Great Britain retain the Sailing Ashes

by Di Pearson on 10 Jan 2003 Tim Fells/Dave Cunningham (GBR) sailed a brilliant series, finishing with a second place and a win, in the final two races, to take the B14 World Championship at McCrae Yacht Club today.

Sailed on Port Phillip Bay as part of the Sail Melbourne International Regatta, the Championship produced all sorts of weather conditions for competitors, and in the end the Poms were just too good for the Aussies, getting better as the series went on.

Going into today’s final races, the top four boats, Fells/Cunningham, Guy Bancroft/Rhys Bancrofit (AUS), Jono Pank/Shuan Barber (GBR) and Matthew Searle/Richard Bell (GBR) were all in with a chance, the former two on equal 14 points, the latter two on 16 points.

Both races today were sailed in south to southwesterly winds of around 5-8 knots, on three-lap windward/leeward courses.

In Race 9, Ewan McLellan/Alex Matthews Beercan (GBR) scored a win, with Fells/Cunningham in second and Nils Joliffe/Jon Branch Ray Marine (GBR) third.

Race 10 results had Fells/Cunningham in first, Simon Nelson/Andy Ramus (GBR) in second and Pank/Barber in third.

Local hope, Guy ‘Bangers’ Bancroft did not finish the last day well, with sixth in Race 9 and a seventh placing in the final race.

These results gave Fells/Cunningham the World Championship with 17 points after two race drops, with Pank/Barber second on 22, and Bancroft/Bancroft had to be content with third on 24 points.

Having better finishes as the series went progressed, the Searle/Bell combination finished fourth with 25 points.

Bancroft had said from day one that Fells would be his major opposition, and he was right.

The English have won the past three World Championships, and whitewashed the Aussies again; Bancroft the best placed Aussie for this event.

Guy Richie/Lissa McMillan, from Woollahra S.C. in Sydney, was the next best-placed Australian team, finishing a creditable sixth with 50 points. McMillan has only been in the class for a year, and was thrilled with their result.

Overall Top Ten (After 10 Races/2 Discards)

Position Nation Helm Crew Points

1 GBR Tim Fells David Cunningham 17

2 GBR Jono Pank Shaun Barber 22

3 AUS Guy Bancroft Rhys Bancroft 24

4 GBR Matthew Searle Richard Bell 25

5 GBR Nils Jolliffe Jon Branch 45

6 GBR Simon Nelson Andy Ramus 47

7 AUS Richard Reynolds Lissa Mcmillan 50

8 GBR Ewan McLellan Alex Matthews 54

9 AUS Kristopher Plain Michael Brian Plain 66

10 AUS Abby Parkes Sophie Hunt 70

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