Dragons Australasian Championship Prince Philip Cup - A New Champion

by Bernie Kaaks on 8 Jan 2010
It all came down to the last lap of the last race today to decide the Dragons Australian Champion.

After a long delay waiting for the weather to settle, the race began in a south westerly breeze which freshened as the morning progressed. As expected, activity on the start line was frantic and the first start was aborted by the race committee with seconds to go. The second was subject to a general recall and the third attempt, under a black flag, resulted in a clean start.

Both Russian crews were prominent early. Olga White skippering ‘Murka 11' emerged at the top mark with a small but decisive lead followed by series leader Richard Lynn skippering ‘Puff', and with the second Russian boat (‘Murka 12' sailed by Mikhail Muratov) in third place, the scene was set for an enthralling contest.

For three of the four laps, little changed but from the chasing pack Tony Lynn, sailing ‘Red Baron', emerged as a clear leader and stretched out a solid lead on the second last downwind leg. Behind him, Olga White maintained her composure and her edge over Richard Lynn but on the windward leg, while the leading trio went right, Mikhail Muratov and Gordon Ingate read the conditions well and opted for the left. Tony Lynn's lead was reduced to a boat length and Ingate approached the top mark on starboard, screaming for right of way over Olga White. The close encounter seemed to rattle the normally unflappable Russian skipper for at the final pass of the gate Ingate had forced her back to third place.

All eyes were on Richard Lynn. Seemingly content to stay with Olga White in the earlier stages, he let the Russian head to the south side of the course and opted to stay near the middle. This tactic worked with the minor players assuming a critical role in the placings. ‘Red Baron' narrowly won from Gordon Ingate's ‘Whim' and Richard Lynn was elated to finish third, one place ahead of Olga White, to claim the title and the Prince Philip Cup.

Pos'n	Bow No	Boat Details	Skipper/Crew	Total	Nett	02/01/10 1	03/01/10 2	04/01/10 3	05/01/10 4	05/01/10 5	06/01/10 6	07/01/10 7
1	20	AUS191 Puff	Richard Lynn	32.7	24.7	0( 1)	0( 1)	8( 4)	8( 4)	[ 8]( 4)	3( 2)	5.7( 3)
2	28	RUS89 Murka 11	Olga White	43.4	29.4	5.7( 3)	[ 14]( 8)	10( 5)	5.7( 3)	0( 1)	0( 1)	8( 4)
3	22	AUS198 Whim	Gordon Ingate	61	43	[ 18]( 12)	13( 7)	0( 1)	0( 1)	17( 11)	10( 5)	3( 2)
4	29	RUS98 Murka 12	Mikhail Muratov	57.8	46.1	11.7( 6)	5.7( 3)	3( 2)	10( 5)	[ 11.7]( 6)	5.7( 3)	10( 5)
5	16	AUS181 Red Baron	Tony Lynn	97.4	61.4	17( 11)	3( 2)	5.7( 3)	11.7( 6)	24( 18)	[ 36](DNF)	0( 1)
6	25	AUS207 Indulgence	Rob Campbell	96.4	72.4	3( 2)	20( 14)	11.7( 6)	24( 18)	5.7( 3)	8( 4)	[ 24]( 18)
7	15	AUS177 Snapdragon	Andrew Foulkes	100.7	74.7	8( 4)	8( 4)	23( 17)	[ 26]( 20)	10( 5)	14( 8)	11.7( 6)
8	26	AUS209 Baikal	Wolf Breit	116.7	91.7	13( 7)	17( 11)	15( 9)	[ 25]( 19)	15( 9)	11.7( 6)	20( 14)
9	19	AUS190 Seajoy	Rob Perrin	117.7	97.7	20( 14)	11.7( 6)	[ 20]( 14)	17( 11)	13( 7)	17( 11)	19( 13)
10	14	AUS176 Amazing Grace	Tony Moody	135	103	[ 32]( 26)	27( 21)	13( 7)	15( 9)	19( 13)	13( 7)	16( 10)
11	03	AUS109 Aeolus	Peter Bowman	127	103	19( 13)	19( 13)	[ 24]( 18)	18( 12)	14( 8)	19( 13)	14( 8)
12	27	AUS210 Linnea	Andrew Crisp	131	103	15( 9)	18( 12)	14( 8)	[ 28]( 22)	23( 17)	18( 12)	15( 9)
13	21	AUS197 Gazelle XIV	Geoff Black	139	110	10( 5)	28( 22)	[ 29]( 23)	21( 15)	18( 12)	20( 14)	13( 7)
14	24	AUS201 Wizzadry	Andrew York	138	110	25( 19)	22( 16)	[ 28]( 22)	13( 7)	16( 10)	16( 10)	18( 12)
15	23	AUS199 Allegra	Geoff Totterdell	145	118	24( 18)	26( 20)	18( 12)	3( 2)	[ 27]( 21)	26( 20)	21( 15)
16	10	AUS160 Achernar	John Anderson	151	122	[ 29]( 23)	16( 10)	27( 21)	27( 21)	20( 14)	15( 9)	17( 11)
17	17	AUS188 Sassafrass	Sandy Anderson	155	125	22( 16)	10( 5)	16( 10)	[ 30]( 24)	26( 20)	23( 17)	28( 22)
18	08	AUS156 Canewdon Witch	Trish Ford	160	131	28( 22)	15( 9)	21( 15)	14( 8)	[ 29]( 23)	28( 22)	25( 19)
19	18	AUS189 Sidewinder	Carl Ryves	167	131	16( 10)	23( 17)	22( 16)	20( 14)	[ 36](DSQ)	27( 21)	23( 17)
20	04	AUS144 Hotspur	Ken Stevenson	171	135	30( 24)	21( 15)	30( 24)	[ 36](DNF)	3( 2)	29( 23)	22( 16)
21	07	NZL11 Gazelle VIII	Scott Palmer	173	137	14( 8)	25( 19)	17( 11)	29( 23)	30( 24)	22( 16)	[ 36](DNF)
22	11	AUS170 Icefyre	Ron Packer	180	144	21( 15)	24( 18)	26( 20)	[ 36](DNF)	21( 15)	21( 15)	31( 25)
23	30	AUS152 Georgia	Colin Harrison	179	146	26( 20)	[ 33]( 27)	19( 13)	16( 10)	25( 19)	30( 24)	30( 24)
24	06	AUS154 Merum	Ray Chatfield	191	158	23( 17)	32( 26)	32( 26)	19( 13)	28( 22)	24( 18)	[ 33]( 27)
25	05	AUS147 Gilt Dragon	Ian Malley	200	167	31( 25)	29( 23)	25( 19)	22( 16)	[ 33]( 27)	31( 25)	29( 23)
26	12	AUS173 Solveig	Andrew Locke	208	172	27( 21)	30( 24)	36(DNS)	31( 25)	22( 16)	[ 36](DNF)	26( 20)
27	01	AUS055 Gustel XI	Simon Carroll	212	178	33( 27)	[ 34]( 28)	31( 25)	23( 17)	32( 26)	32( 26)	27( 21)
28	09	AUS157 Charisma	Steve Cole	225	189	36(DNS)	31( 25)	34( 28)	[ 36](DNF)	31( 25)	25( 19)	32( 26)
29	02	AUS078 Slaghoken III	Craig Readhead	239	203	34( 28)	35( 29)	33( 27)	[ 36](DNF)	34( 28)	33( 27)	34( 28)

Full race details can be found here: http://www.rfbyc.asn.au/Dragon%20Nationals/Dgn%20Results.html