MC38 Australian Championship - Ginger leaps into lead after 3 bullets
by Di Pearson, MC38 media on 19 Aug 2014
Ghost Rider gave Ginger a nudge in Race five - MC38 Australian Championship - Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2014 Andrea Francolini
http://www.afrancolini.com/
Leslie Green skippered Ginger to three bullets from three races in the MC38 Australian Championship at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week today, snatching the lead from Chris Hancock’s Vino, which led after yesterday’s two windward/leeward races.
At the end of Day three, Ginger holds an eight point advantage over John Bacon’s Dark Star. After scoring a pair of fifth’s and a seventh, Chris Hancock’s Vino dropped to third place. Marcus Blackmore, basking in his first ever foray into the class, is fourth overall, so far scoring fourth places in all but Race two, in which he finished third.
Green, who warmed up for this event by winning the Sydney Harbour Regatta in July, finished bridesmaid at Hamilton Island last year and at the Australian Championship last November. He is hoping to remedy both those situations at this regatta.
Racing on the windward-leeward courses got underway in the predicted 8-14 knot south-west to southerly wind which transitioned to the south-east and north-east at five to 10 knots during the day; enough to make or break any tactician.
Green, from the CYCA, acknowledged conditions were tough. 'It was pretty shifty, but we did the classical things, taking the knocks and picking the shifts. Richie (Allanson) and David Chapman did their jobs well – in fact the whole team did a wonderful job – it was a real team effort,' he said.
On paper it looks simple, but the reality is that Green and the Ginger crew fought for every bit of lead they could get, beating class newcomer, Robin Crawford’s Assassin (CYCA,) to the finish line of Race 4 by 39 seconds. John Bacon’s Dark Star (RPAYC), which took out the Lindeman Island Race on Day one, was third.
Race five was a thriller, with Ginger nudging out Ross Hennessy’s Ghost Rider by a mere four seconds. Thirteen seconds later came Dark Star, in third place again. 'All the races were very close, but this one we only won by half a boat length to Ross, it was touch and go,' Green said. 'We just pipped them.
In Race six, Ginger beat Dark Star to the punch by 52 seconds, with Ghost Rider home third, 48 seconds behind Dark Star.
Six races have now been completed, with a further six to go to decide the new MC38 Australian champion.
Racing continues on Thursday, while the fleet enjoy a lay day tomorrow. Officials are planning up to three windward-leeward races starting from 11.10am local time.
Results
McConaghy 38
Hosted By Hamilton Island Yacht Club
PROVISIONAL RESULTS
Updated: 19/08/2014 14:01:58
Series Results [OD] up to Race 6
Place |
Ties |
Boat Name |
Sail Num |
Skipper |
Sers Score |
Race 6 |
Race 5 |
Race 4 |
Race 3 |
Race 2 |
Race 1 |
1 |
|
GINGER |
38011 |
Leslie Green |
9.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
3.0 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
2 |
|
DARK STAR |
AUS38002 |
John Bacon |
17.0 |
2.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
6.0 |
1.0 |
3 |
1.0S |
VINO |
HI101 |
Chris Hancock |
23.0 |
7.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
3.0 |
4 |
|
HOOLIGAN |
AUS521 |
Marcus Blackmore |
23.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
4.0 |
5 |
|
GHOST RIDER |
403 |
Ross Hennessy |
27.0 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
6.0 |
5.0 |
4.0 |
7.0 |
6 |
|
ASSASSIN |
9999N |
Robin Crawford |
30.0 |
5.0 |
6.0 |
2.0 |
6.0 |
5.0 |
6.0 |
7 |
|
LAZY DOG |
PUR38015 |
Sergio Sagramoso |
39.0 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
5.0 |
(Ties: S=Score R=Race B= Bettered. Penalties: A=ARB B=BFD C=DNC D=DNE E=ESP F=DNF G=RDG I=DPI L=Late Entrant M=DGM N=ENP O=OCS P=Protest Q=DSQ R=RET S=DNS T=TLE U=UFP V=AVG W=DUT X=EXC Z=ZFP Y=SCP #=NoData Event website
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