As westerly winds gusted above 40 knots in Sydney on Saturday, the 12ft skiffs from Lane Cove assembled their 4th rigs to contest the Hood Sails Trophy. The race was a challenge to the boats brave enough to enter, and the extreme conditions meant that only three boats made it to the finish line intact. The winners, Peter Polec and Jamie McCrudden onboard the evergreen Foxy Lady Two found an extra gear upwind on their 18 year old boat to run away with the win. Second place belonged to Andrew Short Marine (Michael Spies and Damien Vlotman), who finished 25 minutes behind after spectacularly colliding with a yacht at 20 knots. Visitors Jonathan Temple and Richard Johns on O clocked the day’s peak speed of 24.85 knots. Dimension Polyant (tiller extension), Hey Charger (buoyancy tank cap), Gemmell Sails and Havoc (both retired) all sustained minor damages but will be in action when racing resumes this Saturday.