Kiwis feel the heat in Austraian 420 Nationals at Fremantle
by Angus Haslett on 1 Jan 2015
Day Two First Race - light winds - Australian 420 Nationals Angus Haslett
Today was the hottest day for Perth this summer, touching 41 degrees in some parts of the city with bush fires sending plumes of smoke across the flat horizon.
The effect of this was to slow the arrival of the Fremantle Doctor and so it proved every venue can have light winds with the sailors heading out for their scheduled 1pm start in around 6 knots. The team were missing the Haslett/Mitchell boat with Jeremy Mitchell too unwell to race, however luckily, due to the Australian 420 AGM this evening, only two races were scheduled for the day.
The start of the second day of the Australian 420 Nationals was delayed and then once underway, the first start of the day, race four, was abandoned 5 minutes in as the light breeze moved majorly left. The second start was good and the kiwis managed to get off the line in reasonable form but took the right hand side which proved disastrous with all three boats rounding the first mark near the back of the fleet and unfortunately despite some clever moves couldn't get back into the race at all. The three teams finished race four deep in the fleet and not helping the Kiwi cause, the Australians and Hong Kong team, who led strongly yesterday, all finished well as the breeze died off to around 4 knots.
Race five was looking light right up until a few minutes before the start when the top mark boat called in 15knots - the Doctor had arrived! Weston/Taylor started well in the freshening breeze at the boat end but the wind was moving left and Mannering/Stoodley, who had taken that option, sailed well to finish with a very good sixth, their best result so far. Copeland/Stenhouse sailed well trying to stay in the breeze but centre today did not pay off.
So a bit of a challenging day but every race is a chance for a step ahead for the young crews and the learning experience is there to be had. Hopefully a full turnout of the Kiwi teams tomorrow for their last race of 2014 and what is expected to be to a 20 knot plus day.
Day 2 NZ Results
Mannering/Stoodley 11th (33,6)
Weston/Balogh 12th (29,18)
Haslett/Mitchell 19th (37*,37*)* did not sail today
Copeland/Stenhouse 20th (28,15)
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