2015 ISail Whitsundays B14 World Championship - Reputation intact
by Jane Moffat on 7 Jan 2015
Start line - 2015 ISail Whitsundays B14 World Championship Rhenny Cunningham
The 2015 ISail Whitsundays B14 Worlds final day promised close racing and drama as any of the top four boats were placed to take the title.
It was another day of champagne sailing at McCrae Yacht Club with clear skies, a 10-15 knot south easterly and perfect flat water.
The drama was delivered in spades at the start of race nine with an individual recall signaled. With boats making their way up the first leg and no sign of anybody turning back Guy Bancroft and Lachlan Imeneo AUS 793, sitting as series leaders, turned and headed back. The flag dropped and Bancroft and Imeneo were now dead last with the world title slowly slipping out of their hands.
Bancroft commented 'It was Lachie’s call on us being over at the start and he was right'. They were now over a minute behind but as Aussies love an underdog Bancroft and Imeneo clawed their way back to the be in the top five boats on the final downwind leg to the gate. Positioning themselves on the inside track they snuck round the mark and finished the race in first. Brent Frankcombe and Leigh Dunstan AUS 375 has led the race until that last leg but with the meeting of the boats at the mark they lost ground and slipped back to finish fifth.
With the win in race nine Bancroft and Imeneo had the world title in the bag (a third for Bancroft) but in the heat of race and the relief of their comeback they couldn't work out quickly enough if that was really the case.
The final race was the windiest of the regatta, 15-20 knots and a fantastic end to the championship given the couple of days missed earlier on.
There was more drama as Frankcombe and Dunstan were again leading the fleet but a capsize near the gate mark saw them shred their spinnaker and score a DNF. However their phenomenal performance over the course of the championship saw them finish in second place overall, not bad considering they only got the boat six months ago. Surely they must be on course to take a worlds title in the future.
Father and son team Ian and David Cunningham won the final race and rounded off the podium taking third overall and with that the B14 Ashes have been returned to Australia, rather like the cricket!
Being one of the lighter weight crews in the fleet Chris Lewns and Tom Pygall sailing Whitstable Marine GBR 761 slipped down the order in the stronger breeze and finished fourth overall.
An interesting statistic of the championship is that over 20% of the competitors are women, with four female skippers, fantastic for a class that might be perceived as being 'male'.
During presentation Bancroft commented 'By the time we got to the top mark on that first leg Lachie threatened to get out of the boat as the beach was close enough and he could walk back'. Good job he stayed in the boat as Imeneo was awarded the inaugural Paul Smith trophy for best crew at the championship.
Bancroft credited many people to helping with the win, not least Mark Lainson who was a key organiser of the event and 'helped keep a lot off my plate, which is difficult when the event is at your home club'.
So will Bangers go for a fourth world title? 'Yes if it’s in Garda'. We will be watching and waiting.
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