505 Nationals Day 3 - Quirk and Roos extend lead

by Nicole Douglass on 19 Jan 2013 Race five of the 55th International 505 Australian Nationals sailed on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, was contested in 40 degrees combined with hot northerly winds.

The breeze was shifty and ranged from 15 to 25 knots of wind. Queensland’s Brett Beyer and Darren Gilbert had a handy lead at the top mark after being the gate boat and successfully navigating the right hand side of the course, with winds shifting up to 30 degrees throughout the race. The Queensland boat thrived in the increased wind range. From there they sailed brilliantly leaving the rest of the fleet fighting for the minor placings.

On the final run to the finish Sandy Higgins and Paul Marsh, Kevin Cameron and Sam Heritage and Mal Higgins and Luke Payne had a wild downwind ride in 25 knots into the finish line with only a few boat lengths of separation, taking second, third and fourth.

Race six began thirty minutes after race five. It started in a 12 to 18 knots fading northerly and by the first windward mark had dropped to eight to 15 knots with large wind shifts. First at the top mark were Michael Quirk and Daryl Roos closely followed by Shane Guanaria and Leigh Riddell with Cameron and Heritage not far behind.

Leading into the next windward leg, the breeze continued to fade, dropping to five to eight knots. As the breeze dropped, the shifts increase and positions were open particularly on the downwind legs with plenty of gains to be made. Quirk and Roos continued to maintain their moderate weather dominance taking the win, leaving them well positioned going into the second half of the regatta. Guanaria and Riddell sailed to a well-deserved second with Cameron and Heritage finishing third.

Australian International 505 Class Association website