16ft Skiff National Championship

by Di Pearson on 20 Jan 2007 Following a protest which was dismissed this evening, the Lee Knapton skippered Bob Jane T Marts Edgecliff was announced the winner of the 16ft National Championship at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

Knapton and his crew of Peter Hubble and Dean Williams from the Middle Harbour fleet in Sydney won Race 7, the last of the series, but second placed Savage Bee (Bruce Savage/Greg Windust/Damon Zemanek) from Manly had protested over a buoy room incident.

In this very close series, Knapton and crew, who have just won the title for a third time, beat Savage Bee, which finished the final race third, by just four points and third placed Riley Marine Fittings (Jack Andrew/Keagan York/Andrew Finnie) from Georges River by six points.

'This is our third Nationals together and a sweet third victory,' Lee Knapton said tonight.

'Going in we knew Riley, Fluid and OAS would be hard to beat – the dark horse was Savage Bee,' Knapton said.

The Riley crew, current NSW champions, moved up into third overall after also protesting an OCS in Race 7. Under Rule 461b, they were exonerated from the OCS and reinstated into their second place for Race 7.

Defending National champions, Fluid Building Services, sailed by brothers Clint and Steve Bowen and Anthony King, finished the Championship in fourth place, and OAS (Alan Cummings/Danny Anderson/Sean Harrison from Belmont were fifth.

Of the two Queensland entries, RW Retail, sailed by Jack Daniel/Alan Mansfield/Scott Ovenden finished best in a good eighth overall, their best result a second place in Race 4. Considering there are few 16s currently racing in Queensland, this was a brilliant effort.

Two races were sailed today, Savage Bee taking out the earlier Race 6 from Energy Australia (Patrick Levy/Mark Muirhead/James Triggs, with third place going to OAS.

The Sail Melbourne event was sailed in mixed conditions, today’s in particular was difficult, the fleet sailing in huge downpours, the first rain Geelong has seen for some time, and conditions ranging from little to lots. A major wind shift occurred the final race where breezes exceeded 20 knots at times with some big gusts.

'It was very tricky, tough, interesting and fun,' Knapton said of the event.

Series Results [Class ET] for 16ft Skiff up to Race 7 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 7	Race 6	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		BOB JANE T-MARTS EDG	Lee Knapton	Mid Harbr	19.00	1.00	7.00	6.00	1.00	2.00	[10.00]	2.00
2		SAVAGE BEE	Bruce Savage	Manly	23.00	3.00	1.00	4.00	[38.00F]	1.00	5.00	9.00
3		RILEY MARINE FITTING	Jack Andrew	Georges Rvr	25.00	2.00	[13.00]	5.00	11.00	3.00	3.00	1.00
4		FLUID BUILDING SERVI	Clint Bowen	Manly	26.00	5.00	5.00	2.00	8.00	[8.00]	1.00	5.00
5		OAS	Alan Cummings	Belmont	33.00	8.00	3.00	[13.00]	6.00	5.00	7.00	4.00
6		TUDOR	Robert Flanagan	Belmont	41.00	9.00	6.00	[10.00]	9.00	6.00	4.00	7.00
7		TYPHOON	Craig Nicholls	Manly	42.00	7.00	8.00	1.00	[38.00F]	13.00	2.00	11.00
8		R W RETAIL	Daniel Jack	RQYS	48.00	6.00	12.00	8.00	2.00	14.00	[15.00]	6.00
9		Y B FLAT	Gary Bruniges	Belmont	51.00	13.00	11.00	3.00	5.00	11.00	[41.00F]	8.00
10	2.0S	ENERGY AUSTRALIA	Patrick Levy	Manly	60.00	18.00	2.00	11.00	3.00	10.00	16.00	[18.00]
11		BRYDENS LAW OFFICE	Jamie Roberts	Georges Rvr	60.00	12.00	14.00	9.00	[38.00F]	4.00	9.00	12.00
12		FIRE STOPPING	Andrew Divola	Manly	69.50	[23.00]	15.00	22.50	7.00	16.00	6.00	3.00
13		DATA # 3	Brad Colledge	RQYS	78.00	16.00	[26.00]	7.00	4.00	23.00	12.00	16.00
14		M & J CHICKENS	Graham Mckellar	Belmont	79.50	10.00	[16.00]	14.50	14.00	15.00	13.00	13.00
15		R.A.M	Chris Thomas	Manly	85.00	15.00	10.00	20.00	13.00	[26.00]	17.00	10.00
16		SHEADS 1ST NAT	Peter Sorensen	Mid Harbr	87.00	4.00	4.00	21.00	38.00F	12.00	8.00	[38.00F]
17		INTEGRATOS	Rod Hozack	Manly	103.00	27.00	20.00	12.00	[38.00F]	9.00	14.00	21.00
18		JLE ELECTRICAL	Julian Lydement	Manly	111.00	30.00	24.00	16.00	[38.00F]	7.00	11.00	23.00
19		NETKIOSK	Gavin Cooke	Manly	116.00	21.00	19.00	17.00	[38.00F]	22.00	22.00	15.00
20		CONTOUR BUILDING & C	Ben Bruniges	Belmont	125.50	14.00	27.00	14.50	38.00F	18.00	[41.00F]	14.00
21		THE HERALD	Kieran Humphries	Belmont	130.50	17.00	21.00	22.50	16.00	[32.00]	30.00	24.00
22		CARLTON DRAUGHT	Dale Cummings	Belmont	131.00	11.00	33.00	25.00	[38.00F]	19.00	18.00	25.00
23		SHEADS 1ST NAT II	Marilyn Sorensen	Mid Harbr	137.00	26.00	9.00	19.00	[38.00F]	29.00	27.00	27.00
24		KOFM 102.9	Adam Gillson	Belmont	138.00	20.00	22.00	27.00	12.00	31.00	26.00	[38.00F]
25		CAPITAL RESULTS	Amahl Haradsa	Mid Harbr	139.00	24.00	18.00	18.00	[38.00F]	28.00	20.00	31.00
26		COUGAR BOURBON	Craig Corke	Belmont	141.00	[33.00]	29.00	29.00	15.00	27.00	21.00	20.00
27		JOHN ROMANOUS CONSUL	Ian Heritage	Georges Rvr	143.00	32.00	[32.00]	31.00	10.00	21.00	19.00	30.00
28	20.0S	RONSTAN	Gerard Smith	Manly	145.00	22.00	25.00	36.00	[38.00F]	20.00	23.00	19.00
29		ILLAWARRA GEAR AND D	Paul Linnett	Illawara YC	145.00	19.00	28.00	26.00	[38.00F]	25.00	25.00	22.00
30	17.0S	BOB	Drew Spring	Mid Harbr	160.00	28.00	17.00	28.00	38.00F	17.00	32.00	[38.00F]
31		HUNTER GAMING	Matt Waters	Belmont	160.00	25.00	23.00	24.00	38.00F	33.00	[41.00F]	17.00
32		TOM AND FRANKS	Ian Henderson	Belmont	170.00	29.00	34.00	30.00	[38.00F]	24.00	24.00	29.00
33		SIMPLY AVIATION	Clare Hozack	Manly	186.00	31.00	31.00	33.00	[38.00F]	30.00	33.00	28.00
34		INFINITE PROPERTY SO	Bruce Gault	Georges Rvr	189.00	38.00O	30.00	32.00	[38.00F]	34.00	29.00	26.00
35		GIRO CONSTRUCTIONS	Adam Favaloro	Mid Harbr	201.00	34.00	37.00	35.00	[38.00F]	35.00	28.00	32.00
36		HAZARD	Alexandra Deakin	Mid Harbr	211.00	36.00	35.00	34.00	38.00F	37.00	31.00	[38.00F]
37		BIG SATURDAY	Chris Jones	Mid Harbr	216.00	35.00	36.00	37.00	38.00F	36.00	34.00	[38.00