Mirror Pre-Worlds – Screaming reaches, Black Flags and amazing Albany

by Anthony Galante on 31 Dec 2010 Mirror Pre-Worlds, Albany, Western Australia.

The Aussie Champs provided a full range of breeze from 3 to 25 knots providing something for everyone over the three day 11 race series which served as the pre-Worlds warm up for the 66 boats that entered the event.

Sailed on the beautiful waters of Princess Royal Harbour in Albany, Western Australia, the 45th LandCorp Australian Championships provided breeze to suit all sailors.

The series was opened with the Cliff Scott Memorial Invitational which was a close tussle between the Philippines team of Ridgely Balladares and Rommel Chavez and 2007 Mirror World Champion Ross Kearney and Max Odell from Ireland. They steamed up the first beat with the Philippinos getting a good break of 10 boat lengths that was bridged to a couple by the time the teams reached the bottom gate on the trapezoid course. The gap to the following pack was quiet substantial and the two front runners were never headed. Balladares and Chavez took the bullet followed by Kearney and Odell. The Cliff Scott Memorial Trophy for the first place Australian boat went to 2009 Australian Champions Lachlan and Finn Gilbert who edged in front of two other boats in a tight finish.

Race 1 of the Aussie Champs eventually got underway under a Black Flag. The Gilberts took first place followed by local Albany sailors Paul and Austin Taylor with Myles and Rory Odell from Team GBR in third.

In Race 2, Kearney and Odell were smoking and got off to a great start and were never challenged with the Gilberts in hot pursuit with British teenagers Millie Newman and Jessica Rust in third in the fresh conditions.

The final race was taken by the Taylors who went right one the first beat. Local knowledge perhaps played a role in them splitting from most of the left-travelling fleet and it paid off with a bullet and overall lead after three races. Second were Brits David Conlon and Charlotte Bond and third Anita Scott-Murphy with son Ben Cruse.

Day 2 of the Australian Championships became a two horse race with father and son teams Lachlan and Finn Gilbert and Paul and Austin Taylor separated by one point with 7 races completed and one drop. The Gilberts, sitting on 12 points, managed three wins on a spectacular day on Princess Royal Harbour. The Taylors sailed to one bullet and 3 thirds and were a threat on 13 points.

The highlight of the day for the sailors was the screaming reach from marks 3 to 4 in Race 6 which had the fleet planing beautifully against the backdrop of the town. Squeals of joy were coming from some boats with the Perth girls, Alexandra Thornton and Annaliese Bryant in Transom Note having a hoot of a time.

Day three started in 5/6 knots from the east and provided a number of shifts resulting in a change of course. The Irishman, Ross Kearney and Max Odell showed blistering pace in the light breeze storming to a 20 boat length lead and an unassailable advantage. They were chased by Jessie Atherton and Katherine Maher from Tasmania who were revelling the light conditions with New South Welshman Mark Phillips and son Hugh pushing to the front of the fleet after Hugh had recovered from illness that saw miss the first day of racing.

Wind vacillations caused some problems in getting the line set and the fleet away and the anxiousness of the fleet was evident with the black flag come into play with 12 teams being penalised in race 9 and 7 boats getting pinged in race 9. The Tassie girls, Atherton and Maher, revelled in the light breeze and took the gun.

After lunch Race 10 provided a southerly breeze of 7-9 knots in magical conditions which were enjoyed by all the sailors and spectators. The Phillips were on fire and managed to win by a healthy margin followed by Philippines Olympic aspirations Balladares and Chavez, the heavyweight crew who managed to stay in front of Victorians Anita Scott-Murphy and son Ben Cruse.

The final race of the Championships went to Kearney and Odell with the South African number ones, Ricky and Ryan Robinson coming second and British teenagers Millie Newman and Jessica Rust showing great form to come in third.

The battle for the Australian Championships was between father and son teams, local Albany sailors Paul and Austin Taylor and New South Welshmen, Lachlan and Finn Gilbert. The two teams pushed each other throughout the series with the Taylors becoming the 45th Australian Champions with the Gilberts 4 points behind in the 11 race series.

Gilbert said, 'These are the best sailing conditions you could get. The course is well suited to Mirrors. I was a little sceptical about sailing the trapezoid but the reaches have been fantastic and the gate is a welcome departure from the traditional triangle sausage.'

Australian Champion Paul Taylor said, 'This was a great regatta and it was fantastic to have the home town support which gave me lots of confidence. It was great to sail against a top class field and hopefully this will inspire many of the local kids to join the sport of sailing. I am also pleased with the number of families that are competing which shows the Mirror staying true to its tradition as the family class.'

Gilbert added, 'Whilst we are here for the sailing, the camaraderie in this class is really enjoyable and it is great to see the friendships that we have developed with other families. This is what makes the Mirror a unique class.'

Third went to the Tassie girls Atherton and Maher a further 11 points behind.

The Ireland Trophy for the winner of the Pre-Worlds went to the Taylors. The first international boat was the Philippino team of Balladares and Chavez who sailed brilliantly given the regatta was their first time in the boat. They finished 4 points behind Gilbert in the tally for the Pre-Worlds.

The Australian Championships were a great success with 5 different race winners showing the evenness and competitiveness at the front of the fleet and the quality of competition. The introduction of the trapezoid provided excellent angles for the sailors and the Race Committee did a first class job with laying the courses.

In other results:

Silver Fleet
1. Time N Tide - Douglas and Edward Raftesath (NSW)
2. Fizz - Quentin Hunt and Molly Hulton (TAS)
3. Sea Joule - Megan Price and Celia May (QLD)
Classic Fleet (Gaff Rig)
Steppnwolf - David and Timothy Pilbeam (WA)

The Montrose Bay Trophy - Cruiserweight Champion combined weight over 130kg
Knot Too Risky - Paul Terry and Sara Batten (WA)

NRMA Mirror Class Sub Junior Champion
Foxy Lady 3 - Robbie Hunt/David McAully (TAS)

The Canberra Cup - Youth Champion
Lightning Strike - Kieran Murnane and Mani Guintoli (WA)

Retire Invest Trophy - Veterans Champion over 45
Black Jack - John and Jesse Dransfield (NSW)

Ladies Champion
Kamikaze - Jessie Atherton/Katherine Maher (TAS)

Norm Deane Masters Champion
Kamikaze II - Mark Barrington/Thomas Howell (TAS)

Frank Buxton Family Champion
Stanley Crocodile - Lachlan and Finn Gilbert (NSW)

The Canberra Times Winning State
Western Australia

The Ireland Trophy - Winner of the Pre-Worlds
Bombora - Paul and Austin Taylor (WA)

1st International Boat
Charter 2 - Rigdely Balladares and Rommel Chavez (Philippines)

Bill Jaffray Memorial Trophy - Outstanding Contribution to Mirror Sailing in Australia
Mark Pitt

The Mordialloc Mirror Trophy - Australian National Mirror Champion
1st Bombora - Paul and Austin Taylor (WA) 45 points
2nd Stanley Crocodile - Lachlan and Finn Gilbert (NSW) 49 points
3rd Kamikaze - Jessie Atherton/Katherine Maher (TAS) 60 points

http://www.mirrorworlds2011.com
http://worlds2011.blogspot.com/