Sailing Club
Tell Tales
18th April 2026Flying Fifteens Season Finale
The final race of the season began with very little promise. There was barely a breath of wind in the morning, and more than a few were questioning whether racing would go ahead at all. In the end, four boats made it to the start line.
What followed before the race even began could only be described as a complete kerfuffle due to the fickle wind. The duty boat changed the course direction three times, set up in the wrong position another, and an accidental bump of the hooter only added to the confusion for all the boats vying for the best spot to be first across the start line.
It was a lumpy day on the water, with the duty boat feeling the effects while sitting on anchor. But eventually, the race got underway on a port course: triangle, sausage, triangle, triangle.
Off the start line went Black Pearl, April Dancer, Isn’t It Amazing, and Ziff. That order didn’t last long. By the first mark, Ziff had worked its way into second and briefly held the lead by the second turn.
Black Pearl clawed back ground by the third mark after a spinnaker mishap from Ziff, although not without their own “wine glass” moment. Meanwhile, Isn’t It Amazing slipped past April Dancer, but that gain proved short-lived as April Dancer surged back ahead with strong spinnaker work.
The order held steady through the middle marks until the eighth turn, where April Dancer’s legendary spinnaker sailing came into its own. They powered past Ziff and then Black Pearl to take the win.
Final Race Results
| Line Honours/Handicap/Yardstick |
|---|
| 1. April Dancer |
| 2. Black Pearl |
| 3. Ziff |
| 4. Isn't It Amazing |
A fitting finish to the season.
Congratulations to Black Pearl for taking out the overall Flying Fifteens series.
For those who haven’t yet discovered them, the Flying Fifteens are the two-man dinghies you’ll see darting across the Bay most Saturday afternoons through summer. If you’re curious to learn more, the club is always keen to welcome newcomers - community/sports-and-recreation/sailing.
We now look forward to celebrating the season at our end-of-season event on Friday, 1 May 2026 at the Bottom Pub, before a well-earned winter hibernation.
Life is good. Come Sailing!
To find out more please see our homepage and our Facebook group - Apollo Bay Sailing Club.
New Members Always Welcome!
Many thanks to Bendigo Bank for their support of Learn to Sail at ABSC.