Cougar is Lipton Cup's Top Dog after Day 1

by Bernie Kaaks on 20 Nov 2010 Lipton Cup Regatta day 1.

Alan Whiteley's Cougar II was the best of the Division A IRC fleet after the first three races today in a variety of conditions on Port Phillip Bay.

While Michael Hiatt's Living Doll set the pace in all three races and sits second on the PHD points score, Cougar II heads the IRC results by the narrowest of margins, with 13 points total, ahead of Bruce McCracken's Ikon and Robert Hanna's Shogun, both on 14 points, pointing to an interesting day on the water tomorrow.

Reverie (Alan Woodward) was next on 17 points, followed by Challenge (Lou Abrahams) on 18.

If the starts were competitive, some of the mark roundings might be described as brutal, which may results in a protest or two as boats were forced into error by overly optimistic manouevres.

Dave Ellis' newcomer Penfold Audi Sport, an Archambault 31, was the standout boat in Division B, leading the fleet on both IRC and AMS handicap systems, ahead of Grant Botica's Adams 10 Executive Decision and Top Gun. Points scores are very close so they too, should enjoy tomorrow' challenges.

Sportsboat Champion Paul Heyes leads the scores with 10 points in his Thompson 7 Foamfast, but competition is really tight with Stephen Fries' Wysiwyg V next on 11 and Connor Burdon-Bear's Oceanburo Girls on 12.