Juniors, families, and classics - plenty of stories in the MG14 fleet!

by Rohan Nosworthy on 11 Jan 2013

Father and Son combo - Jeremy and Richard Dodds - MG14 National Titles Rohan Nosworthy

Day four of the Zhik MG14 National Titles, and a great ENE breeze of 12-15knots allowed all boats across the fleet to savour the conditions on beautiful Port Stephens. However, the best stories of the regatta are coming from outside the top few boats!

Young brothers, Cameron (14) and Nathan (12) Kaul, only began sailing four months ago, and first launched a spinnaker three weeks ago! Sailing their custom restored 1996 National Champ boat - 316 Stainless - the boys have shown amazing tenacity and skill to brave the conditions this week. They have been seen in amongst the bulk of the fleet in the early stages of each race, and had the wind gods been a bit kinder, might have been able to shown some clean heels to a lot of the boats.

Cameron and Nathan's brother, Braden (12), is sailing with old-salt Warren Sykes, and has done a fantastic job in the front of the boat. He is displaying skills which shadow his stature and short sailing career, and he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Female crews are also showing that gender is no barrier to success in the class, with awesome performances on the water by last season's champion Sophie Holt, Lara Mansfield crewing for her father Brian, and Sarah Amos guiding husband Peter around the course. Rebekah Dodds is keeping Fergo in line, Emma Gearing is telling Aaron Gore which way to go, and Jan Wooley is ensuring her husband Howard is behaving and always trying his hardest.

378 - Lara and Brian Mansfield, 382 - Aaron Gore and Emma Gearing, 368 - Rebekah Dodds and Fergo - MG14 National Titles © Rohan Nosworthy

Father and son combos are also common, and while it is a point of 'negotiation' for who is in-charge, they seem to be a good combo. Richard and Jeremy Dodds, Mark and Paddy Holt, Gavan and Bailey Pereira, and Gary Reeves and Kerry Beatty all seem to be able to make the formula work.

And the newest boat number in the fleet, is actually the oldest boat here. 413 - Stayin Alive - first launched back in the 1970's as an NS14, has just been converted to an MG, and is being piloted admirably around the course by Port Hunter stalwarts Ben and William Rigby. Great to see an old boat getting a new lease of life.

Racing concludes on Friday from 11am, with two races scheduled to wrap up the series. Places are close and up for grabs, and the competition will continue to the fall of the last flag.

Prizes for the regatta are proudly sponsored by Zhik, Harken, Barracouta Sails and Mid Coast Sails.

346 - Peter and Sarah Amos, 401 - Warren Sykes and Braden Kaul - MG14 National Titles © Rohan Nosworthy

Classic 'new' boat - Stayin Alive - Ben and William Rigby - MG14 National Titles © Rohan Nosworthy

Waz and Braden in a spot of bother - lucky the boat decided to sail itself for a bit! - MG14 National Titles © Rohan Nosworthy

Wife and Husband - Jan and Howard Wooley - MG14 National Titles © Rohan Nosworthy

Father/Daughter - Brian and Lara Mansfield - MG14 National Titles © Rohan Nosworthy

Warren Sykes with young Braden braving the conditions - MG14 National Titles © Rohan Nosworthy

Cameron and Nathan Kaul sailing 316 Stainless - MG14 National Titles © Rohan Nosworthy

Overall Scratch:

Plc	Sail No	Boat Name (Boat Type)	Skipper/Crew	From	Race 1 7-Jan	Race 2 7-Jan	Race 3 8-Jan	Race 4 8-Jan	Race 5 9-Jan	Race 6 10-Jan	Race 7 10-Jan	Drop	Total
1	407	Einhorn Tiger	Chris Eddes Nigel Blatchford	Connells Point	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	2	6
2	397	Aqua Pest Tiger	Drew Van Ryn Bryce Edwards	Cronulla SC	2	2	1	2	3	5	DNC (22.00)	22	15
3	411	Into The Mystic Mystic Moondance	Rohan Nosworthy Sophie Holt	Queens Lake SC	3	4	3	5	2	2	2	5	16
4	409	Hullabaloo Mystic Moondance	Mark Holt Paddy Holt	Queens Lake SC	4	7	4	6	4	3	4	7	25
5	405	Vitamin Sea Aero 11a	Josh Tasker Ryan Narborough	Cronulla SC	7	3	9	3	5	6	3	9	27
6	398	Thats Gold Aero 10	Richard Dodds Jeremy Dodds	Taree Aquatic	5	6	10	4	6	4	5	10	30
7	408	Retro Aero 10	Greg Roche Ben Petrisic	Taree Aquatic	8	5	8	8	8	7	7	8	43
8	394	Wineot Aero 12	David Hardaker Jay Smith	Taree Aquatic	9	8	14	12	7	8	6	14	50
9	401	Blues Brothers Tiger	Warren Sykes Braden Kaul	Queens Lake SC	10	13	5	7	11	10	10	13	53
10	371	Foxee Fever	John Hickey Phillip Moore	Toronto Amateur SC	6	9	6	15	DNF (22.00)	11	8	22	55
11	338	Xanadu Tequila 99	Gary Reeves Kerry Beatty	St George SC	11	11	12	10	DNS (22.00)	12	12	22	68
12	346	Blew True Tequila 99	Peter Amos Sarah Amos	Illawarra YC	17	DNF (22.00)	7	13	10	9	15	22	71
13	328	Filthy Fase Force 5	David Wilde Paul Connelly	Toronto Amateur SC	14	10	13	14	13	15	9	15	73
14	368	Phase X Aero 11b	Stuart Ferguson Rebekah Dodds	Taree Aquatic	12	15	11	11	DNF (22.00)	16	11	22	76
15	378	Flame Boy Aero 11b	Brian Mansfield Lara Mansfield	Toronto Amateur SC	13	14	15	9	14	14	14	15	78
16	311	Mid-Coast Mowers Aero 9	Gavan Pereira Bailey Pereira	Taree Aquatic	15	DNS (22.00)	19	16	9	13	16	22	88
17	382	Crikey Tequila 99	Aaron Gore Emma Gearing	Port Hunter	DNF (22.00)	12	16	19	12	17	13	22	89
18	389	Final Phase Tiger	Howard Wooley Jan Wooley	St George SC	16	16	18	18	DNS (22.00)	18	17	22	103
19	316	Stainless Tequila 96	Cameron Kaul Nathan Kaul	Queens Lake SC	18	DNS (22.00)	17	17	DNS (22.00)	19	18	22	111
20	353	Beat Route Aero 11b	Peter Rothwell Isaac Pace	Port Hunter	19	17	DNS (22.00)	DNF (22.00)	DNS (22.00)	DNF (22.00)	19	22	121
21	413	Stayin Alive McConaghy	Ben Rigby William Rigby	Port Hunter	20	DNF (22.00)	20	DNF (22.00)	DNS (22.00)	20	DNF (21.00)	22	125

Number of races completed: 7 | Number of drops allowed: 1

Overall Handicap:

Plc	Sail No	Boat Name (Boat Type)	Skipper/Crew	From	Race 1 7-Jan	Race 2 7-Jan	Race 3 8-Jan	Race 4 8-Jan	Race 5 9-Jan	Race 6 10-Jan	Race 7 10-Jan	Drop	Total
1	394	Wineot Aero 12	David Hardaker Jay Smith	Taree Aquatic	2	4	20	14	6	3	1	20	30
2	398	Thats Gold Aero 10	Richard Dodds Jeremy Dodds	Taree Aquatic	5	6	17	4	8	8	6	17	37
3	405	Vitamin Sea Aero 11a	Josh Tasker Ryan Narborough	Cronulla SC	13	1	18	6	7	12	2	18	41
4	311	Mid-Coast Mowers Aero 9	Gavan Pereira Bailey Pereira	Taree Aquatic	1	DNS (22.00)	19	3	1	4	14	22	42
5	382	Crikey Tequila 99	Aaron Gore Emma Gearing	Port Hunter	DNF (22.00)	3	11	19	2	6	5	22	46
6	409	Hullabaloo Mystic Moondance	Mark Holt Paddy Holt	Queens Lake SC	7	13	10	15	5	7	4	15	46
7	346	Blew True Tequila 99	Peter Amos Sarah Amos	Illawarra YC	20	DNF (22.00)	1	5	3	1	18	22	48
8	378	Flame Boy Aero 11b	Brian Mansfield Lara Mansfield	Toronto Amateur SC	4	9	14	2	11	9	13	14	48
9	407	Einhorn Tiger	Chris Eddes Nigel Blatchford	Connells Point	18	8	8	7	9	10	8	18	50
10	411	Into The Mystic Mystic Moondance	Rohan Nosworthy Sophie Holt	Queens Lake SC	14	12	6	17	4	11	7	17	54
11	389	Final Phase Tiger	Howard Wooley Jan Wooley	St George SC	3	10	16	9	DNS (22.00)	2	17	22	57
12	328	Filthy Fase Force 5	David Wilde Paul Connelly	Toronto Amateur SC	15	2	15	12	10	15	3	15	57
13	408	Retro Aero 10	Greg Roche Ben Petrisic	Taree Aquatic	12	5	13	16	14	5	9	16	58
14	401	Blues Brothers Tiger	Warren Sykes Braden Kaul	Queens Lake SC	6	17	2	13	12	14	15	17	62
15	368	Phase X Aero 11b	Stuart Ferguson Rebekah Dodds	Taree Aquatic	10	16	4	8	DNF (22.00)	16	10	22	64
16	338	Xanadu Tequila 99	Gary Reeves Kerry Beatty	St George SC	11	7	12	10	DNS (22.00)	13	12	22	65
17	397	Aqua Pest Tiger	Drew Van Ryn Bryce Edwards	Cronulla SC	17	11	5	11	13	20	DNC (22.00)	22	77
18	371	Foxee Fever	John Hickey Phillip Moore	Toronto Amateur SC	8	15	7	18	DNF (22.00)	19	11	22	78
19	316	Stainless Tequila 96	Cameron Kaul Nathan Kaul	Queens Lake SC	19	DNS (22.00)	3	1	DNS (22.00)	18	19	22	82
20	353	Beat Route Aero 11b	Peter Rothwell Isaac Pace	Port Hunter	9	14	DNS (22.00)	DNF (22.00)	DNS (22.00)	DNF (22.00)	16	22	105
21	413	Stayin Alive McConaghy	Ben Rigby William Rigby	Port Hunter	16	DNF (22.00)	9	DNF (22.00)	DNS (22.00)	17	DNF (21.00)	22	107