Stevenson takes lead at Starling Nationals

by Sutter Schumacher on 15 Jan 2010 After nine races, Luke Stevenson of Tauranga has jumped into first place at the Davie Norris Boatbuilders 2010 Starling National Championships on Lyttelton Harbour, just one point ahead of Logan Dunning-Beck, who had been leading until Friday.

Sam McKenzie has leapfrogged into third, ahead of 2010 Starling match race champion and top South Island sailor in this regatta, Declan Burn.

Overnight the 96 Starlings were re-aligned into Gold and Silver fleets based on their standings, making for closer competition than had been seen when boats were more randomly assigned to blue and yellow divisions on the first two days of racing.

The good news for everyone is that, after nine races, a second drop race has come into play. The bad news for the four series leaders is that they've each had to use it to discard a penalty score, most for being over early at the start of Race 8 on Friday. Stevenson dropped a BFD. Dunning-Beck and McKenzie dropped 20%-penalty ZFP scores. (Burn dropped his RAF from Race 4 on Thursday.) There is now little wiggle room to blow a finish tomorrow.

Of course, the leaders are not alone. Over-eager Starlings were the Race Committee's biggest pain point during Friday's four races. After numerous general recalls, the RC first tried containing the fleet with an I flag, and then a Z flag. Ultimately, they had no choice but to pull out the black flag, which means any racer caught over the start line in the last minute of the pre-start is automatically disqualified from that race. Even that didn't work.

In the Gold Fleet, 22 of the 49 starters were penalised for being on the wrong side of the line in Race 8. In the Silver Fleet, it was the start of Race 7 that caught out many boats – 17 out of 43, to be exact.

To be fair, it wasn't just competitive juices that pushed so many boats over early. A flood tide also contributed. Given the unusual southerly conditions for this time of year, sailors might be forgiven for forgetting they were sailing with the incoming current rather than against it, as would be the case if Lyttelton Harbour's prevailing easterly were blowing.

But the end result was a workout not just for the sailors, but for the Race Committee, who ran a total of 22 starts for the three fleets (the two Starling divisions and one P Class group) just to get in 12 races.

If there was any saving grace on Friday, it was the relatively gentle conditions. Even the most experienced locals agree that 'it's never like this,' but the 5 to 15-knot southwesterly, under mostly sunny skies, enabled the fleets to sail four races and get the regatta back on schedule. (Race 6 was blown-out before it could start on Thursday).

The series wraps up with three scheduled races on Saturday at Naval Point Club Lyttelton.

Event: Davie Norris Boatbuilders 2010 Starling National Championship
Venue: Naval Point Club Lyttelton, Lyttelton Harbour
Race Date: 15 January 2010
Total number of boats: 96

OVERALL STANDINGS
Provisional standings for the top 20 sailors after 9 races:

1) Luke Stevenson, Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club, 14 points
2) Logan Dunning-Beck, Wakatere Boating Club, 15 points
3) Sam McKenzie, Auckland, 28 points
4) Declan Burn, Queen Charlotte Yacht Club, 29 points
5) Chris Steele, Wakatere Boating Club, 32 points
6) Brittany Wornall, Mount Pleasant YC, 50 points
7) Gareth Moore, Waimakariri Sailing and Power Boat Club, 51 points
8) Andrew McKenzie, Kohimarama, 56 points
9) Alex Morris, Macandrew Bay Boating Club, 60 points
10) Etienne LePen, S.R.C Noumea, 62 points
11) Brad Moss, Murrays Bay Boating Club, 63 points
12) Elise Beavis, Murrays Bay Boating Club, 67 points
13) James Roberts, Wakatere Boating Club, 82 points
14) Alex Dyet, Torbay Sailing Club, 82 points
15) Matthew Kempker, Wakatere Boating Club, 82 points
16) Trent Jones, Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, 91 points
17) Sam Mackey, Napier Sailing Club, 92 points
18) Ollie Steiner, Napier Sailing Club, 92 points
19) Mahia Pepper, Murras Bay Boating Club/Wakatere, 93 points
20) Henry Wilkinson, Kohimarama, 93 points

SILVER FLEET
Provisional Overall Standings for the top 10 sailors after 9 races:

1) Alice Noyer, Sandspit/Murrays Bay Boating Club, 36 points
2) Oliver Klups, New Plymouth Yacht Club, 43 points
3) Daniel Foley-Logan, Nelson Yacht Club, 43 points
4) Ryan Dixon, Howick Yacht Club, 46 points
5) George Anyon, Kohimarama, 48 points
6) Janelle Peat, Torbay Sailing Club, 51 points
7) Amber Capon, Murrays Bay Boating Club, 57 points
8) Oscar Rorvik, Lake Taupo Yacht Club, 62 points
9) James de Lisle, Worser Bay BC, 64 points
10) Chris Pattinson, Charteris Bay Yacht Club, 64 points

For full results http://www.navalpoint.co.nz/results/Starling140110.htm!click_here