Ante Razmilovic wins Audi Etchells Worlds Race 7

by Rob Kothe on 24 Nov 2006 The 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds race 7 was sailed in 17-22 knot winds today. Britain Ante Razmilovic won race 7 from New Zealand's Alastair Gair, with Australian Mark Bulka third and American Jud Smith fourth.

Here is how the day unfolded.

'The were naughty at the start' said PRO Denis Thompson, 'after two generals recalls we finally got them away.'

Ante Razmilovic was first round the mark, Alastair Gair rounded second just over two boat lengths further back.

Irishman Richard Burrows (IRL 1015) rounded in third, half a boat length behind Gair. Julian Plante was fourth five seconds in arrears, with Mark Bulka, Andy Beadsworth and Skip Lissiman close behind.

It was tight racing nothing much separating the top seven.

Jud Smith, Jake Gunther and Mooloolaba sailor Rod Jones completed the top ten round the mark.

Running down breeze the wind reached 20 knots plus with gusts above that. At this point, it was hard to pick who was in the lead with nothing between Razmilovic and Gair. The fleet was stretched across the course, with the three or four lead boats well in advance the fleet. Then a gap appeared back to another group of eight. The bulk of the fleet stretched back from this group, with the fleet evenly split between port and starboard.

Two hundred metres from the mark, the two lead boats with white spinnakers flying were in the centre of the course.

There was a course change signalled at the mark.

Gair headed for the left hand pin, as did Ante Razmilovic who just managed to keep him out. Great racing. Razmilovic was first around, about a boat length ahead of Gair, with Burrows still close behind them just three seconds back.

Bulka edged ahead of Plante at the mark, but had less than half a boat length on Plante. Then came Beadsworth, Smith, Lissiman, Gunther and Parkin. Jones dropped back to be 11th. Series leader Jud Smith clawed back one place from the first mark rounding. Hayling Island sailor Parkin moved up three places from 13th to tenth. John Bertrand also made a move up to 12th.

American Craig Healy was back in 23rd, with Stuart Childerley not having a good day, back in 26th.

The fleet tended to favour the left hand mark.

Bow 33, Doug Kerr on Screaming Plum (AUS 1022) was forced to retire after a clash with another boat rounding the mark in strengthening breeze and wind waves.

Two thirds of the fleet were now on starboard and a course change to 215 was signalled by the committee boat.

Approaching the mark Ante Razmilovic was six lenghts clear of Gair who was a couple lengths to weather.

Razmilovic rounded ahead of Gair and held onto his lead. Bulka was about six boat lengths behind Gair, Burrows a further eight seconds back. Beadsworth, Lissiman and Smith followed with Gunther, Plante and Parkin. Cameron Miles was back in 12th place, just behind Bertrand. Healy rounded 20th and Childerley 22nd.

First round the bottom mark was Razmilovic. Gair followed two boat lengths back and took a quick take to the right and back to get a clear lane. Bulka hung onto third, fifteen seconds ahead of Burrows. Jud Smith was the mover, up to fourth and just nine seconds in arrears of Burrows. Then Lissiman, Gunther and Miles, who has moved up quite a few places to eighth. Beadsworth, Bertrand, Plante and local Swan River Fleet sailor Rob Bird, who has also moved through the pack from the last mark, completed the top group round.

Up the third beat to the finish the breeze was in the twenties and still going left, a beautiful blue day for racing.

The battle for the outright series lead was hoting up, with yesterday's leaders sailing in close company, Gair was second and Smith fourth.

800 metres from the finish, Razmilovic still had the lead.

Razmilovic gots the gun, with Gair in second place and Bulka third. Smith crossed in fourth, ahead of Burrows, Lissiman and Cameron Miles.

Gair leads the regatta after his second today and is now two points clear of Smith.