Race 2 of the Elden for Sailing Lion Island Series delivered a classic afternoon of Pittwater racing, with multiple postponements, building breeze and tightly contested fleet action across all divisions.

After an initial delay under AP, Division 1 finally got away on their third start attempt, settling into a southerly breeze that built to around 10 knots. The fleet worked upwind toward Saltpan Cove, then ran down Pittwater to West Head under spinnaker, and into Broken Bay to the Box Head mark. The conditions in Broken Bay were relatively stable, allowing spinnakers to be hoisted once again with a run around Lion Island

Condor and Seeking Alpha featured prominently at the front of Division 1, taking advantage of the freshening pressure as the fleet powered past West Head and around Lion Island before turning back toward the finish off Scotland Island.

Division 2 enjoyed a clean but tightly packed start, with crews “packed in like sardines” off the line. Gezzabelle capitalised on local knowledge of Pittwater and the improving breeze to make strong gains throughout the race, while Organised Chaos, Seeking Alpha and Vento all benefited from the increased pressure during the run home.

As Division 3 began racing, Division 1 boats were already charging back downwind under spinnaker, creating a busy racetrack across Broken Bay. Division 4’s start included an individual recall as eager competitors pushed the line in the strengthening conditions.

The fresh southerly created excellent racing conditions for the return leg, with crews enjoying fast kite runs back toward the finish. At the tail end of the fleet, Erini brought the afternoon to a picturesque conclusion, enjoying the late sunshine over Pittwater as the crew headed toward the finish line, south of Scotland Island, to complete Race 2 of the series.