Idle Time ahead of Dent to Dunk Race

12:59 AM Mon 19 Apr 2010 GMT

'Sandpiper has the legs on Idle Time sometimes but not in trhe Dent to Dunk event.' Ian Grant Click Here to view large photo

Whitsunday Sailing Club Commodore Kevin Fogarty will be on the start line to defend his Dent Island to Dunk Island trophy on Saturday May 29th.

Idle Time hardly spends any time lying idle at her mooring with her competitive skipper and crew flying their wind tormented battle flag in all offshore racing events including the North Queensland WORC series and the international Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week.

The remarkable West Australian designed Space Sailor class sloop has a log book full of impressive results including the 100 year old Dent to Dunk Island trophy win in 2009.

But it has not been all plain sailing with Idle Time she suffered extensive hull damage when the drama of sail damage and engine failure combined to wash the sloop on a rocky Mackay north shore beach three years ago.

Fortunately after spending several weeks in the boat yard Idle Time returned to racing in Whitsunday Club events on Pioneer Bay and has continued to race under the Club burgee in all major events showing her competitive boat speed to clinch a rewarding result in the 2009 Dent to Dunk Island Race.

Meanwhile both skipper Kevin Fogarty and crew will continue to test her boat speed in this month's Cumberland Yacht Charters sprint race series on Pioneer Bay against a strong list of challengers including her match racing class rival the Colin Pruden helmed Sandpiper.

It is not uncommon for both Space Sailors and their equally determined skippers and crews to share the same sailing space however Kevin Fogarty presently holds the treasured bragging rights as the 2009 Dent to Dunk Island champion.

Naturally the wily skipper who has happily raced more miles than most of his 2010 race rivals will continue to focus his attention on a successful trophy defence.

Sandpiper had the edge over Idle Time winning the Hog's Breath trophy in March while both crews have continued with their private match racing for major honours in the Cumberland Yacht Charters trophy.

While the present short course point score racing results remain important to Kevin Fogarty and Colin Pruden their main focus is on achieving a high scoring performance when the battle lines are drawn on Pioneer Bay to decide the class champions in 2010 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week regatta.

Last year the George Challoner skippered Elan 37 Airlie Retreat finished second in the final race to win the Performance Handicap class title by narrow one point margin over veteran Pioneer Bay skipper Roger Down in his faithful Farr 11.6 class sloop True Love.

By his standards skipper Kevin Fogarty and the Idle Time crew had an ordinary regatta finishing 11the overall and 12 points off the pace.

However their recent results have proved they are sailing close tho their best and promise to be on the pace when they defend their Dent to Dunk trophy staring on May 29th and follow up with targeting a top three finish in the Meridien Marinas Race Week in mid August.

by Ian Grant