The Sheriff catches the Outlaws - InterNations Cup

by Rob Kothe on 11 Mar 2006 The Posse caught the Outlaws off Sydney Heads today. Alan Quick’s Outlaw started the day with an eight-point series lead in the Hamilton Island Sydney 38 InterNations Cup.

‘Sheriff’ Martin Hill, the President of the Sydney 38 One Design Class, overhauled the Outlaws with two wins and a third. Estate Master now has 25 points and Outlaw has 26.

‘After racing yesterday we discovered our folding propeller had been sticking open, it was definitely a drag and we were in seventh place overall. Today before racing, we made sure it was shut and we certainly had more speed,’ commented Hill dockside.

Steve McConaghy; ‘Yesterday was like sailing at Hamilton Island with Queensland trade winds. It was very light today. We are hoping for much more breeze in the long race tomorrow. Today, it was much more like in the Whitsunday trades.’

In third place after six races is Sydney 38 neophyte Matt Allen, whose strong Farr 40 One Design experience has his Ichi Ban well placed with 35 points. Fourth is Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion on 39 points.

Racing today was scheduled for an 11am start, but light winds delayed the commencement for almost 90 minutes. When racing finally started, the adrenaline level must have been high as there was two general recalls. Then Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson hoisted the Z flag, signalling a 20% penalty for any boat over the line early. Most of the fleet did hang back, except for Steve Proud’s Swish, which was penalised.

The course had the fleet sailing 1.6 mile double windward leeward legs on a heading of 110. After the gun Estate Master followed Zen and Ichi Ban right. Up the beat, series leader Outlaw went towards the port layline.

Tactician Michael Coxon had Ichi Ban well placed and she was second around the top mark. Steve Kulmar’s Shining Sea was third. Outlaw finished back in sixth.

In the second race the legs were shorter, 1.25 miles at 085. To everyone’s relief, the start was clear.

Once again, Olympian Michael Blackburn showed his tactical finesse and combined with Hill’s excellent driving technique, Estate Master crossed the line 24 seconds ahead of former National Sydney 38 Champion Cameron Miles (Rush). Guido Belgiorno-Nettis was just 17 seconds behind and finished in third place. Again Outlaw was back in the fleet, this time eighth. Sheriff Hill and his posse were closing fast on the Outlaw gang.

The last race, which was sailed on the same heading and course length, Cameron Miles showed he was back to his previous top form with a narrow win from ‘the new kids on the block’, the United Nations team led by Norwegian Ola Andersen, Belgian’s Marc Ryckmans, Louis Ryckmans and Brazilian Edgaroo Vietes, aboard the fast improving Star Dean-Willcocks Yeah Baby.

When Estate Master finished in third place and Outlaw in seventh, yet again, the Outlaws had been overtaken.

Tomorrow’s race is the long race, between 24 and 30 nautical miles in length and it’s the seventh in the no drop, 2006 Hamilton Island InterNations Cup.

The Hamilton Island InterNations Cup has been an exciting event so far.

Yesterday, plenty of wind tested the boats and crews to their limits. Today they were equally tested, although this time it was their patience and ability to make their boats go in the generally soft conditions.

As often happens, different boats shine in different conditions and so Event Partner Yanmar are rewarding team efforts with ‘The Boat of the Day’ award.

Yanmar provides the motive power to all Sydney 38 One Designs and their association with Sydney Yachts goes back a long way.

Mike Edwards from Power Equipment, the Australian Distributors of Yanmar, had this to say, ‘The Sydney 38 is a tremendous Class and a great advertisement for our product. We certainly have nothing but positive comments coming back from the owners about our engines and the Gori propellers we supply. We have been looking for a way to put back in to the 38’s at a level where the competitors themselves directly benefit. We also think it important that the crews are directly rewarded, and so the Yanmar Boat of the Day award is the perfect solution.’

Each day the boat receiving the most points is bestowed with the Yanmar ‘Boat of the Day’ and receives a great snug for each of the crew members. The same boat cannot win more than once and if there is a boat that dominates the point score, then the next boat back will be awarded the daily prize and so on.

There’s a full set of jackets for the overall ‘Boat of the Regatta’ and this award will be given to the boat with the ‘best improvement in performance over the whole event’, excluding the top three finishers.

On Day One, Tom and Alan Quick’s Outlaw was the clear winner and today Estate Master took the prize – tomorrow it’s anyone’s guess!

In addition to Yanmar, Sydney Yachts are providing a pair of Kaenon Sunglasses each day to the most deserving boat – awarded on a completely subjective basis. Yesterday it was Peter Krueger of Eye Candy, who suffered three broken ribs in a broach. Today it is Ola Anderson and the United Nations team from Star Dean Willcocks – Yeah Baby for their great results, especially for such newcomers to the Class.

For now the crews are off to enjoy another sponsor’s product, Inner Circle Rum, who are sponsoring the beach party tonight. The weather’s warm, it’s been a long day and the sponsor's product is bound to be downed heartily...these competitors are sailors after all!


Hamilton Island Sydney 38 InterNations Sydney 38 One Design Class

1 7027 Estate Master Martin & Lisa Hill 14 2 4 1 1 3 25
2 R38 Outlaw Alan & Tom Quick 1 1 3 6 8 7 26
3 8138 Ichi Ban Matt Allen 2 9 9 2 7 6 35
4 6211 Transfusion Guido & Michelle Belgiorno-Nettis 6 5 2 9 3 14 39
5 6305 Easy Tiger Chris Way 16 6 1 8 4 10 45
6 6418 Acuity Tony Walls 7 3 5 10 11 9 45
7 6338 Shining Sea Stephen Kulmar 3 7 7 3 5 21 46
8 6071 Rush Cameron Miles 13 11 18 4 2 1 49
9 6068 Star Dean-Willcocks Yeah Baby Ola Andson & Edgaroo Vietes 16 10 6 11 9 2 54
10 R33 Chutzpah Bruce Taylor 8 4 11 12 16 4 55
11 6492 Contentious Issue Geoff Masters 5 17 21 5 13 8 69
12 USA 93102 Eye Candy Peter D Kreuger 22 22 10 7 12 5 78
13 3838 Zen Gordon Ketelbey 11 8 17 17 6 21 80
14 7777 Calibre Geoff Bonus 4 13 12 14 21 17 81
15 6095 Uplift Daryl Hodgkinson 17 16 16 13 14 12 88
16 6231 Stonybroke Robin Tedder 9 19 20 16 10 15 89
17 5944 Risk Geoff Payne 19 12 15 22 18 11 97
18 6051 The Bigger Picture Anthony Hooper/Big Syndicate 10 18 13 20 22 20 103
19 6073 Swish Steve Proud 15 21 8 23 15 22 104
20 MH60 Horwarth BRI Tony Levett 18 14 22 15 17 19 105
21 6190 The Bolter Rick Welch 21 20 19 19 19 13 111
22 6155 Typhoon Craig Nicholls 20 15 14 21 23 23 116
23 SM3801 Livewire Terry Hall 23 24 24 23 20 18 132