Javelin 14ft Skiff 2009 Bay Nissan South Pacifics Results after Day 3
by Graham Roberts on 4 Feb 2009
Plane Sailing NZ379 Steven Roberts/Nick Kennedy - 2009 Javelin Bay Nissan South Pacific’s and New Zealand Nationals Alan Roberts
2009 Javelin Bay Nissan South Pacific’s racing six started at 11am on Tuesday in a seven knot north easterly breeze with four races planned. With crews only at half trapeze in this condition all the boats are equal upwind and the entire fleet rounded the top mark together. The downwind legs were very tricky with huge holes and gusts creating huge passing lanes.
Current National Champions David Brown and Graham Roberts did not do well in these variable conditions and finish three races mid field and letting there title hopes slip away of a third National title in a row. Phil McNeil and Matt Smith from the Bay Of Islands loved these conditions and picked right way to go around the track with the fast flowing Tauranga tide to get two wins to put them out in the lead by ten points. This should be un-catchable with only two races remaining on Thursday.
The Aussies, Aaron Hirst and Brett Taylor in a borrow New Zealand boat showed amazing set of sailing skills in these difficult conditions to win a race and pull them right up to the front of the field to be battling it out with three boats for second place in this South Pacific’s contest.
Today all the crews get a day off recover from tired muscles and a massive overexposure of sun. Lay day events include a morning game of golf, a bit of sighting seeing around the beautiful Bay of Plenty then late afternoon blast around Tauranga Blokart track on a land yacht.
Two races are planned for late Thursday and prize giving will be Friday night at the Tauranga Yacht Club after the crew’s race. The crew’s race is where the skipper and crew swap positions in the boat and crew get to laugh at there skipper trying to get out on the trapezes wire.
After nine races out of eleven (with one drop) - Provisional Results:
1. Philnhel, Philip McNeill, Bay Of Islands, 18 points
2. Flying Circus, David Brown, Palmerston North, 28 points
3. Riders On The Storm, Ross Shanks, Gisborne, 29 points
4. Bay Nissian, Ben Bax, Tauranga, 30 points
5. Clamp products, Aaron Hirst, Victoria, 30 points
6. Bungholio, Rob Fordyce, Auckland, 41 points
Full result at http://groups.google.com/group/javelinskiff/web/2009-bay-nissan-south-pacifics?hl=en
Watch live racing live on Thursday on the Tauranga Yacht Club harbour camera
http://www.yacht.org.nz/index.php/weather/harbour-cam
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