Rainy days

The final day of the Sail Melbourne International Skiff Regatta saw uncharacteristic weather

Sunday January 21st 2007, Author: Di Pearson, Location: United Kingdom
Under overcast skies with rain falling for much of the day, 12, 13, 14 and 16 ft Skiff fleets experienced gusty and shifty conditions at the Sail Melbourne event raced on Corio Bay. Winds kicked in to 12-18 knots, increasing to 20 plus at times. However, by the end of the day breezes had died to five to eight knots.

12ft Skiff

The Sydney crew of Emmett Lazich and Cameron McDonald ( CST Composites) won the final race eight to take out the 12ft skiff Interdominion crown at the International Skiff Regatta hosted by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club today, however New Zealand retains the Teams trophy for the tenth year running.

A former multiple Moth world champion, Lazich, who is also a successful 49er sailor and coach, won the first three races of the series and backed up with a win today with McDonald to beat their nearest rivals throughout the regatta, the well-sailed Kiwi crew of Chris Reid and Alex Vallings ( Nuplex Maersk). Vallings is the defending skipper from 2005-2006.

Reid, who is in his rookie season as skipper, won races four and seven, with a second in race two and finishing second to the CST Composite crew today. It was appropriate that the top two of the series finished their day in those positions.

Commenting on their second place, a philosophical Reid said: “Now we’ll have to come back!” He went on to say: “It’s been a fantastic event with good close racing.”

Behind Reid, came a further two New Zealand entries, that of Nathan Bax and Alex Hinton ( Bax Contractors) and National champions Hamish Hey and Mike Candy ( Nice Action). Because of their actions, the New Zealanders cart off the Teams prize. The Kiwis have always proved hard to beat and this time proved no different.

One of two only Queensland entries, Paul O’Malley-Jones and Richard Billett (Gob Smacked Dwarves) did an incredible job to come home fourth overall. There are few Queensland 12s racing right now, so the two deserve big accolades.

Lazich and McDonald led the final race from start to finish, with the Nuplex Maersk duo in second place all day; none of the other entries bothered either one of them around the triangle and two windward/leeward course, with racing getting underway at 2.00pm this afternoon.

A Sydneysider, Lazich has been heavily involved in research and development, trying to fine tune his 12 footer down to a two-rig job, which apparently paid off in this series. His and CST Composite’s work is ongoing.

13ft Skiff

The ‘two Daniels’, Daniel Turner and Daniel Ambler sailing Typhoon T-Shirts won every race of the 13ft skiff series at the International Regatta.

An experienced pair, the teenagers, representing the Manly 16ft Sailing Club in Sydney, were in the unusual position of using a win as a race drop. According to Turner, their comparably heavier weight helped them in the heavier air races, as the bulk of the 11-boat fleet is quite light.

A number of entries were female/male combinations and a couple of girl crews, who struggled in the heavier air, but made inroads in the lighter conditions.

Apart from top place, the other podium places throughout the series were shared more fairly, with second and third places at the end of the series decided on the final day in the final race.

Sheads First National, sailed by brothers Richard and Tim Plain, Fire Stopping (James Dorron and Jay Harris) and Ultra Tune (Fiona Walker and Eric Hoeger), brother and sister Peter and Anna Ewald-Rice on Addbuild Master Builders and Fluid, sailed by Skye McFadyen and Alana Clancy all managed a third or fourth place. The latter two are an ultra-light girl crew who struggled in the conditions on their long outer trapezoid courses.

Second place overall for the series went to the Plain brothers from Middle Harbour, with third going to James Dorron and Jay Harris from Manly.

The 13ft skiff is a feeder boat to the 16ft class and a number of current crews are already talking moving into a 16 next season.

14ft Skiff

Lindsay Irwin and Andrew Perry have successfully defended their 2006 14ft Skiff National title, sailing Irwin Sails to two wins in races nine and ten to claim the Championship from a well sailed Roger Blasse and Andrew Gilligan ( Read Between the Lines.)

Going into today’s racing team Irwin had only a one point lead over Blasse; the two crews swapping the series lead over the past few days, but the Irwin Sails guys took the Championship by six points.

In the earlier race nine, Blasse had the lead but, as Gilligan said: “We were coming up to the gybe mark and it was tight between us and Lindsay. He was about three boat lengths behind and with 50 metres to go, we got a gust and had to drop our kite to round the mark.

Lindsay and Andrew went around under spinnaker and sailed through us. We almost got level again going upwind, but he had too much pace on downwind for us.”

Bad luck got in the way in race ten as Blasse and Gilligan faltered with a big capsize. “It was at the gybe mark again – a Liberal voter got in our way and in we went,” Gilligan said tongue in cheek, referring to Stewart Vickery.

“We just didn’t do it right today – we had it all wrong. We sailed a good series though and we are happy with our second. It was a great competition between us and Lindsay and Andrew – close racing throughout.”

“The Race Committee did a great job considering the different and changing conditions they had to deal with – actually the whole event was superb,” said skipper Blasse, who like Irwin, is from the Black Rock Yacht Club in Melbourne where both are on the Committee and are friends. Blasse also uses Irwin Sails.

Irwin said: “I have been Champion eight times, nine with this one, and a world champion in 2005. I would have been happy to see Roger and Andrew win. They gave us great competition, which is good for us.”

The South Australian Grant Geddes and Dan Wilsdon crew on Boost, needed one today to stay in third place, but it was not to be, as the Flaunt It crew of Ron Scherwinksi and James Lanati came up with a fourth and a second today, giving them third place overall, making it a clean sweep for the Victorians.

Boost’s South Australian crew finished with seventh and fourth results, dropping them to fourth overall on the scoreboard.

Seven West Australians came to the event, the best placed of them Stuart Sloss and Ben Austin, sailing Snatch to tenth place. The lone New Zealand entry Matt Balmer and Jeff Causey ( For the Ladies) finished 22nd and Andrew and Maureen Bates sailed their USA entry Extended Adolosense to a 32nd place.

As for Stewart Vickery, whose idea it was to hold the International Skiff Regatta, whilst sitting nicely in race nine today, he had contact with another entry and was forced to rush ashore to make quick repairs to his tiller extensions, making it back to the course just in time to sail the final race ten. He and Tim Withall sailed Argo 16 to 12th place.

Vickery raced against his two brothers at this regatta, and it was Alan with crew Andrew Wilson ( WAM) who had the best success in seventh place. A third brother Rob, with crew Chris Vaughan ( Carbon Concepts) finished 21st.

16ft Skiff

Following a protest which was dismissed this evening, the Lee Knapton skippered Bob Jane T Marts Edgecliff was announced the winner of the 16ft National Championship at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

Knapton and his crew of Peter Hubble and Dean Williams from the Middle Harbour fleet in Sydney won race seven, the last of the series, but second placed Savage Bee (Bruce Savage, Greg Windust and Damon Zemanek) from Manly had protested over a buoy room incident.

In this very close series, Knapton and crew, who have just won the title for a third time, beat Savage Bee, which finished the final race third, by just four points and third placed Riley Marine Fittings (Jack Andrew, Keagan York and Andrew Finnie) from Georges River by six points.

“This is our third Nationals together and a sweet third victory,” Lee Knapton said tonight.
“Going in we knew Riley, Fluid and OAS would be hard to beat – the dark horse was Savage Bee,” Knapton said.

The Riley crew, current NSW champions, moved up into third overall after also protesting an OCS in race seven. Under Rule 461b, they were exonerated from the OCS and reinstated into their second place for the race.

Defending National champions, Fluid Building Services, sailed by brothers Clint and Steve Bowen and Anthony King, finished the Championship in fourth place, and OAS (Alan Cummings, Danny Anderson and Sean Harrison) from Belmont were fifth.

Of the two Queensland entries, RW Retail, sailed by Jack Daniel, Alan Mansfield and Scott Ovenden finished best in a good eighth overall, their best result a second place in race four. Considering there are few 16s currently racing in Queensland, this was a brilliant effort.

Two races were sailed today, Savage Bee taking out the earlier race six from Energy Australia (Patrick Levy, Mark Muirhead and James Triggs, with third place going to OAS.

Results:
 
12ft Skiff

Pos Helm Crew  Boat Name  R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 Tot
1 Emmett Lazich  Cameron Mcdonald  CST COMPOSITES  0 0 0 [13.00]  11.7 13 3 0 27.7
2 Chris Reid  Alex Vallings  NUPLEX  [23.00] 3 8 0 10 8 0 3 32
3 Nathan Bax  Alex Hinton  BAX CONTRACTORS  3 13 5.7 3 0 10 14 [17.00]  48.7
4 Hamish Hey  Mike Landy  NICE ACTION  14 10 3 11.7 5.7 0 [21.00]  16 60.4
5 Paul O'malley-jones  Richard Billett  GOB SMACKED DWARVES  8 [15.00]  15 10 3 5.7 8 15 64.7
6 Brett Hobson  Alex Johnson  GARDE  5.7 8 11.7 [19.00]  13 18 10 8 74.4
7 Jonathan Temple  Richard Jones  0 [25.00] 5.7 10 14 14 16 5.7 22 87.4
8 Russell Davis  Timothy Christensen  MGS  10 18 17 15 8 3 17 [19.00]  88
9 Glenn Armstrong  Tim Faulkner  AS GOOD AS IT GETS  16 14 21 16 18 14 [24.00]  14 113
10 Michael Bochner  Tim Barraclough  GIZMO  13 11.7 [23.00]  22 20 11.7 23 13 114.4
11 Simon Ganley  Rod Chave  DIMENSION POLYART  29 16 14 20 16 [37.00F]  11.7 10 116.7
12 Andrew Stevenson  Brad Greenrod  DATA CALL  18 24 [37.00F]  17 15 15 20 21 130
13 Greg Roake  Matt Hart  HI REV  22 25 [28.00]  5.7 17 22 16 25 132.7
14 Scott Hobson  Brad Phillips  GARDE GEOTHERM  11.7 17 18 23 23 17 [37.00O]  29 138.7
15 Jason Parkin  Ben Pefluiter  WAY UP  [28.00] 20 22 24 19 19 18 20 142
16 Ed Cox  Peter Bevis  ROAD KILL  19 21 13 32 [37.00F]  37.00F  19 5.7 146.7
17 Julian O'mahony  Richard Johns  ACER  15 19 19 21 [37.00F]  37.00F  13 23 147
18 Edward Blackman  Paul Carpenter  DIPOLAR SOFTWARE  21 22 20 18 [37.00F]  37.00F  26 11.7 155.7
19 Phil Stevenson  James Mccrudden  FOXY LADY TOO  17 29 [37.00C]  26 24 21 15 30 162
20 Jack Winning  Brett Phillips  VANTAGE REAL ESTATE  26 [32.00]  26 29 21 20 25 24 171
21 Michael Spies  Damion Vlotman  SIRROMET  20 23 16 8 [37.00F]  37.00F  37.00C  37.00C  178
22 James Walsh  James Birdsall  WOOF  24 30 27 31 [37.00F]  37.00F  28 18 195
23 James Francis  William Chapman  STEVE JARVIN MOTORS/  31 28 29 27 22 [37.00F]  22 37.00F  196
24 Matthew Peat  Paul Wilson  BOAT & YACHT STORE  27 27 25 30 [37.00F]  37.00F  29 27 202
25 Nicholas Bernard  Andrew O'brien  PINK B  30 31 31 25 [37.00F]  37.00F  27 28 209
26 James Fleming  Lindsay Stead  FLYING ANIMALS  [37.00F] 33 33 28 25 37.00F  32 26 214
27 Jakub Ronowicz  Chris Urquhart  BREAKING WIND  [37.00F] 26 24 33 37.00F  37.00F  31 37.00F  225
28 Grant Nicholson  Scott Hill  HOLT  [37.00C] 35 32 37.00F  26 37.00F  30 37.00F  234
29 Peter Hill  Steven Hill  24/7 PEST CONTROL  [37.00F] 34 30 37.00C  37.00F  37.00F  33 37.00F  245
30 Jock Sinclair  Donald Williams  BLOCKBUSTER  [37.00F] 37.00C  37.00C  37.00C  37.00C  37.00C  37.00C  37.00C  259

13ft Skiff

Pos Helm Crew  Boat Name  R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 Tot
1 Daniel Turner  Daniel Ambler  TYPHOON T-SHIRTS  [1.00] 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
2 Richard Plain  Tim Plain  SHEADS  3 [5.00]  3 2 5 2 2 17
3 James Dorron  Jay Harris  FIRE STOPPING  2 [4.00]  4 4 2 4 3 19
4 Fiona Walker  Eric Hoeger  ULTRA-TUNE  4 2 5 3 [7.00]  5 5 24
5 Skye Mcfadyen  Alana Clancy  FLUID  [12.00F] 6 2 12.00F  3 3 4 30
6 Peter Ewald-rice  Anna Ewald-rice  ADDBUILD MASTER BUIL  [12.00F] 3 6 6 4 6 6 31
7 Angus Kerr  Bernie Kerr  BUSTED  5 8 9 5 6 [12.00C]  8 41
8 Susan Veal  Madeleine Graham  MACBRIDE HINTON & CO  6 9 7 7 [11.00]  9 10 48
9 Ellen Roel  Georgia Clancy  BIGFOOT  [12.00F] 10 10 12.00F  9 7 7 55
10 Lachlan Hunter  Mitchel Galbraith  CURE OUR KIDS  [12.00F] 12.00O  11 8 10 8 9 58
11 Mel Walker  Don Mcphee  HAP-HAZARD  [12.00F] 7 8 12.00F  8 12.00F  12.00F  59

14ft Skiff

Pos Helm Crew  Boat Name  R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Tot
1 Lindsay Irwin  Andrew Perry  IRWIN SAILS  1 5 1 4 1 2 2 [8.00]  1 1 18
2 Roger Blasse  Andrew Gilligan  READ BETWEEN THE LIN  2 1 5 1 3 1 4 6 2 [14.00]  25
3 Ron Scherwinski  James Lanati  FLAUNT IT  6 [15.00]  3 3 6 4 5 2 4 2 35
4 Grant Geddes  Dan Wilsdon  BOOST  5 3 2 7 2 5 [15.00]  3 7 4 38
5 Anthony Anderson  Philip Chadwick  RAY AND THE CRAZY 88  4 [11.00]  7 2 5 10 1 9 3 3 44
6 Alex Newman  Derek Layfield  ROGER RAMJET  3 4 10 5 7 6 [12.00]  1 5 12 53
7 Alan Vickery  Andrew Wilson  WAM  7 10 6 [42.00F]  4 7 6 11 6 6 63
8 Mark Kristic  Matthew Low  Deep Water  11 [13.00]  11 8 8 3 7 4 12 11 75
9 Davifd Alexander  David Snoad  ALEXANDER SAILS  17 7 9 12 9 9 8 5 [42.00C]  9 85
10 Stuart Sloss  Ben Austin  SNATCH  12 9 4 6 16 [25.00]  10 23 8 5 93
11 Warren Sare  Rob Murdoch  PROLAMPS  8 8 [42.00F]  17 10 12 3 16 13 7 94
12 Stewart Vickery  Tim Withall  ARGO 16  15 2 8 20.5 19 15 13 10 [42.00F]  8 110.5
13 Ray Hancock  David Bramley  TARGET  9 6 12 15 12 18 9 15 [42.00F]  18 114
14 Stephen Edmunds  Michael Woodroffe  TWO DOGS  10 17 23 [42.00F]  21 8 14 7 11 17 128
15 Greg Coutts  Chris Killmore  MORE GRUNT  [19.00] 12 17 11 18 14 18 13 16 16 135
16 Ridhard Ekberg  Carl Cubitt  GREAT LEAP FORWARD  14 14 15 19 17 [24.00]  16 17 9 15 136
17 Glen Tincombe  Ian Furlong  THE PEST  16 19 13 9 14 [42.00F]  20 22 15 13 141
18 Brec Mitton  Silas Nolan  SLIVER  [42.00F] 18 16 16 15 20 11 14 14 25 149
19 Luke Devine  Adam Green  CARBON COMET  20 [42.00F]  42.00C  10 20 17 19 20 10 10 168
20 Robert Vickery  Christopher Vaughan  CARBON CONCEPTS  22 24 18 23 11 [26.00]  17 18 21 20 174
21 Cameron Elliott  Bruce Rollerson  ELLIOTT INDUSTRIES  13 16 14 13.5 [42.00C]  42.00F  28 12 20 19 177.5
22 Matt Balmer  Jeff Causey  FOR THE LADIES  24 22 [42.00O]  18 13 13 25 31 18 21 185
23 David Hayter  Matt Johnston  MEXICAN WAVE  21 25 19 13.5 24 27 24 26 19 [42.00F]  198.5
24 Mark Elsworthy  Jason King  JKM  18 20 22 20.5 [42.00F]  11 22 27 17 42.00C  199.5
25 Rick De Jong  James Rudolph  MISS MATCH  29 23 21 26 23 [30.00]  21 21 23 22 209
26 Philip Strong  Jeff Klemm  DONKEY ON THE EDGE  23 26 24 24 27 29 27 [35.00]  22 23 225
27 Andrew Low  Peter Dowdney  RIDE EM + WRECK EM  26 21 27 27 22 28 26 [29.00]  27 24 228
28 David Mcgeoch  Luka Dogan  FRANKSTON TOYOTA  28 27 26 28 [42.00F]  16 42.00F  19 24 29 239
29 Oliver Merz  Charlie Bellwood  MUPPET  27 32 25 29 [42.00F]  21 32 25 26 26 243
30 Benjamin Strong  Robert Scrivenor  LYNX  33 30 28 [42.00S]  25 22 29 33 25 27 252
31 Graeme Everett  Garry Sloss  WALKING ON WATER  25 28 20 25 [42.00C]  23 23 28 42.00C  42.00C  256
32 Andrew Bates  Maureen Bates  EXTNEDED ADOLESENSE  [31.00] 31 29 30 26 31 31 24 28 28 258
33 Scott Davis  Bryn Richards  TONKA TUFF  30 29 31 33 28 19 30 30 [42.00C]  42.00C  272
34 Peter Roberts  Ryan Blackstock  HOLDFAST MARINE  [42.00F] 38 30 32 29 36 35 37 29 31 297
35 Adam Evans  Jon Evans  ADDICTION  32 33.5 [42.00F]  22 42.00F  32 42.00C  32 42.00F  30 307.5
36 David McCrudden  Kate Cooper  DUKES  [42.00R] 33.5 42.00C  31 42.00C  33 33 38 30 32 314.5
37 Martin Cooper  Todd Cousens  ARGO14  [42.00F] 37 32 36 42.00F  34 34 34 42.00C  42.00C  333
38 Jamie Cottee  Todd Cottee  COTTEE'S ELECTRICAL  [42.00C] 42.00F  42.00C  34 42.00F  38 42.00C  36 42.00C  42.00C  360
39 Barrie King  Bruce Nicholson  SEATEC GET IT ON  [42.00F] 42.00F  42.00F  35 42.00F  37 36 42.00C  42.00C  42.00C  360
40 Brian Long  Colin Long  LONGBOW  [42.00F] 36 42.00C  42.00F  42.00C  35 42.00F  42.00C  42.00C  42.00C  365
41 Paul Thompson  Ian Dimond  LOVEBONE  [42.00F] 35 42.00F  42.00C  42.00C  42.00C  42.00C  42.00C  42.00C  42.00C  371

16ft Skiff

Pos Helm Boat Name  R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 Tot
1 Lee Knapton  BOB JANE T-MARTS EDG  2 [10.00]  2 1 6 7 1 19
2 Bruce Savage  SAVAGE BEE  9 5 1 [38.00F]  4 1 3 23
3 Jack Andrew  RILEY MARINE FITTING  1 3 3 11 5 [13.00]  2 25
4 Clint Bowen  FLUID BUILDING SERVI  5 1 [8.00]  8 2 5 5 26
5 Alan Cummings  OAS  4 7 5 6 [13.00]  3 8 33
6 Robert Flanagan  TUDOR  7 4 6 9 [10.00]  6 9 41
7 Craig Nicholls  TYPHOON  11 2 13 [38.00F]  1 8 7 42
8 Daniel Jack  R W RETAIL  6 [15.00]  14 2 8 12 6 48
9 Gary Bruniges  Y B FLAT  8 [41.00F]  11 5 3 11 13 51
10 Patrick Levy  ENERGY AUSTRALIA  [18.00] 16 10 3 11 2 18 60
11 Jamie Roberts  BRYDENS LAW OFFICE  12 9 4 [38.00F]  9 14 12 60
12 Andrew Divola  FIRE STOPPING  3 6 16 7 22.5 15 [23.00]  69.5
13 Brad Colledge  DATA # 3  16 12 23 4 7 [26.00]  16 78
14 Graham Mckellar  M & J CHICKENS  13 13 15 14 14.5 [16.00]  10 79.5
15 Chris Thomas  R.A.M  10 17 [26.00]  13 20 10 15 85
16 Peter Sorensen  SHEADS 1ST NAT  [38.00F] 8 12 38.00F  21 4 4 87
17 Rod Hozack  INTEGRATOS  21 14 9 [38.00F]  12 20 27 103
18 Julian Lydement  JLE ELECTRICAL  23 11 7 [38.00F]  16 24 30 111
19 Gavin Cooke  NETKIOSK  15 22 22 [38.00F]  17 19 21 116
20 Ben Bruniges  CONTOUR BUILDING & C  14 [41.00F]  18 38.00F  14.5 27 14 125.5
21 Kieran Humphries  THE HERALD  24 30 [32.00]  16 22.5 21 17 130.5
22 Dale Cummings  CARLTON DRAUGHT  25 18 19 [38.00F]  25 33 11 131
23 Marilyn Sorensen  SHEADS 1ST NAT II  27 27 29 [38.00F]  19 9 26 137
24 Adam Gillson  KOFM 102.9  [38.00F] 26 31 12 27 22 20 138
25 Amahl Haradsa  CAPITAL RESULTS  31 20 28 [38.00F]  18 18 24 139
26 Craig Corke  COUGAR BOURBON  20 21 27 15 29 29 [33.00]  141
27 Ian Heritage  JOHN ROMANOUS CONSUL  30 19 21 10 31 [32.00]  32 143
28 Gerard Smith  RONSTAN  19 23 20 [38.00F]  36 25 22 145
29 Paul Linnett  ILLAWARRA GEAR AND D  22 25 25 [38.00F]  26 28 19 145
30 Drew Spring  BOB  [38.00F] 32 17 38.00F  28 17 28 160
31 Matt Waters  HUNTER GAMING  17 [41.00F]  33 38.00F  24 23 25 160
32 Ian Henderson  TOM AND FRANKS  29 24 24 [38.00F]  30 34 29 170
33 Clare Hozack  SIMPLY AVIATION  28 33 30 [38.00F]  33 31 31 186
34 Bruce Gault  INFINITE PROPERTY SO  26 29 34 [38.00F]  32 30 38.00O  189
35 Adam Favaloro  GIRO CONSTRUCTIONS  32 28 35 [38.00F]  35 37 34 201
36 Alexandra Deakin  HAZARD  [38.00F] 31 37 38.00F  34 35 36 211
37 Chris Jones  BIG SATURDAY  [38.00F] 34 36 38.00F  37 36 35 216

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