SIRs wraps up for another year

by Sam Crichton and Sail-World.com on 20 Dec 2005 Four days of racing on Sydney Harbour has seen 220 competitors, from 13 countries and all Australian states, race in the 2005 Sydney International Regatta (SIRs). Olympic, Youth and invited classes have raced in a variety of conditions that have seen some of the top places in some classes remain consistent, whilst other classes have had dramatic changes in the podium places.

The final day’s racing has been in an increasing breeze from the east. The start of the morning’s racing was delayed due to lack of breeze but by mid afternoon the sea breeze had kicked, providing a pleasant afternoon of sailing.

Athens Olympian Nicky Bethwaite with her crew of Karyn Gojnich and Helen Impey won the Ynglings, with Hamish Jarrett and his crew of Trent Goldsak and Sara Phillips in second and class newcomer, Nicky Souter and her crew of Angela Farrell and Sarah Wilmot, finishing third.

Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin maintained their overnight lead to win the 49er class, with Emmett Lazich and Phil Manning taking out second place and Clynton Wade Lehman and Tai Elliott taking third. The Japanese pair of Kenjiro Todroki and Kenji Takahashi took out fourth place.

Matthew Belcher and Nick Behrens maintained a strong lead in the 470 men’s class throughout the regatta to win by five points. New Zealander’s Geoff Woolley and Mark Overington finished in second place with Mattieu Higgins and Tim Lynch taking third spot.

The Western Australian team of Elise Richichi and Tessa Parkinson sailed well over the series to win the 470 Women’s division, from Queensland’s Lauren Jefferies and Rike Ziegelmayer. South Australian’s Natalie Dewing and Catherine Shanks completed the top three. Catherine will next race on her father Gary’s yacht Pale Ale Rager, in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart race, starting in six days.

Sam Kivell and Max Taylor triumphed in the 420 class by 27 points, from Sam Phillips and Harry Mighell, with Lachlan Doyle and Richard Plain rounding out the top three.

The 18 boat, 29er fleet has seen very competitive sailing over the four days of racing, with Joel Rose and Matt Hodge taking home first place with a five point separation to brothers Clint Marshall and Ty Marshall. Matthew Vandervoot and Joshua Cornford were just two points behind them in third.

After ten races, Anthony ‘Nocka’ Nossiter has again won the Finn class at SIRs, with UK sailor Ed Wright filling the second place and Victorian Ricky Ironmonger slipping into third, on the last day of racing. New Zealand’s Nik Burfoot finished in fourth.

The Moth class with foils has made a huge impression on the SIRs fleet. Sailing on Sydney Harbour, Moth ‘foiler aficionado’ and World Champion Rohan Veal lead the class for the first three days of the regatta but unfortunately couldn’t sail the last day. But even with a ‘Did Not Compete’ on his scorecard, Veal won the class by three points, from Scott Babbage with Chris Dey finishing in third.

With the Toshiba OK Dinghy World Championship being held on Lake Macquarie in February 2006, the racing in the OK Dinghy class saw fierce competition within the 13-boat fleet. Two points separated winner Mick McQueen from second placed Peter Horne, with Nick Gray in third.

Keiran Searle dominated the Laser 4.7’s. He won by eight points from Jonothan Dawes, with Victorian Ben Laycock rounding out the top trio.

Krystal Weir won the Laser Radial class by two points from Zac Skulander, with New Zealander Miranda Powrie taking third place. The Women’s series leader, Sarah Blanck, was unable to race the last two days of racing and slipped back from the top three to finish 19th.

New Zealander Andrew Murdoch sailed well on the last day to beat Australian Tom Slingsby by five points, with fellow New Zealander Michael Bullot finishing third. Canadian Michael Leigh ended up in fourth after the ten race series.

In the Tornados, Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby lead from start to finish for the four days of racing, finishing on 12 points, four points ahead of the UK pair of Leigh McMillan and William Howden, currently ranked second in the world in this class. The Greek pairing of Iordanis Paschilidis and Kostantinos Trigonis, maintained third place to complete the podium spots.

Aron Gadorfalvi, one of two Hungarian board sailors racing at SIRs, won the RS: X boards from Australian board sailor Corey Plant. Australia’s number one ranked board sailor, Jonathan Bonnitcha, finished third.

SIRs dates for 2006 are currently planned for December 16 -19. Yachting New South Wales as SIRs organisers would like to thank Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Woollahra Sailing Club, Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, Ronstan and Zhik and the members of the jury for their assistance with this year’s event, and the competitors who raced over the four days.


Final Results (top three places in each class)



29er

1 Joel Rose, Matt Hodge

2 Clint Marshall, Ty Marshall

3 Matthew Vandervoot, Joshua Cornford



49er

1 Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin

2 Emmett Lazich and Phil Manning

3 Clynton Wade Lehman and Tai Elliott



470 (Men)

1 Matthew Belcher and Nick Behrens

2 Geoff Woolley and Mark Overington

3 Mattieu Higgins and Tim Lynch



470 (Women)

1 Elise Richichi and Tessa Parkinson

2 Lauren Jefferies and Rike Ziegelmayer.

3 Natalie Dewing, Catherine Shanks



420

1 Sam Kivell, Max Taylor

2 Sam Phillips, Harry Mighell

3 Lachlan Doyle, Richard Plain



Finn

1 Anthony Nossiter

2 Ed Wright

3 Ricky Ironmonger



Laser

1 Andrew Murdoch

2 Tom Slingsby

3 Michael Bullot



Laser Radial

1 Krystal Weir

2 Zac Skulander

3 Miranda Powrie



Laser 4.7

1 Keiran Searle

2 Jonothan Dawes

3 Ben Laycock



Moth

1 Rohan Veal

2 Scott Babbage

3 Chris Dey



OK Dinghy

1 Mick McQueen

2 Peter Horne

3 Nick Gray



RS:X Boards

1Aron Gadorfalvi

2 Corey Plant

3 Jonothan Bonnitcha



Tornado

1 Darren Bundock, Glenn Ashby

2 Leigh McMillan, William Howden

3 Iordanis Paschalidis, Kostantinos Trigonis



Yngling

1 Nicky Bethwaite, Karyn Gojnich, Helen Impey

2 Hamish Jarrett, Trent Goldsak, Sara Phillips

3 Nicky Souter, Angela Farrell, Sarah Wilmot