Coral Sea Cup Race 1

The favourite rounding of Low and Snapper again proved to be a great challenge on day one of the Coral Sea Cup Regatta with the closest finish on record.

Nine yachts came to the start for the reach out to Low with a port rounding and a long run down to Snapper. From the outset Belinda Cooper on Groove, visiting from Cairns, set the pace with arch rival Doug Ryan on Magic in hot pursuit.

After a slow start Magic was able to run down Groove arriving at Low Isles ahead of the fleet. The yachts enjoyed a good run down to Snapper as Magic rounded first ahead of Groove and Ice with Ann Sea close behind. Jimmie Blacksmith and Sea Wizard were ahead of Port FM Mais Oui, T-Break and Miriama.

As Magic and Groove descended on the finish line a mere three seconds separated the two yachts after almost five hours of race time. Magic secured line honours and a handicap win ahead of Groove to lead the fleet after day one.
  
Coral Sea Cup Race 2

A triangle course was set for the two races on day two and starting in difficult lighter air Groove and Magic again became locked in contention chasing line honours.

The eight yacht fleet produced some close racing over the three laps of the course but Groove held their lead to take the line and handicap wins to sit level with Magic in the three race regatta.

Port FM Mais Oui retired reducing the fleet to seven and Ann Sea chasing a fifth consecutive Coral Sea Cup victory had to settle for third.

Coral Sea Cup Race 3

The final race got underway with further retirements from Jimmie Blacksmith and T-Break leaving just five yachts in the mix and Ann Sea with a very slim chance of continuing her remarkable string of Coral Sea Cup victories.

The visitors from Cairns already had other plans for the trophy and Groove recorded a second line and handicap win to claim the 2012 Coral Sea Cup on 4 points from Magic (5), Ann Sea (10), Ice (13), Sea Wizard (13), T-Break (23), Port FM Mais Oui (25), Jimmie Blacksmith (27) and Miriama (29).

After eight races of the Closehaven Marina Trophy Series Ann Sea holds the lead on 14 points with two races left to run continuing with the lady Skippers Race and concluding with the Christmas Cup both coming up in December.