeff Carter`	`12.0`	`01:20:51:50`	`11`
`13`	`SYD39`	`Fathom`	`01:10:01:03`	`1.093`	`01:13:10:52`	`Ford/ Berryman`	`13.0`	`01:23:01:03`	`26`
`14`	`AUS5077`	`Anger Management`	`01:07:34:45`	`1.178`	`01:13:12:01`	`Phil Arnall`	`14.0`	`01:20:34:45`	`10`
`15`	`MYC22`	`Celestial`	`01:09:57:32`	`1.097`	`01:13:15:10`	`Sam Haynes`	`15.0`	`01:22:57:32`	`24`
`16`	`5944`	`Risk`	`01:09:35:53`	`1.109`	`01:13:15:37`	`Geoff Payne`	`16.0`	`01:22:35:53`	`21`
`17`	`6777`	`Onya`	`01:10:54:38`	`1.069`	`01:13:19:10`	`Andrew Hurt`	`17.0`	`01:23:54:38`	`30`
`18`	`46`	`Exile`	`01:07:11:48`	`1.197`	`01:13:20:33`	`Robert Reynolds`	`18.0`	`01:20:11:48`	`9`
`19`	`6051`	`The Bigger Picture`	`01:09:59:17`	`1.101`	`01:13:25:15`	`TBP Syndicate`	`19.0`	`01:22:59:17`	`25`
`20`	`8300`	`SecretMensBusiness 1`	`01:08:22:28`	`1.160`	`01:13:33:16`	`SMB Syndicate`	`20.0`	`01:21:22:28`	`14`
`21`	`6749`	`Perpetual Mocean`	`01:05:58:51`	`1.253`	`01:13:33:58`	`Bruce Hogan`	`21.0`	`01:18:58:51`	`5`
`22`	`6838`	`E11even`	`01:08:33:50`	`1.154`	`01:13:34:43`	`David Elliott`	`22.0`	`01:21:33:50`	`15`
`23`	`545`	`Pretty Woman`	`01:06:46:56`	`1.224`	`01:13:40:39`	`Richard Hudson`	`23.0`	`01:19:46:56`	`8`
`24`	`6198`	`NeXt Moment`	`01:10:39:55`	`1.091`	`01:13:49:11`	`Ray Hudson`	`24.0`	`01:23:39:55`	`29`
`25`	`RQ64`	`Ocean Affinity`	`01:06:08:19`	`1.258`	`01:13:54:52`	`Stewart Lewis`	`25.0`	`01:19:08:19`	`6`
`26`	`6754`	`Orion Blue`	`01:12:48:23`	`1.033`	`01:14:01:16`	`Nigel Curtis`	`26.0`	`02:01:48:23`	`34`
`27`	`6787`	`Infinity`	`01:14:08:03`	`1.000`	`01:14:08:03`	`Colin Watson`	`27.0`	`02:03:08:03`	`35`
`28`	`407`	`Blunderbuss`	`01:12:01:28`	`1.059`	`01:14:09:00`	`Tony Kinsman`	`28.0`	`02:01:01:28`	`32`
`29`	`M565`	`Xstatic`	`01:10:29:46`	`1.109`	`01:14:15:22`	`Peter White`	`29.0`	`01:23:29:46`	`28`
`30`	`SA15`	`Santana 3`	`01:06:26:01`	`1.274`	`01:14:46:21`	`Nick Johnston`	`30.0`	`01:19:26:01`	`7`
`31`	`99`	`Siena IV`	`01:10:10:49`	`1.145`	`01:15:08:11`	`Robb/ Moore`	`31.0`	`01:23:10:49`	`27`
`32`	`4966`	`King Billy`	`01:16:01:44`	`0.996`	`01:15:52:08`	`Philip Bennett`	`32.0`	`02:05:01:44`	`37`
`33`	`52566`	`Black Jack`	`01:01:04:20`	`1.596`	`01:16:00:55`	`Peter Harburg`	`33.0`	`01:14:04:20`	`3`
`34`	`AUS10001`	`Wild Oats XI`	`21:03:57`	`1.942`	`01:16:54:36`	`Bob Oatley`	`34.0`	`01:10:03:57`	`1`
`35`	`MH888`	`Spirit of the Maid`	`01:05:32:59`	`1.401`	`01:17:23:57`	`Bruce Absolon`	`35.0`	`01:18:32:59`	`4`
`36`	`8126`	`Reverie`	`01:14:36:54`	`1.074`	`01:17:28:21`	`John Turnbull`	`36.0`	`02:03:36:54`	`36`
`37`	`M10`	`Etihad Stadium`	`23:22:45`	`1.849`	`01:19:13:41`	`Grant Warington`	`37.0`	`01:12:22:45`	`2`
`DNF`	`A147`	`Ticket of Leave`		`1.069`		`Maxwell Prentice`	`39.0`			`DNF`