ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship day 2 - A testing time

by ADCO Etchells Australasian Winters media on 9 Jun 2012 On day 2 of the ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship competitors were presented conditions similar to those of yesterday, with the effects of the recent East Coast low still evident.

The Race Committee set the off shore course at 170, with 1.8 nautical mile leg lengths under threatening clouds and in a confused seaway.

The Start boat was positioned just on the outer edge of the Inner Gneering shoals where two currents meet, testing the sailors skills in the short chop.

The fleet went into sequence for the first start of the day. With a solid rain squall to the north of the course and sun shining through the clouds, racing commenced for race 3 of the series.

It was a clean start. Graeme Taylor (Magpie) started midline while the rest of the top contenders started down the line, around mid pin.

Three quarters of the way up the first beat Taylor led World Champion Tom King (Iron Lotus). Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) was coming in from the right and looking good. He crossed King handsomely by at least three and a half lengths.

While the sun shone over Mooloolaba, there were storm cells to south and north of the course and the breeze, although approximately 15 knots, was moving around quite markedly.

It was close at the top mark. Taylor rounded ahead of Thornburrow, with current series leader Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) moving up into third ahead of King. Peter McNeill (Iris 111) was next, followed by David Healey (Rapscallion), David Rose (This Will Make Her Scream), Roger Hickman (Sun Tzu), Grant Chipperfield (Dark Joker) and Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990).

The breeze continued to build, hitting 20 knots as the fleet reached the top mark for the second time.

In rain and wild conditions Taylor rounded first, ahead of second placed Thornburrow with Chew further back in third and McNeill fourth.

As they headed towards the finish, surfing skills came into play.

Magpie, with keen surfer Ben Morrison-Jack as her bowman, extended down the run doubling their lead to some twenty lengths on the fleet.

Graeme Taylor and his crew surfed away to take the win. Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) was second while Peter McNeill Iris 111) made up considerable ground to cross in third. Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) was fourth, Tom King fifth, followed by Jean-Claude Strong (Yandoo XX), Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990), Philip Coombs (J for Jig), Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) and David Turton (Harold Holt).

Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) retained his overall lead at the 2012 ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship. Graeme Taylor (Magpie) was three points behind, tied with Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) but leading on count back.

Mark Johnson (Roulette) and local Mooloolaba Fleet Captain Trevor Martin (Butterfly Effect) retired from race 3, Johnson having broken his carbon tiller extension, when he fell in a tack.

However both skippers lined up for race 4 of the series.

As the fleet went into sequence, both the breeze and sea state were building.

The wind was averaging 22 knots but heading towards 25 and the seaway, although increasing, was from the south and more consistent. Blue sky was appearing as the Race Committee signalled Course 1 with 2.5 nautical mile leg lengths, finishing upwind off Point Cartwright.

On the pin Peter McNeill (Iris 111) got away well, as did David Clark (Dawn Raid) and Graeme Alexander (Smile N Wave). Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) was best placed, fourth up from the pin, high and fast.

Tom King (Iron Lotus) was squeezed out on the line and had to go around. As a result he was badly buried at the back of the fleet. King was seen crossing the sterns of the entire fleet.

Boats were launching off waves as the seas again became lumpy and the wind further increased.

By the top mark Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990) had moved into the lead, ahead of McNeill with Thornburrow third. Chew rounded fourth, then Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) ahead of Clark and Dean Blatchford (Echo Beach). Race 3 winner Graeme Taylor (Magpie) was back in 13th.

Former Class president Noel Paterson (Waterloo Bay) hit the mark after coming in from port, stalled he could not penetrate the starboard lay line wall for aeons then had to complete his circles. The error cost him dearly and he dropped around 20 places.

Tom King was buried deep in the fleet. However Colin Beashel (North Star) was even further back.

As fleet reached the top mark for the second time, McNeill held a comfortable lead over Thornburrow and Chew. Clark was fourth round, Hampton next with Blatchford and Mark Johnson (Roulette) following. Taylor was 12th, with Tom King outside the top twenty.

By this time Mark Sanders (Rebound) and Todd Trevillion (3 Gone Missing) had retired from race 4.

A big squall went round the fleet and up to the north side. McNeill was caught on the wrong side of the squall, got out of phase and lost his lead.

Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) crossed the line first, followed by Matthew Chew (Gen X Y ), with McNeill managing to hang onto third.

Thornburrow commented ‘We had two good races today. It was very tough - windy, but our boat handing was good with no mistakes and we went right way.

'We'd expect 25 knots, like it was at the end of today. We are enjoying it but it’s a bit cold.’

Peter McNeill said 'We're Grand Masters and it was a tough sea and pretty bumpy. We were going quite well and we had some good speed downwind, but lost the lead in last lap.

'Mark and Chewy went right from the bottom mark. We thought left would work on the last beat but it did not, so that did not do us any favours.

'But being an old Pittwater boy, I do not mind the chop at all.'

David Clark (Dawn Raid) was fourth, Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990) fifth, Mark Johnson (Roulette) sixth, with Jake Gunther (The Boat), Graeme Taylor (Magpie) and a fast finishing Tom King (Iron Lotus) next.

Dockside Tom King said 'It was not our day. Getting closed out at the pin in the last race was not pretty.

'Matt Chew has been working hardest and it shows.

'Good rides and good racing - that's what we came for!'

Graeme Taylor explained his 'loss of form' in race 4.

'We had two sailing gloves in our pump in the race 4. We did the whole second beat with MJ (Ben Morrison-Jack) in the boat bailing, because we were sinking.

'We did the whole second run with 'Mothie' (Steve Jarvin) having the pump in bits. So we were two up and amazed to finish eighth actually.'

With a 4, 2 result today Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) and crew, Ashley Deeks, Brian Donovan and Paul Wyatt, retain the lead at the 2012 ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship. They are two points ahead of Hong Kong sailor Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) with Graeme (GT) Taylor (Magpie) third.

Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) said dockside 'It was pretty windy and waves were choppy. We had good boat handling and that helped.

‘We were getting good starts midline, conservatively going the favoured way and it worked out well for us.

'We are just going to hold on harder if it gets windier.

‘We are leading but we are here to race, so bring it on!’

Racing concludes tomorrow, Sunday 10 June, with two races scheduled to complete the series. The first warning signal will sound no earlier than 10am.

 

Mooloolaba Etchells Fleet Inc.
ADCO Australasian Winter Championship 2012
7th June  to  10th June 2012
All Boats
Series Summary

Pl	B#	Crew	From	1	2	3	4	Tot
1	17	Matthew Chew, Ashley Deeks, Brian Donavan & Paul Wyatt	Brisbane	4	1	4	2	11
2	11	Mark Thornburrow, Simon Cooke, Sam Sakai & Bucky Smith	Hong Kong	6	4	2	1	13
3	33	Graeme Taylor, Steve Jarvin & Ben Morrison-Jack	Mornington	1	10	1	8	20
4	20	Peter McNeill, Simon Reffold & David Gleadhill	Lake Macquarie	8	9	3	3	23
5	27	Mark Bulka, James Arnold & Steve Young	Melbourne	2	3	9	11	25
6	10	Tom King, David Edwards, Ivan Wheen & Owen McMahon	Sydney	3	8	5	9	25
7	12	Colin Beashel, Richard Allanson & Garry Gudmunson	Sydney	5	2	14	13	34
8	06	Christopher Hampton, Matthew Johns & Sam Haines	Melbourne	17	6	7	5	35
9	24	Jeanne-Claude Strong, Tiana Wittey, Neville Wittey & Marcus Burke	Sydney	7	7	6	24	44
10	09	David Clark, John Collingwood & Andrew Smith	Melbourne	14	17	11	4	46
11	15	Ross Lloyd, Matthew Turner & Peter Williams	Melbourne	11	12	13	12	48
12	34	Jake Gunther, Tony McPhail & Stuart Skeggs	Melbourne	12	18	16	7	53
13	16	Philip Coombs, Stuart Schafer & David Eickmeyer	Melbourne	15	13	8	19	55
14	02	Mark Johnson, Christian Brook & Nikolas Burfoot	Sydney	9	5	40\DNF	6	60
15	03	Roger Hickman, Kate Besley, Daniel Williams & Daniel Morrow	Sydney	13	21	15	20	69
16	23	Graeme Alexander, Errol Candy & Chris Jackson	Mornimgton	21	11	20	18	70
17	21	Dean Blatchford, Greg Torpy & Keith Jensen	Lake Macquarie	20	20	24	10	74
18	05	Dirk Van Der Struyf, Graeme Johnson & Richard Rowell	Swan River	25	14	21	15	75
19	13	John Warlow, Craig Alcock & Bradley Ginniven	Brisbane	26	19	19	14	78
20	37	James Chilman, Stephen Girdis & Gary Van Lunteren	Brisbane	10	22	22	26	80
21	29	David Turton, David Biggar & Shayne Farnell	Mooloolaba	31	16	10	28	85
22	28	Noel Paterson, Sarah Board, Mark Buchbach & Hamish Crossan	Brisbane	18	23	25	25	91
23	04	Peter Coleman, Iain Gartley & Wayne Dixon	Melbourne	28	27	23	17	95
24	08	David Healey, James Hallam, Timothy Robba & Jennifer Skeahan	Brisbane	27	30	17	22	96
25	39	Gary Smith, Michael McAullay & Andrew McAullay	Swan River	16	15	26	40\DNF	97
26	22	David Rose, Josh Torpy & Edward Cowan	Brisbane	40\DNF	24	12	23	99
27	14	Ian Anderson, Joshua Willis & Robin Braender	Swan River	23	29	33	16	101
28	01	Michael Stovin-Bradford, Andrew Gordon & Keith Short	Sydney	30	25	18	29	102
29	31	Paul Minter, Glen Thomson & John Minter	Cronulla	24	33	27	21	105
30	25	Trevor Martin, Paul Braithwaite & Darrell Civic	Mooloolaba	22	31	30	27	110
31	35	Mark Sanders, James Howarth & Scott McInally	Gold Coast	19	26	29	40\DNF	114
32	18	Jack Ellis, David Buckland & Luke Cable	Melbourne	33	34	31	32	130
33	30	Gregory Forgan-Smith, Bruce Pitt, Ludvig Bengtsson & Stuart Lorimer	Gold Coast	32	28	32	40\DNC	132
34	36	Grant Chipperfield, Fenge Shave & Ross Wade	Melbourne	40\DNF	40\DNC	28	30	138
35	38	Hayes Michael, James Dagge & Liam Hayes	Brisbane	35	36	37	31	139
36	26	Todd Trevillion, Roger Gain & David Ritchard	Sydney	29	32	40\DNF	40\DNF	141
37	32	Stephen Toms, David Smith & Patrick Largier	Brisbane	34	35	34	40\DNF	143
38	07	Mal Blom, Toby Abbot & Iain Davidson	Melbourne	40\DNF	40\DNC	35	40\DNF	155
39	19	Glenn Norton, Brett Heath, Peter Rattray & Richard Hodgson	Melbourne	40\DNF	40\DNC	36	40\DNF	156

Event website http://www.mooetchells.yachting.org.au/