Irwin and Perry notch up another win

Paul Brotherton reports from the International 14 Worlds with one race left to go PLUS full results

It was a fair warning from the race officer: "Be careful of that tide on the start line lads, its going to take you over,” on the penultimate day of racing at the 2005 International 14 Worlds. His daily meets with the sailors have become less and less popular, seemingly an endorsement of the good job done. Not many heard his wise words.

The westerly had backed into the southerly quadrant at start time and maintained its shifty and unpredictable pattern. The 15 to 20 knot wind speeds had a range in excess of 45 degrees.

The start line is not conventional - in so much the main committee boat is in the middle of the line with a port and a starboard end being two further anchored boats. This halves the distance that the line spotters have to monitor it also halves (theoretically at least) the number of boats one end is responsible for.

An individual recall under such circumstances would normally give those close, or over, at start time the strong incentive to return. Not so. Sure enough, the tide grabbed the fleet and three big bunches pushed their noses well over. Not one boat returned. It must have been a split decision on an individual or general recall.

With no system being employed for pulling OCS boats out at the weather mark (this is normally the case, however the race managment team had made a decision not to, for fear of disturbing racing). A long a fruitless slog lay in wait for many.

Irwin and Perry who by this stage are almost disregarded by the fleet in anything stronger than 15 knots, ploughed their way to a massive win, a margin just shy of 2 minutes. On the water it looked like a superb day for the Aussies; six boats between them and the first of the three Brit contenders - all in a line, crossing 8, 9 and 10. It was a racing certainty that at least one of those six boats would be OCS. It was only after a nervous wait for the scores to arrive on the board that the Brits were confirmed 4, 5 and 6, rescuing a pretty grim day for all three teams. Only ten boats were scored
OCS but most were in the top 15 of the race.

This leaves the three Brit teams of Morrisson and Rhodes on 18 points, Richardson and Barker 21 points and Fawcett and Dobrijevic 22 points, with a seemingly insurmountable point deficit to Irwin and Perry.

The danger for the Aussies is that tomorrow is due to be light, very light. All of the Brits had a good day on the one light wind race while Irwin and Perry had a shocker. The trouble with getting the light wind eebygeebies is that it stays and it festers. You grip the tiller tighter and tighter, you pull the sheets harder and harder. A race in 4 to 6 knots could still, amazingly, given the Aussies dominance, throw this regatta wide open. The very light forecast may just however hand them the title. It’s amazing how many last races are never sailed.

	Nat	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Nett
1st	AUS	Lindsay Irwin	Andrew Perry	2	1	1	27	2	1	7
2nd	GBR	Stevie Morrison	Ben Rhodes	3	7	4	1	6	4	18
3rd	GBR	Alister Richardson	Ian Barker	7	2	3	4	9	5	21
4th	GBR	James Fawcett	Dave Dobrijevic	DNF	8	5	2	1	6	22
5th	AUS	Brad Devine	Denis Jones	10	12	2	3	21	10	37
6th	NZL	Dan Slater	Nathan Handley	4	14	8	10	3	17	39
7th	AUS	Roger Blasse	Andrew Gilligan	12	13	17	6	11	11	53
8th	AUS	Grant Geddes	Dan Wilsdon	1	3	9	29	13	OCS	55
9th	AUS	Jason Beebe	Tim Berg	8	9	13	7	18	OCS	55
10th	AUS	David Hayter	Alan Pollitt	DNF	5	11	22	26	3	67
11th	GBR	Ian Pinnell	Richard Kent	15	17	7	18	14	14	67
12th	CAN	Peter Hayward	Norm Pavey	19	18	14	14	8	OCS	73
13th	CAN	Dick Parker	David Cunningham	17	28	32	13	12	18	88
14th	AUS	Warren Sare	Rob Murdoch	28	11	10	32	35	12	93
15th	GBR	Archie Massey	George Nurton	DNF	10	18	20	28	24	100
16th	GBR	Charles Duchesne	Will Boone	26	DNF	22	19	27	8	102
17th	GBR	Victor Brellisford	Damian Ash	35	21	20	31	20	15	107
18th	AUS	Mark Krstic	Rob Oshlack	13	16	26	25	31	DNF	111
19th	CAN	Ian Teasdale	John Vincze	31	DNS	51	5	5	20	112
20th	CAN	Kris Bundy	Jamie Hanseler	18	19	16	39	23	OCS	115
21st	GBR	Chris Turner	Peter Bagwell	DNF	DNF	12	11	10	2	119
22nd	GBR	Andrew Penman	Tim Bastow	16	20	35	23	40	27	121
23rd	AUS	Stewart Vickery	Tim Withal	24	32	24	30	46	13	123
24th	AUS	Alan Vickery	Andrew Wilson	9	4	DNF	8	19	OCS	124
25th	AUS	Paul O'Malley Jones	Carlos Steenland	25	29	19	53	33	19	125
26th	GBR	Julian A Pearson	Louise Hickey	30	DNF	27	15	30	29	131
27th	CAN	Dan Cunningham	Rob Paterson	37	15	30	37	32	21	135
28th	CAN	Andrew Yates	Gordon Cook	38	31	31	24	16	36	138
29th	GBR	Rollo Pyper	Chris Kitchen	DNF	24	15	52	24	25	140
30th	AUS	Glenn Beebe	Trevor Mon	DNF	23	23	44	48	7	145
31st	AUS	Grant Rollerson	Dave Bramley	DNF	35	40	28	34	9	146
32nd	GBR	Matthew Larkin	Geoff Larkin	34	36	36	33	15	48	154
33rd	GBR	Andrew Partington	Ben Vernieres	20	26	DNF	9	17	OCS	156
34th	AUS	Dave Alexander	Allan Blenkle	6	DNF	6	21	50	OCS	167
35th	AUS	Stephen Edmunds	Michael Woodroff	23	37	49	50	38	22	169
36th	GBR	Jarrod Simpson	Bunny Warren	DNF	22	DNF	26	25	16	173
37th	GBR	Martin Pascal	Robin Pascal	32	49	34	46	39	26	177
38th	NZL	Grant Bourke	Luke Gower	DNF	40	21	45	49	23	178
39th	USA	Ron Boehm	Peter Mohler	22	DNF	38	34	44	40	178
40th	GER	Bjorn Frasch	Oliver Peter	21	41	37	41	OCS	41	181
41st	AUS	Josh Mortensen	Jake Mortensen	36	34	43	36	42	37	185
42nd	AUS	Robert Vickery	Criss Vaughan	14	43	46	55	64	31	189
43rd	USA	Zach Berkowitz	Steve Bordow	5	6	DNF	12	OCS	OCS	191
44th	AUS	Luke Devine	Adam Green	33	50	25	54	47	39	194
45th	AUS	Ray Hancock	Daryl Everett	11	38	DNC	59	57	30	195
46th	USA	Ted Rogers	Tim Burks	39	30	48	42	41	51	200
47th	AUS	James McDonald	Jason King	DNS	25	28	35	37	OCS	209
48th	GBR	Douglas Pattison	Daniel Ayton	DNF	48	50	48	36	28	210
49th	AUS	Stuart Sloss	Justin Walford	DNF	44	29	57	43	42	215
50th	GBR	Doug Walker	Nick Martin	41	42	42	DNF	45	49	219
51st	GER	Peter Roocks	Ole Klingner	DNF	53	39	17	DNF	32	225
52nd	USA	Brad Ruetenik	Todd Czarnecki	29	39	52	49	56	OCS	225
53rd	USA	Paul Bieker	Guillaume Vernaise	DNS	DNF	DNC	16	7	43	234
54th	GBR	Katie Nurton	Nigel Ash	44	47	DNF	40	54	50	235
55th	AUS	David Lugg	Garry Goodall	DNF	33	33	70	68	33	237
56th	AUS	Mat Low	Derek Layfield	DNF	27	DNF	38	52	38	239
57th	AUS	Graeme Everett	Gary Sloss	DNF	52	41	66	58	35	252
58th	GBR	Mark Upton-Brown	Nick Taylor	DNF	DNF	44	DNC	4	47	263
59th	CAN	Fred Eaton	Jason Lemieux	27	DNF	OCS	43	29	DNC	267
60th	NZL	Matthew Smith	Tony Smith	42	51	45	64	71	DNF	273
61st	AUS	Brec Mitton	Russell Keal	DNF	DNF	DNS	51	22	34	275
62nd	USA	Andrew Bates	Maureen Bates	43	55	56	78	69	56	279
63rd	AUS	Sean Stevens	Brian Long	DNF	61	47	72	63	52	295
64th	JPN	Ryo Nishima	Yasunobu Yanagisawa	DNF	56	54	67	67	53	297
65th	JPN	Kensuke Kita	Takao Washino	DNF	60	55	61	62	60	298
66th	NZL	Selby Howard	Karl Banks	DNF	58	DNS	58	59	45	304
67th	GBR	Paul Ravenhill	Caroline Gosford	DNF	DNF	OCS	47	51	44	310
68th	AUS	Philip Strong	Jeffre Klemm	DNF	45	53	77	70	DNF	329
69th	NZL	Matt Balmer	David Tucker	DNS	54	DNF	56	77	58	329
70th	NZL	Phil Coveny	Grant Hartley	DNS	62	58	74	74	61	329
71st	Aus	Andrew Low	Marcus Hamilton	DNF	46	DNF	69	53	DNF	336
72nd	USA	Alan Laflin	Eric Arens	DNF	63	DNF	73	66	55	341
73rd	AUS	Rick De Jong	Darren Upton	DNF	DNF	DNC	68	60	46	342
74th	NZL	Matt Nolan	John Thorman	DNF	DNF	DNF	65	55	54	342
75th	GBR	David Spragg	Scott Anderson	DNF	59	DNF	60	61	DNF	348
76th	GER	Lutz Scheulen	Stephan Koch	DNF	57	DNS	63	65	DNC	353
77th	JPN	Takashi Shimozato	Hiroshi Aoki	DNF	DNF	57	75	76	62	354
78th	JPN	Yasutaka Uto	Takehide Takase	DNF	DNS	59	79	75	63	360
79th	NZL	Jack Price	Peter Hunter	DNS	DNF	DNC	71	72	57	368
80th	USA	Harold von Sydow	Tom Pochereva	DNF	DNF	DNC	62	79	64	373
81st	GBR	Chris lewns	Simon Nearn	40	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	376
82nd	GBR	James Middleton-Stewart	Alan Beeton	DNS	DNF	DNC	76	73	59	376
83rd	USA	Jack Salerno	Reiko Tani	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	78	DNF	414