Optimist Nationals 2011 Day Two - Nia Jerwood remains on top

by Damian Devine on 13 Jan 2011 The second day of the 2011 International Optimist Australian Championships racing saw stronger conditions than yesterday for the 170 sailors competing in the National Championships, hosted by the RPAYC in Newport. With another three races completed today, to bring the total to seven, the critical first drop also came into play.

The conditions certainly proved more challenging for the competitors and race officials, particularly with the breeze filling in earlier starting with a 12-15 knot North Easter building to 18-20 knots by lunchtime and peaking at 25 knots NNE during the afternoon’s racing with the surface getting lumpy. 'The majority of the fleet managed to handle themselves very well in the conditions today. We had another great day’s racing,' said race official and RPAYC Rear Commodore Pru Bennett.

Defending National Champion Nia Jerwood ‘Bucca Nia’ from the Fremantle YC continued to show the fleet why she is Number One with another two wins and a top 5 finish today to maintain her lead after Day Two in the Open fleet, however Klaus Lorenz from the Whitsunday Sailing Club was the day’s best performer posting a perfect score with three bullets to move up the ladder to move into third spot overall. He, like overall leader Nia Jerwood, sailing in different groups, have now recorded 4 wins each and nothing worse than a top 8 across the seven races. Together, they had a monopoly on the top of the podium today.

The PRO Ted Anderson set a course more in the middle of the big pond taking away any advantage or disadvantage of the Points in the bay. It was a reasonably tight start line when all the fleet was present, but with the increased pressure taking out a few of the novices, there was plenty of room to get across the line cleanly. In fact, there was only one OCS across the three races.

With the pressure best out of the left with the occasional right hand shift, the leaders followed this path favouring the left hand side of the track as they worked their way up the first beat in the upwind start, working the shifts to the top mark. The downwind saw the fleet parade straight down the middle of the course with boat speed and boat control proving to be the telling factor. The second and third races of the day played out much the same although the wind freshened considerably, consistent across the course.

Behind Nia Jerwood, who is on 12 points, is James McLennan ‘Slam’ from Victoria on 18 points who was right behind today’s leaders with a 3-2-2 finish with Klaus Lorenz just a further point back on 19 after today’s perfect performance in the stronger air.

Consistency gets rewarded in fleet racing and the series point score reflects that with the top ten sailors posting top ten results (taking into account their drop).

For best placed local sailor RPAYC’s Xavier Winston –Smith ‘The X-Factor’, his drop has assisted his net score after recording a 23rd in the first race of the regatta. However, top 10 results of 2-5-4-8-3 in the six races since sees him hanging in there with the leaders in sixth spot on 29 net points.

Unfortunately for the 59 boats in the Green fleet, they only managed to get in one race with the breeze clocking over 15 knots, the maximum pressure allowed at this level. The Race Committee hoisted the AP flag postponing racing until 1130hrs hoping that the breeze may abate. It didn’t and a decision was made at 1200hrs to abandon racing for the day. The fleet retired back to the Clubhouse for an early lunch.

In their only race for the day, the fifth of the regatta the accolades went to Margot Mason from Avalon SC ‘The Pod’ on top with Lachlan Dare ‘Flirt’ in second and Blake Selley ‘Buck a Roo’ from the Wollahra Sailing Club picking up the bronze.

On the overall leader board, Lachlan Dare from the Sandringham Yacht Club remains on top on 16 points after his second place today, opening up a nine point lead over fellow club mate Finn Hartnett ‘Coyote’ and Joshua Van Roon and RQYS’s Joshua Van Roon both on equal 27 points. Today’s winner Margot Mason climbs another spot to be fourth overall and remains the highest placed female and New South Welshman. Yesterday’s runner-up Callum Green ‘Voracious’ recorded an 18th today to fall a couple of notches to fifth place overall. However, there is still plenty of racing left in the Green fleet.

The team’s racing is scheduled for tomorrow and a lay day on Friday with individual racing re-commencing on Saturday and Sunday. The BOM forecast for tomorrow is almost a replica of today with Northeasterly 20 to 25 knots tending East North East. Should be a great day’s for the teams on the water.

To follow all the action on the regatta click here

Complete Day Two and series results can be viewed online here

The RPAYC and the Organising Committee wish to thanks their sponsors planit, Quantum Sails, Proactive signs and images, Zhik, Oz Opti and Rob Brewer.