International 14 National Championship- Massey and Wilsdon in top gear

by Neil Patchett on 5 Jan 2011 International 14 National Championship - Race 5. Archie Massey and Dan Wilsdon found top gear today in a classic Adelaide seabreeze to win Race 5 of the International 14 Australian Championship sailed in Gulf St Vincent.

After days of variable and shifty light winds, Adelaide’s summer seabreeze arrived under a near cloudless sky to provide a good 15 knots of sou’west over the windward-leeward race track off Glenelg.

Current World Champions Massey and Wilsdon sailing their modified Bieker 5 hull George first with a wardrobe of Alexander Sails found the conditions just about perfect and finished just over a minute ahead of the next best boat Touring Wombat (Dave Alexander/ Cam McDonald).

George first did not have it all its own way however and had to chase down early leader Ronstan/ Irwin Sails (Lindsay Irwin/ Andrew Perry) who jumped out of the blocks hard and fast to lead for the first windward and first downhill. It was the second windward that gave George first the opportunity to pounce and once this classy crew got the lead, they were never going to let it go without a fight.

The fight certainly was there, especially with such a hot fleet that includes a number of national and world champions.

With the race committee putting on a long work to windward, the result was superb downwind conditions for the fleet of hydrofoil-rudder equipped I14s that simply flew downwind in excellent two-wire conditions.

Adelaide sailmaker and classy sailor Dave Alexander once again showed excellent form and together with crew McDonald followed up yesterday’s race win with a strong finish today to take second.

Former champion Brad Devine finally got conditions to put a smile on his face. Devine and crew Ian 'Footy' Furlong revel in fresh winds and have honed their skills in the ‘Doctor’ summer breeze that blows across their hometrack of the Swan River, Perth. Their boat Dela Boca Vista hit its straps in the conditions and registered its best result so far with a third.

Devine and his 100kg plus 'Footy' may not be so lucky tomorrow with the forecast for light and variable conditions.
There were five boats that did not finish today including ‘gun’ boats such as One More Grunt and el diablo. Another of the DNF boats was Back in Black which is being sailed by what one competitor describes as Beauty and the Beast … with class stalwart Robert 'RV' Vickery playing the part of the Beast.

Racing continues tomorrow.

Race 5:

George first 1:26:30, 1;
Touring Wombat 1:27:31, 2;
Del Boca Vista 1:27:49, 3;
To Late to Stop Now 1:28:02, 4;
Ronstan/ Irwin Sails 1:28:24, 5.

Progressive Score (with a drop):

George first 5 pts (1,2,1,2,1);
Touring Wombat 11 (5,3,6,1,2);
Ronstan/Irwin Sails 11 (3,1,2,5,5);
el diablo 13 (2,4,4,3,33.OF);
To Late to Stop Now 16 (4,5,3,7,4);
Flaunt it 30 (10,7,7,11,6);
Do you get it yet? 35 (8,11,9,14,7);
Del Boca Vista 36 (13,15,5,15,3);
Ray & the Crazy 88s 37 (7,10,10,10,33.OF);
Reactor 40 (11,13,17,6,10).