Three-Way race for Flying Fifteen World Title

by Gerald New on 15 Jun 2007 Race five of the Flying Fifteen World Championships at the Royal Port of Pollenca YC in Mallorca and a new winner and an abrupt closing of the leading three teams. Just as Mike Hart and Tim Hall (GBR) seemed to have things under control with a steady run of results - 1, 3, 10, 1 – today’s race and the application of the discard, dramatically changed the picture.

Steve Goacher and Phil Evans (GBR) have slowly worked up the table - 9, 24, 5, 2 – and today they added a win and jumped into second place, two points behind leaders, Hart and Hall, and tied on points with Nick and Janet Jerwood (AUS).

The trimming of Hart and Halls lead was caused by their 16th place today, forcing them to count the tenth place from race 3, plus Goacher and Evans' run of three low scoring races catapulted them into contention.

With a fresher breeze for the start and first beat, Goacher and Evans won race 5 with the Jerwoods in second and Darren Martin and Simon Murrey (IRL) in third, who now move to fourth overall.

Fourth today were Howard Green and Ian Preston (GBR), their first trip into single figures this week and in fifth, Grant Alderson and Dean McAulay (AUS).

Only nine points cover the leading five boats, so with two races to sail it is now looking very crowded at the top, with very similar scores and discard situations. Hart and Hall will come under tremendous pressure from the charging Goacher and Evans, and Nick and Janet Jerwood will be looking for their first win to climb to the top. Plus, any slip by the leading trio will allow Martin and Murrey, and Aaron Goodmanson and Alister Rowlan (NZL) into the mix.

Friday will be a two race day, and if they manage to complete them both than Saturday will not be used.

In the Silver/Classic event, Simon Dangerfield and David Hemingway (GBR, Classic) returned to winning form. Second were Vince and Patrick Harris (ESP, Silver) with Tim Linson and Mark Greer (GBR, Classic) third.

Overall after five races, Dangerfield and Hemingway lead, Linson and Greer are in second and Jeremy Arnold and David Brown (GBR, Classic) are third.

Darren Burke and Robert Mahon (IRL, Classic) are sailing the oldest boat in the event, No 388, and competing for the Young (crew) event.

Flying 15 Worlds - Leading positions after 5 races, 1 discard:

1 GBR 3817 MIKE HART TIM HALL PORT DINORWIC SC GBR 1.00 3.00 10.00 1.00 16.00 15.00pts
2 GBR 3721 STEVE GOACHER PHIL EVANS ROYAL WINDERMERE YC GBR 9.00 24.00 5.00 2.00 1.00 17.00
3 AUS 3743 NICK JERWOOD JANET JERWOOD RFBYC / SOPYC AUS 4.00 2.00 9.00 16.00 2.00 17.00
4 IRL 3866 DARREN MARTIN SIMON MURRAY STRANGFORD LOUF Y.C. IRL 10.00 29.00 4.00 8.00 3.00 25.00
5 NZL 3739 AARON GOOGMANSON ALISTER ROWLAN CHARTENIS BAY Y.C. NZL 5.00 7.00 6.00 40.00 8.00 26.00
6 GBR 3716 JUSTIN WAPLES IAN STONE GRAFHAN WATER SC GBR 7.00 8.00 18.00 5.00 30.00 38.00
7 GBR 3760 JEREMY DAVID RICHARD RIGG HAYLING ISLAND YC GBR 14.00 9.00 13.00 7.00 27.00 43.00
8 GBR 3883 ALAN BAX PAUL BUSBY HAYLING ISLAND YC GBR 2.00 74.00 23.00 14.00 9.00 48.00
9 GBR 3842 SIMON KNELLER DAVE LUCAS GBR 11.00 54.00 3.00 9.00 26.00 49.00
10 GBR 3897 CHARLES APTHORP DAVID RICHARDS HAYLING ISLAND YC GBR 16.00 27.00 1.00 6.00 28.00 50.00
11 AUS 3833 GRANT ANDERSON DEAN McAULAY R.F.B.Y.C. AUS 17.00 32.00 2.00 29.00 5.00 53.00
12 AUS 3619 RON PACKER PETER MUNDFORD ROYAL FRESHMATER YC AUS 19.00 1.00 22.00 15.00 19.00 54.00
13 RSA 3868 PATRICK HARRIS JEMMY KRIEK ROYAL NATAL Y.C. RSA 20.00 11.00 26.00 47.00 7.00 64.00
14 AUS 3781 ROD BZVRFEAUX CHRIS O'ICEEFE R.F.B.Y.C. AUS 23.00 41.00 28.00 10.00 6.00 67.00
15 GBR 3853 ROBERT HOGBEN ADAM KIGSTONE BEWLVALLEY SC GBR 24.00 21.00 12.00 12.00 23.00 68.00
16 GBR 3805 DAVID McKEE CHRIS HEWKIN DOVERSTONE SC GBR 3.00 74.00 25.00 3.00 38.00 69.00
17 IRL 3886 ANDREW McCLEERY COLIN DOUGAN KILLYE AGH Y.C. IRL 64.00 22.00 21.00 20.00 12.00 75.00
18 IRL 3773 JOHN LAVERY DAVIS O'BRIEN NAZONAR YC IRL 30.00 15.00 15.00 17.00 43.00 77.00
19 IRL 3641 ANDY MARTIN RORY MARTIN S.L.Y.C. IRL 13.00 74.00 19.00 13.00 33.00 78.00
20 GBR 3675 ADRIAN TEATTERSALL TIM SHART RYA GBR 33.00 10.00 16.00 52.00 22.00 81.00
21 AUS 3800 RUPERT LESLIE GRAEME LILLINGSTON SOUTH PERTH Y.C. AUS 15.00 16.00 36.00 66.00 14.00 81.00
22 GBR 3734 HOWARD GREEN IAN PRESTON LEIGH AND SLONTON GBR 18.00 74.00 11.00 50.00 4.00 83.00
23 IRL 3850 JUSTIN BURKE CHRIS DOORLEY NATIONAL Y.C. IRL 8.00 42.00 20.00 44.00 13.00 83.00
24 GBR 3681 PIP HUDSON ALIS HUDSON BROX BOURNE SC GBR 42.00 12.00 24.00 11.00 52.00 89.00
25 ESP 3796 JAVIER CHACARTEGUI MIGUEL SANTAURSULA C.N.ARENAL ESP 35.00 31.00 7.00 36.00 25.00 98.00

Flying 15 Worlds Classic/Silver - Leading positions after 5 races, 1 discard:

1 GBR 2663 SIMON DANGERFIELD DAVID HEMINGWAY LANGORE SC CLASSIC 1 1 13 1 1 4
2 GBR 2433 TIM TOM LINSON MARK GREER MIDDLENENE SC CLASSIC 3 5 1 4 3 11
3 GBR 2684 JEREMY ARNOLD DAVID BROWN HOTTS COONTY SC CLASSIC 2 4 2 3 5 11
4 ESP 2964 VINCENT HARRIS PATRICK HARRIS R.C.N.P.POLLENSA SILVER 4 3 4 5 2 13
5 GBR 759 PETER MOGG ALEX DOBSON DOVESTONE DC CLASSIC 7 6 3 2 11 18
6 FRA 3061 BOUFFANT SALMON Y.C.D. SILVER 5 2 6 6 10 19
7 ESP 2873 JOHN WALKER DEAN HARPER R.C.N.P.POLLENSA SILVER 6 7 7 8 4 24
8 GBR 3139 GILES PASSMORE ANDREW McLAUCHAN DERWENT RSC / KIELDER WSC SILVER 8 8 5 9 9 30
9 IRL 388 DARREN BURKE ROBERT MAHON NATIONAL YC YOUNG 12 9 8 7 7 31
10 ESP 2500 JAIME SEGUI ANTONIO ENSENYAT R.C.N.P.POLLENSA CLASSIC 11 11 9 10 8 38
11 GBR 1333 PETER CLARK CHRIS TOMPSON HUMBER Y.A.W.L. CLASSIC 10 12 11 12 6 39
12 ESP 2950 BIEL CANAVES MATIAS BRUNET R.C.N.P.POLLENSA CLASSIC 9 10 10 11 12 40