All over at the Australian Skiff Feest

by Media on 20 Jan 2007 The final races of the International Skiff Regatta in Melbourne have taken place resulting in wins for Emmett Lazich and Cameron McDonald (12ft) - Dan Turner and Dan Ambler (13ft) - Lindsay Irwin and Andrew Perry (14ft) - Lee Knapton, Peter Hubble and Dean Williams (16ft) and John Winning Jnr, Jack Young and Casey Smith (18ft).

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.

12ft Skiff

The Sydney crew of Emmett Lazich and Cameron McDonald (CST Composites) won the final Race 8 to take out the 12ft skiff Interdominion crown at the International Skiff Regatta hosted by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club today; however New Zealand retains the Teams trophy for the 10th year running.

A former multiple Moth world champion, Lazich, who is also a successful 49er sailor and coach, won the first three races of the series and backed up with a win today with McDonald to beat their nearest rivals throughout the regatta, the well-sailed Kiwi crew of Chris Reid and Alex Vallings (Nuplex Maersk). Vallings, the defending skipper from 2005-2006.

Reid, who is in his rookie season as skipper, won Races 4 and 7, with a second in Race 2 and finishing second to the CST Composite crew today. It was appropriate that the top two of the series finished their day in those positions.

Commenting on their second place, a philosophical Reid said: 'Now we’ll have to come back!' He went on to say: 'It’s been a fantastic event with good close racing.'

Behind Reid, came a further two New Zealand entries, that of Nathan Bax/Alex Hinton (Bax Contractors) and National champions Hamish Hey/Mike Candy (Nice Action). Because of their actions, the New Zealanders cart off the Teams prize. The Kiwis have always proved hard to beat and this time proved no different.

One of two only Queensland entries, Paul O’Malley-Jones//Richard Billett (Gob Smacked Dwarves) did an incredible job to come home fourth overall. There are few Queensland 12s racing right now, so the two deserve big accolades.

Lazich and McDonald led the final race from start to finish, with the Nuplex Maersk duo in second place all day; none of the other entries bothered either one of them around the triangle and two windward/leeward course, with racing getting underway at 2.00pm this afternoon.

A Sydneysider, Lazich has been heavily involved in research and development, trying to fine tune his 12 footer down to a two-rig job, which apparently paid off in this series. His and CST Composite’s work is ongoing.

Under overcast skies with rain falling for their entire race, the 30-boat fleet representing NSW, Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand experienced gusty and shifty conditions at the Sail Melbourne event raced on Corio Bay.

Winds kicked in to 12-18 knots, increasing to 20 plus on the reach. By the last leg of the course, breezes had died to 5-8 knots.

Next year’s Interdominion will be sailed in New Zealand.

13ft Skiff

The ‘two Daniels’, Daniel Turner and Daniel Ambler sailing Typhoon T-Shirts won every race of the 13ft skiff series at the International Regatta held on the waters of Corio Bay to claim the winners trophy.

An experienced pair, the teenagers, representing the Manly 16ft Sailing Club in Sydney, were in the unusual position of using a win as a race drop. According to Turner, their comparably heavier weight helped them in the heavier air races, as the bulk of the 11-boat fleet is quite light.

A number of entries were female/male combinations and a couple of girl crews, who struggled in the heavier air, but made inroads in the lighter conditions.

Apart from top place, the other podium places throughout the series were shared more fairly, with second and third places at the end of the series decided on the final day in the final race.

Sheads First National, sailed by brothers Richard and Tim Plain, Fire Stopping (James Dorron/Jay Harris) and Ultra Tune (Fiona Walker/Eric Hoeger), brother and sister Peter and Anna Ewald-Rice on Addbuild Master Builders and Fluid, sailed by Skye McFadyen/Alana Clancy all managed a third or fourth place. The latter two are an ultra-light girl crew who struggled in the conditions on their long outer trapezoid courses.

Second place overall for the series went to the Plain brothers from Middle Harbour, with third going to James Dorron and Jay Harris from Manly.

The 13ft skiff is a feeder boat to the 16ft class and a number of current crews are already talking moving into a 16 next season. Their Sail Melbourne series was hosted by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club on Corio Bay.

14ft Skiff (I-14)

Lindsay Irwin and Andrew Perry have successfully defended their 2006 14ft Skiff National title, sailing Irwin Sails to two wins in Races 9 and 10 to claim the Championship from a well sailed Roger Blasse/Andrew Gilligan (Read Between the Lines) today on Corio Bay in Geelong at the International Skiff Regatta.

Going into today’s racing at the Sail Melbourne event conducted by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, team Irwin had only a one point lead over Blasse; the two crews swapping the series lead over the past few days, but the Irwin Sails guys took the Championship by six points.

In the earlier Race 9, Blasse had the lead but, as Gilligan said: 'We were coming up to the gybe mark and it was tight between us and Lindsay. He was about three boat lengths behind and with 50 metres to go, we got a gust and had to drop our kite to round the mark.

Lindsay and Andrew went around under spinnaker and sailed through us. We almost got level again going upwind, but he had too much pace on downwind for us.'

Bad luck got in the way in Race 10; as Blasse/Gilligan faltered with a big capsize. 'It was at the gybe mark again – a Liberal voter got in our way and in we went,' Gilligan said tongue in cheek, referring to Stewart Vickery.

'We just didn’t do it right today – we had it all wrong. We sailed a good series though and we are happy with our second. It was a great competition between us and Lindsay and Andrew – close racing throughout.'

'The Race Committee did a great job considering the different and changing conditions they had to deal with – actually the whole event was superb,' said skipper Blasse, who like Irwin, is from the Black Rock Yacht Club in Melbourne where both are on the Committee and are friends.

Irwin and Perry were merciless in the up to 25 knots with gusts conditions on the course today, their experience showing. The 45 year old Irwin said of he and Blasse 'We are pretty good mates.'

Irwin added: 'I have been Champion eight times, nine with this one, and a world champion in 2005. I would have been happy to see Roger and Andrew win. They gave us great competition, which is good for us.'

The South Australian Grant Geddes/Dan Wilsdon crew on Boost, needed one today to stay in third place, but it was not to be, as the Flaunt It crew of Ron Scherwinksi/James Lanati came up with a fourth and a second today, giving them third place overall, making it a clean sweep for the Victorians.

Boost’s South Australian crew finished with seventh and fourth results, dropping them to fourth overall on the scoreboard.

Seven West Australians came to the event, the best placed of them Stuart Sloss/Ben Austin, sailing Snatch to 10th place. The lone New Zealand entry Matt Balmer/Jeff Causey (For the Ladies) finished 22nd and Andrew and Maureen Bates sailed their USA entry Extended Adolosense to a 32nd place.

As for Stewart Vickery, whose idea it was to hold the International Skiff Regatta, whilst sitting nicely in Race 9 today, he had contact with another entry and was forced to ru