Crown Series 2011 Bellerive Regatta day two - SB3 class

by Peter Campbell on 26 Feb 2011 Crown Series 2011 Bellerive Regatta - Queensland yachtsmen Phil Gray and Rod Jones quickly came to terms with the vagaries of Hobart’s River Derwent today when they won two of three heats of the inaugural International SB3 Tasmanian championship, being sailed as part of the Crown Series 2011 Bellerive Regatta.

With Gray, from Mooloolaba, on the helm and boat owner Jones, from the Gold Coast, on the main and calling tactics, Club Marine Blue heads the championship pointscore after three heats on a damp, cool and, at times, near windless day on the Derwent.

In what could be a controversial move, the race committee has ruled that all 11 boats in the SB3 fleet have been disqualified from Friday’s twilight race for sailing the incorrect course.

In the first race today, Hobart yachtsman Nick Rogers’ local knowledge of the Derwent River paid dividends as he cleverly steered Toll Shipping to a comfortable win from the Queenslanders. But his good form did not continue in the next two heats.

'We had a good first race but then we fell off the pace in the next two heats,' Rogers said after the races, with the next two heats being won by Club Marine Blue.

After three heats, the Queenslanders lead with 4 points from Hobart sailor Brett Cooper, sailing Harcourts, on 7 points from two seconds and a third place today. Rogers is third overall on 10 points with a fourth and fifth place following his opening race win.

In the open sports boat class, Shaw Contracting, skippered by David Shepherd, leads by one point from Fang to the Max (Fred Barrett) with just another point to Resin Dog (Sam Edmunds).

Shaw Contracting won two of the three races today, with the first race going to Fang to Max. Shaw Contracting is on 5 points from a 3-1-1 scorecard, Fang to the Maxi on 6 points from a 1-2-3 score and Resin Dog on 7 points after placing 2-3-2 today.