14ft Nationals will come down to the wire

by Di Pearson on 19 Jan 2007 Lindsay Irwin/Andrew Perry’s (Irwin Sails) two second places in Races 6 and 7 today have regained them the lead of the 14 foot Nationals series today from yesterday’s leaders and now second placed Roger Blasse/Andrew Gilligan (Read Between the Lines).

Only one point separated the two Victorians yesterday and it’s the same again today in this very close Championship.

'We are pretty good mates,' Irwin said tonight. 'From my point of view, I have been champion eight times and a former world champion. For someone else to give us some close competition is good If Andrew and I won every race, I would get sick to death of it. I couldn’t be happier to have some one pushing us – and Roger is a really good guy – a talented sailor.'

Lindsay, who is 45, won the Worlds in 2005. Perry, his crew and a talented sailor in his own right, has won a couple of Fireball World as well as winning titles with Irwin. The deadly duo is in their sixth season together and they are the reigning National Champions.

Not only are Irwin and Blasse club mates at Black Rock Yacht Club, both are committee members and both use Irwin Sails. In fact, around 50% of 14ft skiff sailors here use Irwin’s Sails.

These sailors don’t normally sail on the flat waters of Corio Bay when at home; they spend their time on the rougher choppier waters of Port Phillip.

Most of what we do here on Corio, the decisions are made on the spot. It’s been very shifty breeze here – sometimes frustrating, but it’s good if it goes in your favour, Irwin stated.

'Traditionally I’m best at heavy air, but our last worlds were in Los Angeles, so we worked hard on our light air stuff, so we don’t dominate now like we used to before. We are better all-round these days, and Roger is now our equal in the heavy airs.'

Irwin went on to say: 'We expected Grant Geddes and Dan Wilsdon to be up there (the currently third placed overall pair from South Australia sailing Boost), and depending on conditions, if it was going to be predominantly light, I thought Roger Ramjet (Alex Newman/Derek Layfield from Victoria) would be up there, but if it was going to be heavier, Ray and the Crazy 88 (Anthony Anderson/Phil Chadwick).'

Chadwick was Irwin’s first crew and the two sailed together for a long 16 years. Chadwick also has a reputation as a Flying Dutchman, Fireball sailor.

Blasse and Gilligan won Race 6 and scored a fourth in Race 7 and are keeping Irwin/Perry honest. It is likely, with only three races remaining, that the winner will come from these top two crews, both currently using a fifth place as their drop.

Second and third places are still up for grabs, but after today’s two races, which started late due to almost non-existent shifty breezes, the South Australians on Boost are third placed, after mixed results of fifth and 15th – the latter used as their drop.

Flaunt It, sailed by Ron Scherwinski/James Lanati from Victoria, are just three places away from the Boost crew, with Ray and the Crazy 88 crew just two points behind in fifth place, after today’s races sailed in winds of up to only 10 knots.

Two further races will be sailed tomorrow, with the final race to be sailed on Saturday.

Series Results [Class ET] for 14ft Skiff up to Race 7 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	Crew	From	Sers Score	Race 7	Race 6	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		AUS631	IRWIN SAILS	Lindsay Irwin	Andrew Perry	VIC	11.00	2.00	2.00	1.00	4.00	1.00	[5.00]	1.00
2		AUS642	READ BETWEEN THE LIN	Roger Blasse	Andrew Gilligan	VIC	12.00	4.00	1.00	3.00	1.00	[5.00]	1.00	2.00
3		AUS640	BOOST	Grant Geddes	Dan Wilsdon	SA	24.00	[15.00]	5.00	2.00	7.00	2.00	3.00	5.00
4		AUS646	FLAUNT IT	Ron Scherwinski	James Lanati	VIC	27.00	5.00	4.00	6.00	3.00	3.00	[15.00]	6.00
5		AUS645	RAY AND THE CRAZY 88	Anthony Anderson	Philip Chadwick	VIC	29.00	1.00	10.00	5.00	2.00	7.00	[11.00]	4.00
6		AUS638	ROGER RAMJET	Alex Newman	Derek Layfield	VIC	35.00	[12.00]	6.00	7.00	5.00	10.00	4.00	3.00
7		AUS633	WAM	Alan Vickery	Andrew Wilson	VIC	40.00	6.00	7.00	4.00	[43.00F]	6.00	10.00	7.00
8		AUS643	Deep Water	Mark Kristic	Matthew Low	VIC	48.00	7.00	3.00	8.00	8.00	11.00	[13.00]	11.00
9		AUS639	ALEXANDER SAILS	Davifd Alexander	David Snoad	SA	54.00	8.00	9.00	9.00	12.00	9.00	7.00	[17.00]
10		AUS626	SNATCH	Stuart Sloss	Ben Austin	WA	57.00	10.00	[25.00]	16.00	6.00	4.00	9.00	12.00
11		AUS608	PROLAMPS	Warren Sare	Rob Murdoch	WA	58.00	3.00	12.00	10.00	17.00	[43.00F]	8.00	8.00
12		WA652	TARGET	Ray Hancock	David Bramley	WA	63.00	9.00	[18.00]	12.00	15.00	12.00	6.00	9.00
13		AUS644	ARGO 16	Stewart Vickery	Tim Withall	VIC	72.00	13.00	15.00	19.00	[20.50]	8.00	2.00	15.00
14		AUS612	NA1	Greg Coutts	Chris Killmore	VIC	90.00	18.00	14.00	18.00	11.00	17.00	12.00	[19.00]
15		AUS602	THE PEST	Glen Tincombe	Ian Furlong	WA	91.00	20.00	[42.00F]	14.00	9.00	13.00	19.00	16.00
16		AUS353	TWO DOGS	Stephen Edmunds	Michael Woodroffe	VIC	93.00	14.00	8.00	21.00	[43.00F]	23.00	17.00	10.00
17		AUS364	GREAT LEAP FORWARD	Ridhard Ekberg	Carl Cubitt	VIC	95.00	16.00	[24.00]	17.00	19.00	15.00	14.00	14.00
18		630	SLIVER	Brec Mitton	Silas Nolan	SA	96.00	11.00	20.00	15.00	16.00	16.00	18.00	[43.00F]
19		AUS647	JKM	Mark Elsworthy	Jason King	VIC	113.50	22.00	11.00	[42.00F]	20.50	22.00	20.00	18.00
20	11.0S	AUS610	CARBON CONCEPTS	Robert Vickery	Christopher Vaughan	VIC	115.00	17.00	[26.00]	11.00	23.00	18.00	24.00	22.00
21		NZL41	FOR THE LADIES	Matt Balmer	Jeff Causey	NZ	115.00	25.00	13.00	13.00	18.00	[43.00O]	22.00	24.00
22	13.0S	AUS641	ELLIOTT INDUSTRIES	Cameron Elliott	Bruce Rollerson	WA	126.50	28.00	42.00F	[42.00C]	13.50	14.00	16.00	13.00
23		AUS514	MEXICAN WAVE	David Hayter	Matt Johnston	SA	126.50	24.00	[27.00]	24.00	13.50	19.00	25.00	21.00
24		AUS10	CARBON COMET	Luke Devine	Adam Green	WA	129.00	19.00	17.00	20.00	10.00	43.00C	[43.00F]	20.00
25		AUS629	MISS MATCH	Rick De Jong	James Rudolph	VIC	143.00	21.00	[30.00]	23.00	26.00	21.00	23.00	29.00
26		AUS601	WALKING ON WATER	Graeme Everett	Garry Sloss	WA	144.00	23.00	23.00	[42.00C]	25.00	20.00	28.00	25.00
27		AUS636	RIDE EM + WRECK EM	Andrew Low	Peter Dowdney	Vic	149.00	26.00	[28.00]	22.00	27.00	27.00	21.00	26.00
28		AUS628	DONKEY ON THE EDGE	Philip Strong	Jeff Klemm	VIC	151.00	27.00	[29.00]	27.00	24.00	24.00	26.00	23.00
29		AUS553	MUPPET	Oliver Merz	Charlie Bellwood	NSW	166.00	32.00	21.00	[42.00F]	29.00	25.00	32.00	27.00
30	16.0S	AUS345	FRANKSTON TOYOTA	David Mcgeoch	Luka Dogan	VIC	167.00	42.00F	16.00	[42.00F]	28.00	26.00	27.00	28.00
31	19.0S	AUS605	TONKA TUFF	Scott Davis	Bryn Richards	VIC	167.00	30.00	19.00	28.00	[33.00]	31.00	29.00	30.00
32		AUS309	LYNX	Benjamin Strong	Robert Scrivenor	VIC	167.00	29.00	22.00	25.00	[43.00S]	28.00	30.00	33.00
33		USA609	EXTNEDED ADOLESENSE	Andrew Bates	Maureen Bates	USA	178.00	31.00	31.00	26.00	30.00	29.00	31.00	[31.00]
34		AUS362	ADDICTION	Adam Evans	Jon Evans	VIC	203.50	42.00C	32.00	42.00F	22.00	[43.00F]	33.50	32.00
35		AUS355	HOLDFAST MARINE	Peter Roberts	Ryan Blackstock	VIC	213.00	35.00	36.00	42.00F	32.00	30.00	38.00	[43.00F]
36		AUS363	ARGO14	Martin Cooper	Todd Cousens	VIC	215.00	34.00	34.00	42.00F	36.00	32.00	37.00	[43.00F]
37		N227	DUKES	David McCrudden	Kate Cooper	NSW	215.50	33.00	33.00	42.00C	31.00	43.00C	33.50	[43.00R]
38		N278	SEATEC GET IT ON	Barrie King	Bruce Nicholson	NSW	236.00	36.00	37.00	42.00F	35.00	43.00F	43.00F	[43.00F]
39		AUS342	LONGBOW	Brian Long	Colin Long	VIC	241.00	42.00F	35.00	42.00C	43.00F	43.00C	36.00	[43.00F]
40		AUS481	COTTEE'S ELECTRICAL	Jamie Cottee	Todd Cottee	ACT	242.00	42.00C	38.00	42.00F	34.00	43.00C	43.00F	[43.00C]
41		AUS347	LOVEBONE	Paul Thompson	Ian Dimond	WA	247.00	42.00C	42.00C	42.00C	43.00C	43.00F	35.00	[43.00F]