Melges 24 Australian Championships 2015 - Intense racing
by Hamish Nicol on 16 Jan 2015
2015 Melges 24 Australian Championships Ally Graham
Chris Link’s and his crew of Nathan Wilmot, Shona Wilmott, Daniel Nixon and Dean Pennell sailing Pusser's Rum Cavallino were rightly crowned 2015 Australian Melges 24 Champions after four days of intense, thrilling racing in frequently boisterous and occasional quite wild conditions off and often inside Adelaide Sailing Club over 8th-11th January.
The 14 boats and crew present were tested to new limits in big breezes topping 30kts at times and seas up to two meters but always remained cheerful with PRO Rogers and team constantly remarking on how M24 crew seemed to have huge smiles on their faces at the finish regardless of what was being thrown at them. It was bloody good fun out there and a celebration of everything Adelaide waters and the Melges 24 in a decent one-design fleet can deliver with kudos to Class Association Secretary Donna Evans, the club officers and volunteers of ASC and very much the owners and crew who made the trip over from the East. The favourite won - just. But the fleet is now very close behind and all the while building skills and new members of all ages. Judging by the numbers of youthful Wilmots, Brulands, Youngs and Shanks present it is providing a great atmosphere on and off the water.
Day one had seen an ultra-light air northerly with the first race commencing in barely six kts. The fleet all brought intensity to their racing with trim paramount. Links carefully executing a pair of gybes for clear air on the final run to catch local light air specialist Luke Stephens helming Adrenaline as the fleet ghosted home with Ayden Menzies helming the Kraken slipping in to open his account for third. The second race being abandoned as the tide consumed the downwind pressure, the fleet restored their spirits with vast quantities of liquid refreshment at the first of the free nightly dockside sessions sponsored by individual Adelaide M24 fleet members followed by the Yalumba Wines sponsored Welcome Night.
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The excesses of the first evening were not ideal preparation for day which saw as big a breeze as many of the fleet had ever raced the Melges 24 in. The fleet awoke early to confused seas. It was definitely on for young and old out there with Southerlies roaring through the racing area with a bit of West too. Short, steep seas especially on port tack as the remnants of Southern Ocean swells cranked up off the sheltered harbour prevailed. Regardless, Links was to win the first race at the other end of the wind range from Robbie Deussen and Red Mist with Adrenaline now third. The downwind runs were exceptional in spite of the slate grey sea and sky but all were taking a pounding. Several boats returned to harbour to repair breakages and near loss of rigs. The fortitude of PRO Rogers and co. on the committee boat should also be mentioned perched as they were on a short chain in a short boat with multiple Melges merging with the spume in madcap, high speed finishes of four boats or more just meters away. It has to be said that Rogers and co. were smiling back too as the fleet charged on by.
A close grouping of Heath Walters helming Amigos, Links, Jonno Bannister helming Penultimate Challenge and Red Mist comprised the order for the day’s second race as Adrenaline's crew took a swim. Mist was to lead home in the third race followed by Links, Bannister again and now Kraken back from forestay repairs to take fourth. The fourth race was to see the top end reverse again with this time Links leading in Mist with Bannister third and a revived Adrenaline fourth. The front end was taking shape nicely with Cavallino and Mist clearly the class of the field and a melee of following Melges to chose from in the middle order.
The fleet tired but happy again assembled for dockside refreshments followed this time by excellent sponsored mussels courtesy of Kinkawooka Shellfish of Port Lincoln, SA.
Day three saw the wind backing Southerly again and coming over Glenelg at times. Whilst not as breezy as day two there certainly were moments and of course the shore aspect to the breeze was a testing novelty as the sea breeze was missing entirely and lane selection was paramount. It was to be a day of consolidation by the leaders and narrowing the spread amongst the middle order. Boat of the day was again arguably Red Mist with a couple of firsts but also having to card a seventh against a two, one, two for Cavallino. Dan O’Connell’s Kowabunga was showing promising form climbing higher in the ranks before the kite halyard exit cleat gave way and took them out for the rest of the day.
It took a few moments consideration but by close of racing on day three it was clear that mathematically Cavallino was almost there. In the middle order, a solid day from an improving Concubine with a pair of fourths further tightened the race for third after discards.
Day four was hardly a formality though. With the breeze again from the South but lightening now to mostly marginal to non-planing conditions, the conditions were exacting with the further discipline of covering and fleet management now being especially examined as well as staying in downwind breeze. The middle order come out on top as Links and Deussen relaxed a little and Amigos, Jason Ward’s Concubine, Bannister and David Royle's Outlier all put in a good day at the office.
The overall was indeed won by Links with Robbie Deussen and Red Mist second and Heath Walters on Amigos third. All agreed that the venue, organisation and racing was first class and redoubled their commitment to the 2015 Melges 24 Series looking forward now to the 2015 SA State Title as well as the 2016 Australian Championships at Lake Macquarie and the early awarded 2017 Australian Championships to Victoria.
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