Tied at the top

Americans and New Zealanders tied for the lead at Audi Etchells Words now discard comes in

Thursday November 23rd 2006, Author: Rob Kothe, Location: Australasia
Day six of the 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds and young New Zealand champion Alastair Gair snatched victory on the final beat of race six from America's Cup sailing icon, John Bertrand. Betrand was leading until the last 400 metres of the 13 mile windward leeward course. With series leader Jud Smith sixth over the line the series is now tied up.

John Bertrand was fast off the line in today's race, a little too fast according to race officials. He cleared out and was at once stage 50 seconds ahead, but the fleet ran him down. It was blowing 25 knots and the seas were steepening as Bertrand led Gair by just 13 seconds round the bottom mark. Gair had surfed down the run, taking ten seconds out of the leader and up the beat Gair found a shift on the right, to sail into the lead.

Second across the line was Brit Ante Razmilovic, three boat lengths behind Gair. As Bertrand crossed five lengths later, the skipper swung round and saw the OCS notification on the 1983 America's Cup tender Black Swan, with the dreaded message race six OCS - 55.

But the veteran America's Cup sailor has lodged a protest against the ruling which will be heard shortly.

Gair said dockside; 'We managed to get off the line fast, rounded fourth and had pretty good downwind pace, we just managed to get close to John on the second run and found some shifts. But we've still got a bit of yachting to go yet, so we will just keep concentrating.'

Jud Smith still leads the regatta, on a count back after his sixth, a good recovery; he was eleventh at the final bottom mark. "We fixed our upwind problem, but not our downwind problem. I picked the wrong kite. We just don't sail in the heavy conditions. I looked at the long range forecast before the regatta started, we could see it would start light and get heavier, later so we knew we'd to go well early and then hang on in the heavier weather. The four up crews seem to have an advantage upwind and that is what is keeping us in the series," explained Smith.

"It was a pretty standard day today. We seemed to be going faster up the last beat. When the NZL went right, we thought we'd get through them, but it turned out to be the other way. Overall though we are sailing fast, but minimizing risks," commented Ante Razmilovic.
 
Pos Helm/Crew Boat Number/Name R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Tot Net
1 Jud Smith/Dirk Kneulman/Andrew Wills/Thomas Saunders USA 1061 - Feng Shui 1( 1) 2( 2) 1( 1) 6( 6) [ 21]( 21) 6( 6) 37 16
2 Alastair Gair/David Ridley/Carl Peters/Derek Scott NZL 950 - Velsheda 2( 2) [ 23]( 23) 4( 4) 3( 3) 6( 6) 1( 1) 39 16
3 Ante Razmilovic/Jez Fanstone/Stuart Flinn GBR 1333 - Swedish Blue 9( 9) 9( 9) [ 12]( 12) 1( 1) 4( 4) 2( 2) 37 25
4 Mark Bradford/Graeme Taylor/Steve Jarvin AUS 1317 - Una Mas (QLD) 5( 5) [ 34]( 34) 5( 5) 4( 4) 5( 5) 8( 8) 61 27
5 Andy Beadsworth/James McHugh/Simon Fry GBR 1187 - Anam Chara 3( 3) 4( 4) 2( 2) 10( 10) [ 19]( 19) 9( 9) 47 28
6 Craig Healy/Kieth Stahnke/David Gruver USA 946 - I Love My Wife 8( 8) [ 70](OCS) 23( 23) 2( 2) 3( 3) 3( 3) 109 39
7 Cameron Miles/Phil Smidmore/Dave Samson AUS 117- Fast Harry (NSW) 4( 4) 14( 14) 17( 17) [ 17]( 17) 2( 2) 7( 7) 61 44
8 Stuart Childerley/Simon Russell/Roger Marino GBR 987 - Bedrock [ 27]( 27) 11( 11) 8( 8) 5( 5) 8( 8) 13( 13) 72 45
9 John Bertrand/Ian Johnson/Tim Ede AUS 1321 - Triad (VIC) 10( 10) 17( 17) 9( 9) 12( 12) 1( 1) [ 70](OCS) 119 49
10 Mark Bulka/Stewart Nichols/Steve Young AUS 1277 - Critical Balance (VIC) 18( 18) 13( 13) 6( 6) [ 29]( 29) 11( 11) 5( 5) 82 53
11 Noel Drennan/Peter Ahern/Bill Browne AUS 1215 - Boat X (VIC) [ 45]( 45) 12( 12) 3( 3) 20( 20) 24( 24) 4( 4) 108 63
12 Julian Plante/Michael Coxon/Nick Garland/Matt Day AUS 1254 - North Sydney (NSW) 25( 25) 5( 5) 7( 7) 7( 7) [ 70](OCS) 24( 24) 138 68
13 Murray Smith/Brad Sheridan/Barrie Sturgeon AUS 866 (WA) 6( 6) 27( 27) 13( 13) 9( 9) 15( 15) [ 27]( 27) 97 70
14 Jake Gunther/Russell Tyson/Richard Ironmonger AUS 1244 - Dr Evil (VIC) 12( 12) 15( 15) 10( 10) 16( 16) 20( 20) [ 70](DNF) 143 73
15 Michael Manford/Dean McAullay/Richard Rowell AUS 1356 - The Croc (WA) 15( 15) [ 70](OCS) 15( 15) 14( 14) 22( 22) 10( 10) 146 76
16 Rob Brown/Bruce Wookey/Garry Gudmunson AUS 1326 - Steampacket VI (NSW) 33( 33) 3( 3) [ 33]( 33) 8( 8) 9( 9) 28( 28) 114 81
17 Chris Busch/Rod Hagebols/Willem van Waay USA 969 - Happy Ending 7( 7) 7( 7) [ 31]( 31) 27( 27) 29( 29) 18( 18) 119 88
18 Peter Chappell/Sam Gill/Michael Hughes AUS 1289 - Two Palms & a Hammock (WA) [ 29]( 29) 21( 21) 25( 25) 18( 18) 12( 12) 15( 15) 120 91
19 Roger Hickman/Phillip Endersbee/Peter Inchbold AUS 1088 - Sun Tzu (NSW) 22( 22) 10( 10) 16( 16) 23( 23) [ 40]( 40) 23( 23) 134 94
20 Skip Lissiman/ Ben Durham/Kane Williamson AUS 891 - Bandwagon (WA) 24( 24) 30( 30) 20( 20) [ 30]( 30) 13( 13) 12( 12) 129 99
21 David Clark/Stephen Barlow/Andrew Smith AUS 1131 - Humpback (NSW) 19( 19) 1( 1) 30( 30) 21( 21) [ 70](DNF) 31( 31) 172 102
22 David Bedford/Phil Lawrence/Jonathon Taylor GBR 1332 - Gerlert 34( 34) 18( 18) 11( 11) 26( 26) 16( 16) [ 47]( 47) 152 105
23 Damien King/Simon Cunnington/James Ware/Andy Butler AUS 924 - Barry White (VIC) 26( 26) 37( 37) 18( 18) 15( 15) [ 38]( 38) 11( 11) 145 107
24 Barry Parkin/Mike Till/Bill Masterman GBR 1325 - Festina2 35( 35) 6( 6) 35( 35) 19( 19) [ 36]( 36) 22( 22) 153 117
25 Alastair McMichael/Richard Edinger/Andrew McAullay AUS 916 - Daylight Robbery (WA) 30( 30) 19( 19) 22( 22) 22( 22) [ 45]( 45) 25( 25) 163 118
26 Richard Coxon/Ed Mc Carthy/Graeme Spence AUS 1273 - North Sydney Station (NSW) 21( 21) 36( 36) 27( 27) 11( 11) 25( 25) [ 41]( 41) 161 120
27 Rob Bird/Graeme Johnson/Nic Gray AUS 1320 - Rhapsody in Blue (WA) 28( 28) 25( 25) [ 39]( 39) 31( 31) 7( 7) 30( 30) 160 121
28 Rod Jones/Bucky Smith/Gregor McAllan-Smith AUS 925 - Oxygen (QLD) 14( 14) [ 70](DNF) 40( 40) 13( 13) 33( 33) 21( 21) 191 121
29 David Royle/Peter Royle/Jon Ward AUS 1136 - Bohica (SA) [ 52]( 52) 31( 31) 44( 44) 24( 24) 10( 10) 16( 16) 177 125
30 Mark Thornburrow/Gray Gibson/Mark Parker HKG 105 - Quest 31( 31) 16( 16) 38( 38) 25( 25) 18( 18) [ 51]( 51) 179 128
31 Mark Johnson/Robert Bishop/Nik Burfoot AUS 1124 - Roulette (NSW) [ 46]( 46) 20( 20) 14( 14) 42( 42) 27( 27) 26( 26) 175 129
32 Chris Pratt/Nick Paterson/Mark O Brien AUS 1143 - Squid (SA) 16( 16) [ 41]( 41) 24( 24) 28( 28) 29(RDG) 36( 36) 174 133
33 Joseph Bainton/Ched Proctor/Tod Raynor USA 1153 - Junkyard Dog 42( 42) 8( 8) 37( 37) [ 49]( 49) 14( 14) 39( 39) 189 140
34 Richard Burrows/David Burrows/Peter Coad IRL 1015 - Matatu Durh 32( 32) 29( 29) 19( 19) [ 48]( 48) 17( 17) 43( 43) 188 140
35 Michael Jones/Bill Sykes/Roy Ditmarsch AUS 1119 - Feathers Chalk Beans (NSW) 11( 11) [ 60]( 60) 36( 36) 44( 44) 32( 32) 20( 20) 203 143
36 Gary Smith/Mark Lovelady/Mick McAulley AUS 883 - Tusk (WA) 23( 23) 22( 22) [ 70](OCS) 43( 43) 39( 39) 17( 17) 214 144
37 Dan O Grady/Paul Reilly/Brian Hammersley IRL 1330 - Fraculator 13( 13) 55( 55) 49( 49) 38( 38) [ 70](OCS) 14( 14) 239 169
38 Gordan Lucas/Geoff Chambers/John Gardiner AUS 781 - Abracadabra (WA) 36( 36) [ 43]( 43) 41( 41) 41( 41) 23( 23) 29( 29) 213 170
39 Martin Payne/Jonathon Mortimer/Steve Birbeck GBR 1329 - Selection Box! 48( 48) [ 56]( 56) 21( 21) 35( 35) 30( 30) 38( 38) 228 172
40 Andrew Cooper/David Heritage/George Cooper GBR 992 - China White 17( 17) 33( 33) 46( 46) [ 53]( 53) 47( 47) 32( 32) 228 175
41 Tim Patton/Mark Thomas/Simon Wilder BER 1249 41( 41) [ 70](OCS) 26( 26) 37( 37) 26( 26) 46( 46) 246 176
42 Lindsay Kennedy/Trevor Swinburne/Peter Waters NZL 1314 - Addiction 20( 20) 42( 42) 43( 43) 40( 40) 34( 34) [ 44]( 44) 223 179
43 Andrew Whittome/Jim Gregory/John Callahan USA 1283 - Down Under 57( 57) [ 57]( 57) 28( 28) 32( 32) 28( 28) 37( 37) 239 182
44 Peter McNeil/Peter McLachlan/Rick Maxwell AUS 915 (NSW) 44( 44) 24( 24) 42( 42) 33( 33) 42( 42) [ 50]( 50) 235 185
45 Doug Flynn/Mark Cartwright/Tim Powell GBR 1165 - Wobbegong 38( 38) 47( 47) 29( 29) [ 52]( 52) 43( 43) 42( 42) 251 199
46 Robert J Elliott/Sam Richmond/Andrew Yates GBR 1036 - Esprit 40( 40) 51( 51) [ 54]( 54) 45( 45) 31( 31) 35( 35) 256 202
47 Grantham Kitto/Brad Moore/Simon Shaw AUS 963 - The Rat (WA) [ 55]( 55) 32( 32) 32( 32) 46( 46) 49( 49) 53( 53) 267 212
48 Ian Anderson/Peter Vos/Gus McBrair AUS 1117 - Seven P s (WA) 62( 62) 26( 26) [ 70](OCS) 34( 34) 46( 46) 45( 45) 283 213
49 Gordon Blaauw/Andrew Short/Peter Kernot AUS 939 - Power & The Passion (WA) 50( 50) 39( 39) 34( 34) [ 67]( 67) 54( 54) 40( 40) 284 217
50 Mary Hanna/Ben O Brien/Brendon Garner/Jock Sinclair AUS 1082 - Enigma (VIC) 60( 60) 48( 48) [ 70](RAF) 39( 39) 52( 52) 19( 19) 288 218

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