Game not over for Julian Newton

by Di Pearson/Sail-World on 27 Jan 2006 Three wins in the National Sports Boats Championship at Skandia Geelong Week to-date has put Julian Newton’s Elliott 78 Game Over in the lead of the seven race series which concludes on Corio Bay tomorrow.

Newton, from South Australia, has won three of the five races sailed, to lead from Steve Battley’s Road Warriors (WA) a Thompson 7 and another South Australian and defending champion, Paul Heyes with another T7 Foam Fast Max Power, which took out race five.

The only other to win a race from outside the top three overall is Peter Sorensen (NSW) with his brand new Vivace, which has proved to be the fastest boat in the fleet. The Sydney solicitor has only been beaten on line once, by the series leader Newton, in race five today.

Sorensen, a former 18 foot skiff champion now past his prime, still has the energy to sail 16ft skiffs and is excited by the speed of his Julian Bethwaite designed Vivace.

“We had a great day yesterday – we got home first by just under two minutes. But the second race (which he won) was brilliant – a great sail – we’ve got the best boat. We beat Cameron (Grange Securities) home by over seven minutes.” Vivace sits in sixth place despite her four scratch wins.

Light airs beset the fleet in the earlier two races on Corio Bay, but by Race 3, winds had increased to around the 15 knot range, settling down to 12 knots late in the race.

A fleet of 14 Sports Boats are contesting the competition for the Championship, with two more windward/leeward races scheduled for tomorrow.

The series winner will receive the Bundaberg Rum trophy.

Top five overall following five races:

1. GAME OVER Julian Newton (CYCSA) 16
2. ROAD WARRIORS Steve Battley (MOFSC) 20
3. FOAM FAST MAX POWER Paul Heyes (CYCSA) 22
4. GRANGE SECURITIES Cameron Rae (RGYC) 25
5. SHAW CONTRACTING David Shepherd (PDYC) 25