Brazilians lead Australian's ahead of J24 Worlds

by Tanya Outen on 12 Jan 2006 The Brazilian J24 crew aboard Bruschetta has stolen the lead in the J24 Australian National Championship after a first and second in today’s racing at Sail Melbourne, the pre-event for the upcoming J24 Worlds.

It is the first time the Japanese entry Siesta has relinquished the lead since the championship began three days ago.

With Mauricio SantaCruz at the helm, Bruschetta showed superior speed to win the first race today, easily in light winds and flat water. While Mike Ingham’s Brain Cramp forged an early challenge in the second race, Bruschetta’s crew member Alex Suldanha said they managed to take the lead on the second beat.

‘We rounded the leeward mark together with the Americans but then we went to the left and picked up a good lead – probably three or four boat lengths,’ he said.

Siesta’ finished with a seventh and sixth today. Brain Cramp is third overall after finishing with a 24th and second place today. Sean Kirkjian’s Death Star remains the best placed Australian boat in fifth place.

Suldanha confirmed that Bruschetta would complete the National Championship rather than rest the boat and crew for the Worlds.

“We travelled 10,000 miles for this. Of course we will sail to the end,” he said.

However, the Brazilians will make crew changes for next week’s World Championship, which will also be hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club, including the Alan Adler, project manager for Brasil 1 Volvo Ocean Race campaign.

Current placings:
Series Results [One Design Pos] up to Race 8 (Drops = 1)
Place, Ties, Sail No, Boat Name, Skipper, From, Bow No, Sers Score, Race 8, Race 7, Race 6, Race 5, Race 4, Race 3, Race 2, Race 1

1, , BRA37, BRUSCHETTA, Mauricio SantaCruz, Brazil, 33, 23.0, 1.0 , 1.0 , [32.0O], 1.0 , 1.0 , 2.0 , 13.0 , 4.0

2, , JPN5261, SIESTA, Wataru Sakamoto, Japan, 38, 28.0, 6.0 , 7.0 , [11.0] , 4.0 , 2.0 , 5.0 , 2.0 , 2.0

3, 1.0S, USA1208, BRAIN CRAMP, Mike Ingham, USA, 45, 40.0, 2.0 , [24.0] , 1.0 , 18.0 , 5.0 , 3.0 , 10.0 , 1.0

4, , JPN5289, CEREZO, Yasutaka Funazawa, Japan, 28, 40.0, 9.0 , 2.0 , 8.0 , 3.0 , 7.0 , 7.0 , 4.0 , [16.0]

5, , AUS145, DEATH STAR, Sean Kirkjian, Australia, 43, 48.0, [15.0] , 12.0 , 2.0 , 14.0 , 8.0 , 1.0 , 6.0 , 5.0

6, , AUS198, SECURITY BLANKET, Hugo Ottaway, Australia, 22, 56.0, 10.0 , 4.0 , 4.0 , 8.0 , 12.0 , [13.0] , 11.0 , 7.0

7, , AUS190, FLY EMIRATES, Sean Willis, Australia, 54, 60.0, 3.0 , 20.0 , [32.0O], 2.0 , 13.0 , 9.0 , 1.0 , 12.0

8, , AUS186, CODE VIOLATION, Doug McGain, Australia, 32, 62.0, 16.0 , 17.0 , [26.0] , 6.0 , 6.0 , 4.0 , 5.0 , 8.0

9, 7.0S, AUS167, J-SPOT, Michael Blackburn, Australia, 59, 67.0, 5.0 , 15.0 , 7.0 , 13.0 , 11.0 , 6.0 , [32.0F], 10.0

10, , AUS161, CONVICTS REVENGE, Stephen Girdis, Australia, 25, 67.0, 13.0 , 5.0 , 6.0 , 10.0 , 14.0 , 8.0 , [19.0] , 11.0

11, , AUS171, PACEMAKER, David Suda, Australia, 20, 72.0, 12.0 , 11.0 , 10.0 , 5.0 , 16.0 , [17.0] , 9.0 , 9.0

12, , AUS160, KAOTIC, Ben Lamb, Australia, 56, 76.0, 14.0 , 8.0 , 20.0 , 11.0 , 3.0 , [32.0B], 7.0 , 13.0

13, , JPN5260, GEKKO, Satashi Kume, Japan, 46, 78.0, 7.0 , 13.0 , 15.0 , 15.0Y , 10.0 , 10.0 , 8.0 , [21.0]

14, , GBR4270, INMARSAT, Ian Southworth, Great Britain, 47, 84.0, 4.0 , 10.0 , 3.0 , 15.0 , 4.0 , 16.0 , 32.0C , [32.0C]

15, 3.0S, AUS128, JPEG, Warren Sare, Australia, 53, 93.0, 11.0 , 9.0 , 19.0 , 16.0 , [25.0] , 15.0 , 3.0 , 20.0

16, , CAN4013, SINGLE MALT, Tadeusz Bartlewksi, Canada, 42, 93.0, 19.0 , 18.0 , 5.0 , 7.0 , [26.0] , 14.0 , 15.0 , 15.0

17, , AUS201, HYPERACTIVE, Philip Coombs, Australia, 23, 103.0, [25.0] , 14.0 , 12.0 , 17.0 , 17.0 , 12.0 , 12.0 , 19.0

18, , CAN4865, NOKOMIS, Scott Weakley, Canada, 55, 109.0, 22.0 , 21.0 , 9.0 , 25.0 , 15.0 , 11.0 , [32.0C], 6.0

19, , USA2223, FIVE TO SIX, Suzi Taylor, USA, 49, 115.0, 20.0 , 3.0 , 18.0 , 19.0 , 20.0 , 21.0 , [32.0C], 14.0

20, , GBR4268, CRAZY GOALS.CO.UK, Jon Powell, Great Britain, 27, 123.0, 8.0 , 23.0 , 13.0 , 21.0 , 9.0 , 32.0B , [32.0F], 17.0

21, , AUS185, THE PIE, Tim Lewis, Australia, 34, 128.0, 21.0 , 27.0 , 25.0 , 12.0 , 22.0 , [32.0B], 18.0 , 3.0

22, , AUS195, CRACKERJACK, Grant Willmott, Australia, 26, 136.0, 18.0 , 19.0 , 17.0 , 22.0 , 19.0 , 18.0 , [32.0F], 23.0

23, , AUS172, INNAMINCKA, John Crawford, Australia, 57, 142.0, 17.0 , 22.0 , 21.0 , [23.0] , 18.0 , 22.0 , 20.0 , 22.0

24, , AUS66, NO EYE DEER, Trevor Conyers, Australia, 35, 149.0, 27.0 , 25.0 , 16.0 , [27.0] , 21.0 , 19.0 , 16.0 , 25.0

25, , AUS127, GOOD COMPANY, Robin Townsend, Australia, 36, 161.0, 23.0 , 26.0 , 24.0 , 28.0 , 23.0 , 20.0 , 17.0 , [28.0]

26, , AUS170, WHISPER, Neil Begley, Australia, 39, 163.0, 31.0 , 6.0 , 22.0 , 26.0 , 27.0 , 24.0 , [32.0C], 27.0

27, , AUS108, FUN, Alyn Stevenson, Australia, 44, 166.0, 24.0 , 16.0 , 14.0 , 24.0 , 32.0F , 32.0B , [32.0F], 24.0

28, , AUS205, MR BRIDGER, Alister Morison, Australia, 29, 167.0, 28.0 , 28.0 , 27.0 , 20.0 , [28.0] , 25.0 , 21.0 , 18.0

29, , AUS111, SUCH IS LIFE, Roger Nicolson, Australia, 37, 169.0, 29.0 , 30.0 , 23.0 , [30.0] , 24.0 , 23.0 , 14.0 , 26.0

30, , AUS144, STOCKCAR, David Hughes, Australia, 52, 202.0, 26.0 , 31.0 , 29.0 , 31.0 , 29.0 , 26.0 , [32.0C], 30.0

31, , AUS149, TWO DOGS, Peter Moulang, Australia, 24, 209.0, 30.0 , 29.0 , 28.0 , 29.0 , 32.0F , 32.0B , [32.0C], 29.0