Etchells Worlds Race Seven abandoned after wind shift – preparing for resail

by Peter Campbell on 6 Aug 2004 Principle Race Officer Arthur Hodge abandoned race seven of the ACE Etchells World Championship off Mooloolaba this morning after a 45-degree wind shift about a quarter of the way through the 12 nautical mile race.

The fleet leaders were about half way down the first spinnaker leg with Pittwater yachtsman Rob Brown about half a boat length ahead of America’s Cup legend Dennis Conner. Abeam of them came Michael Coxon from Sydney.

The fleet is now heading back to the starting area where the race committee will make another attempt to start the second last race of the Championship.

Earlier there was a general recall followed by a number individual recalls. Among those scored OCS were John Bertrand who currently lies 11th on the overall pointscore and Ian Johnson of Melbourne who is placed 18th on the pointscore. These penalties will not be recorded in the overall pointscore.

Currently the wind on the race course is a very light south/south-easterly breeze having backed from a south-wester earlier today.