Estate Master leads NSW Sydney 38 State titles

by Rob Kothe on 8 Oct 2006 Martin Hill’s Estate Master, the 2006 Australian National Champions, leads the NSW Sydney 38 One Design titles being sailed at Port Stephens, after two days of racing. With 2006 Laser World Champion Michael Blackburn calling the shots, Estate Master dominated the fleet on the first day; however Steve Kulmar’s Shining Sea closed the gap on Day two.

It has been superb spring-summer weather for the 17 boat fleet sailing out of the D’Albora Marina on Port Stephens.

On Friday the wind was from the south east at an average of 12 knots.

Estate Master won the first race, was second in Race two and then repeated the sequence in the third and fourth races. Behind her, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis’ Transfusion sailed 7,3,8,1, while Steve Kulmar’s Shining Sea had a slow start to her regatta with a 12th placing but then rattled off a win, a third and a fourth to hold third place.

Post card conditions outside Port Stephens on Saturday, with the north easter already in at 065 at 12 knots for the 11am start. The breeze gradually went left and built up to start of the third race to 050 at 18 knots.

Steve McConaghy, considered by many sailors to be the best tactician on the keelboat circuit, played the tidal races and wind shifts to advantage and Shining Sea out sailed the fleet on the second day to move into second place.

Alan Brierty’s Limit won Race five yesterday, ahead of Shining Sea, Geoff Bonus’ Calibre and Estate Master.

Shining Sea won Race Six ahead of Tony Walls’ Acuity and Alan Quick’s Outlaw. In the last race Chris Way’s Easy Tiger easily won the start, and enjoyed the surfing runs as the wind built to 23 knots, but again Shining Sea sailed into second place, just a second ahead of Estate Master.

At the Hogs breath Café after racing Michael Hill commented; ‘Friday was good for us. We have a very stable crew, and we were fast back on the pace, with Michael (Blackburn) weaving more magic for us.

‘Our bowman, Nick Stansell, went up the rig to secure some battens coming out of pockets between races. He punctured his hand on some wire rigging and sought medical attention with possible tendon damage. So today we sailed down one crew, with our 80kg mast man on the bow.

‘We were a little off the pace, short handed, but still it was great sailing. 17 boats streaming down the run in the last race. There was just a blink between second and fourth in the last race.’

The Top 12 boats in the fleet after seven races:

Estate Master 1,2,1,2,4,6,3, 19 points
Shining Sea 12.1.3.4., 2, 1, 2 25 points
Calibre 8,8,7,5, 3.4.5 39 points
Acuity 4, 4, 6, 8,8.2.9. 41 points
Limit 4, 4,6,8,1,9,11 43 points
Outlaw 9,6,2,10,10,3,6 46 points
Transfusion 7,3,8,1,7,8,13 47 points
Easy Tiger 6,8,9,3,12,15,1 54 points
Contentious Issue 2,12,10,11,9,5,10 59 points
Swish 10,15,4,7,6,14, 4 60 points
Zen 5,10,14,14,13,10,7 73 points
The Tavern 17,9,13,6,5,13,17 80 points