Ashby shows the way

Latest results from the A-Class Worlds in New Plymouth, NZ and a report from Erik 'the Viking' van Empel

Race 3

The day started off with a SW 5-10 kts breeze, but again just before we went out it suddenly picked up to a SW 15-20 kts. So I quickly changed my top three battens from the standard ones to the stiff boys.

We just seem te get tricked a little bit at the last moment. It was good flatout sailing and Gavin and Bags both hit the piss going downwind. Whatever direction the wind is, the left side almost always seem to be the way to go. Piet Saarberg and Mark Johnston both crossed the wrong side of the finishline, and Patrick Balbo topped that by parking his boat right on top of the finish mark. The race for first was between Brad, Glenn and Scott who finally finished in this order.

Race 4

The same conditions. I got at the top mark pretty well on port tack layline, but was wedged in between two boats with Tony McKenzie underneath me. I was hoping that Tony would clear the boats coming in on starboard because I couldn't fall back behind him anymore. Tony couldn't clear and had to tack, forcing me into a tack right in Chris Parker's water, and Chris Parker being his usual paranoid self, was a little worried for the Viking out for blood. And the bushranger was policing the whole situation while Bags was having his BOAT WARS with Stevie in the middle of the whole thing! So I did my 360 penalty turn at the clearance mark and then went on with a few lost spots...

Sorry about that chris!

Greg Goodall hit the piss going downwind, but still managed to finish 10th. Again the race for first was between Glenn, Brad and Scott who finished in that order.

Results

Pos	Skipper	Nat	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot
1	Glenn Ashby	AUS	3	1	2	1	7
2	Brad Collett	AUS	5	2	1	2	10
3	Scott Anderson	AUS	1	4	3	3	11
4	David Brewer	AUS	6	3	4	4	17
5	Steve Brewin	AUS	2	8	5	5	20
6	David McKenzie	AUS	4	5	8	6	23
7	Murray Philpott	NZ	7	13	7	8	35
8	Greg Goodall	AUS	9	7	11	10	37
9	Huub Lambriex	NED	16	9	12	9	46
10	Brian Hooper	AUS	8	6	17	17	48
11	Chris Parker	AUS	14	14	13	14	55
12	Simon Manning	NZ	17	17	10	12	56
13	Graeme Harbour	AUS	18	10	15	13	56
14	Tony McKenzie	AUS	12	15	19	16	62
15	Erik van Empel	NED	15	16	14	18	63
16	Stuart Scott	AUS	10	18	18	20	66
17	Matt Firth	AUS	24	11	16	15	66
18	Mike Drummond	NZ	11	19	20	22	72
19	Rod Molkington	AUS	DNF	12	6	7	76
20	Mark Thredgold	AUS	20	24	24	21	89
21	Lou Zylstra	AUS	21	26	29	23	99
22	Brian Medlow	AUS	26	27	22	30	105
23	Guido Schulte	GER	36	22	25	24	107
24	Patrick Balbo	FRA	29	21	30	29	109
25	Steve Ashley	NZ	31	25	26	28	110
26	Glenn Brown	AUS	27	29	28	27	111
27	Gavin Vize	AUS	13	DNF	23	25	112
28	Eddie Hiestand	NZ	25	28	27	32	112
29	Joerg Horn	GER	22	DNF	21	19	113
30	John Marshall	NZ	33	20	33	34	120
31	Bruce McArthur	AUS	DNF	DNS	9	11	122
32	John Goldsmith	AUS	28	34	35	38	135
33	Andreas Szameitat	GER	DNF	23	34	31	139
34	Terry Valder	NZ	32	32	37	39	140
35	Hamish Drummond	NZ	34	DNF	32	26	143
36	Peter Waldron	NZ	30	DNF	31	33	145
37	Don Thomson	NZ	37	30	41	37	145
38	Ekkehart Von Selsam	GER	39	31	40	36	146
39	Ken Urquhart	NZ	38	33	36	41	148
40	Brian Taylor	NZ	35	35	39	40	149
41	Piet Saarberg	NED	19	DNF	DNF	35	156
42	Patrick Ashby	NZ	40	36	44	DNF	171
43	Chris Riley	NZ	42	37	DNF	45	175
44	Mark Johnston	AUS	23	DNF	DNF	DNF	176
45	David Aarons	NZ	41	DNS	42	44	178
46	Mike Norton	NZ	DNF	DNS	38	42	182
47	Peter Kerr	NZ	DNF	DNS	43	43	188
48	Trevor Simpkin	NZ	DNF	DNS	DNF	DNS	204
48	Graham Davey	NZ	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	204
48	Marcus Wilson	NZ	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	204
48	Ken Williams	NZ	DNF	DNS	DNF	DNS	204
48	Mark Davidson	NZ	DNF	DNS	DNS	DNS	204