Luigi Ravioli leads after first day of J24 Worlds

by Di Pearson/GN on 17 Jan 2006 'Shifty, light and choppy,' was how Luigi Ravioli (ITA), skipper of the leading entry Black Jack, described racing on a long first day of the J24 World Championship sailed off Sandringham Yacht Club Monday.

'It was too choppy for upwind racing in the second race, but we are happy to lead,' said Ravioli, who finished the 2005 Worlds in third place. Three second places are what it took Ravioli and his Italian crew to streak to a seven point lead. Consistent sailing will win this Sail Melbourne Championship and the Italians know it.

'I think the Brazilians and the British (Ian Southworth and crew) are the ones we have to watch – but if the winds get stronger, then there are many Australians.'

International entries had a field day on Port Phillip, with the much fancied Bruschetta crew, helmed by Mauricio Santa Cruz (BRA), in second place and the only one of the three top boats to score a win.

Briton's Ian Southworth sailing Inmarsat is in third after a 4, 5, 4 scoreline that ties him on points with Cruz and one point ahead of American David Klatt.

Other wins went to the lone female skipper in the fleet, American Suzie Taylor (Five to Six) and The Pie, skippered by David Klatt of the USA. The Australians languished today, the best placed being Sean Wallis’ Fly Emirates crew from Western Australia, fresh from their National title win last week. Placed seventh overall following mixed results, their best was a sixth in Race 2.

Three races were sailed today and race officials shortened Race 2, finishing the boats on the second downwind leg of the windward leeward course. Forty boats are taking part in the 12-race series which continues from 12.00pm tomorrow on Port Phillip.

Overall Positions after three races:
1 BLACK JACK Luigi Ravioli Italy 2 2 2 6pts
2 BRUSCHETTA Mauricio SantaCruz Brazil 1 7 5 13
3 INMARSAT Ian Southworth Great Britain 4 5 4 13
4 THE PIE David Klatt USA 9 4 1 14
5 SIESTA Wataru Sakamoto Japan 10 8 3 21
6 BRAIN CRAMP Mike Ingham USA 11 3 12 26
7 FLY EMIRATES Sean Wallis Australia 15 6 9 30
8 INNAMINCKA John Crawford Australia 17 14 6 37
9 SLED Kazuyuki Hyodo Japan 3 9 28 40
10 CRAZY GOALS.CO.UK Jon Powell Great Britain 23 11 7 41
11 CEREZO Yasutaka Funazawa Japan 14 12 20 46
12 HYPERACTIVE Philip Coombs Australia 5 16 26 47
13 CODE VIOLATION Doug McGain Australia 24 15 8 47
14 JPEG Warren Sare Australia 12 26 10 48
15 REX Scott Weakley Canada 31 10 11 52
16 J-SPOT Michael Blackburn Australia 8 13 32 53
17 DEATH STAR Sean Kirkjian Australia 16 23 15 54
18 GEKKO Satashi Kume Japan 6 27 23 56
19 FIVE TO SIX Suzi Taylor USA 21 1 35 57
20 PACEMAKER David Suda Australia 18 24 18 60
21 DABOHAZE Kazuki Kumagai Japan 19 28.0Y 14 61
22 SECURITY BLANKET Hugo Ottaway Australia 7 29 27 63
23 SINGLE MALT Tadeusz Bartlewksi Canada 13 25 30 68
24 ENTERPRISE Makoto Yamada Japan 26 32 13 71
25 CRACKERJACK Grant Willmott Australia 20 35 16 71
26 WILDFIRE Kayne Binks Australia 30 22 19 71
27 CONVICTS REVENGE Stephen Girdis Australia 22 28 22 72
28 STARPAC Neville Wittey Australia 27 17 31 75
29 NO EYE DEER Trevor Conyers Australia 34 21 21 76
30 STELLA Sueaki Murayama Japan 28 18 36 82
31 PACATACK Peter Ramsdale Bermuda 33 33 17 83
32 ACE David West Australia 29 30 25 84
33 KAOTIC Ben Lamb Australia 25 19 41.0F 85
34 FUN Alyn Stevenson Australia 35 31 29 95
35 MR BRIDGER Alister Morison Australia 37 36 24 97
36 FOOLISH BEHAVIOR Mike Lewis Bermuda 32 34 38 104
37 SURFMAID Etsuro Kitauchi Japan 38 39 33 110
38 GOOD COMPANY Peter Woolf Great Britain 36 37 39 112
39 KICKING BOTTOM Stephen Girdis New Zealand 39 38 37 114
40 WHISPER Neil Begley Australia 40 41.0O 34 115

Event website: http://www.sailmelbourne.com.au