Sail Sydney day 2 - Summer has arrived

by Mainsheet Media on 18 Dec 2011 After the miserable weather Sydney had been having the competitors were happy to see sunlight on day 2 at Sail Sydney.

Wind conditions around ten knots enabled some close racing and the spectators were equally happy watching the action from the regatta village on shore.

Sail Sydney is the State Championships for the Contender Class and the leader board results are making the locals nervous. Richard Kingsmill from Queensland is on top with nine points after winning two of the three races and leads from David Leask (NSW) by four points. ACT gets a showing at third with Paul Cohen on ten.

The A-Class cats were out enjoying the conditions and World Champion Steve Brewin has taken a good lead with three firsts out of the four races. Considering that Steve says ‘… whatever I do I always do my best and when I think I am doing my best I know I can always do better.’ the other competitors need to keep him in sight.

Northern Territorian Jack Benson, who placed third in the recent A-Class World Championships in Denmark, is placed second on ten points with Grant Pellew (NSW) from Harken on third.

The Moths got four races away on Sydney Harbour on their first full day of racing and Scott Babbage has shot to the lead on five points. Four bullets got him there and he also has the $500 from winning the Dash for Cash which he can use to celebrate. Phillip Kurts (NSW) and Matt Crockett (NSW) are keeping Babbage honest placing second and third though they may want to increase the pressure on day two as he has a four point lead.

In the Hobie 16 class Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (NSW) have a good lead. Consistent form has given them six firsts and a six point lead over second placed Paul Darmanin and Lucy Copeland (NSW). Pady Gilbert and Adam Bloomfield (NSW) are staying healthy sailing their Organic Banana into third place on nineteen points.

In the mixed catamaran fleet the Hobie 16’s of Waterhouse and Darmanin (L) and Darmanin (P) and Copeland also hold the first two places. Michael Pfeffer (NSW) is in third on his Windrush catamaran on thirteen points after four races.

Day two and three of Sail Sydney form part of the 29er’s State Titles and the fleet was out in force. Overall in the regatta Evan Walker and Ashlen Rooklyn (NSW) lead on twelve points after six races with Harry Price and Nathan Edwards (NSW) taking second place on twenty points. Queenslanders Tom Siganto and Joel Turner took out day two of the regatta though they are third overall.

Six bullets, six races and Antoine King (NSW) is a happy board rider taking the lead in the Techno 293 board class and keeping it. Annalise Gilbert (NSW) is second after four seconds and two thirds and Ashley Heyworth (NSW) is third on fifteen points.

James Brewer and Dylan Passmore (NSW) lead the 420 class after two days of racing on seven points over their team mates Xavier Winston-Smith and Conor Campbell on thirteen points. Victorians Tom Klemens and James Oliver round off the top three.

After six races the Laser 4.7 fleet is being led by Sophie Chesterman from Tasmania. The green of Tasmania leads the blue of New South Wales with Josh Dawson in second on eleven points, just two behind Chesterman, and third placed Brodie Crossman on nineteen points.

In the Laser Radials it is all NSW with Christopher Anderson in first place, Nicholas Connor in second and Marcus Whitley in third. Only two points separate first and second as the fleet goes into the final day of racing.

Over thirty Optimists are competing and Alec Brodie (NSW) continues to show good form winning half of the eight races held so far. Jim Colley (NSW) is just three points behind however on thirteen and then there is a good buffer before third placed Jaime Swavley (NSW) on thirty-one points.

The Optimist Silver class has held seven races so far Luke Derry (NSW) on eight points has a comfortable lead over John-Mark Paul (NSW) on fourteen points and James Derry (NSW) on fifteen.

Matthew Lang (NSW) leads in the Sabot class after nine races despite an OCS in the ninth race. Second place Finn Gilbert (NSW) is ten points away from Lang having a RAF and a DSQ in his results is certainly making his regatta hard work. Dan Tavener (NSW) is third placed on forty one points.

The Sabot 2-Up class sees Grace and Cassie Banks (NSW) leading comfortably on nine points after winning seven of the nine races held so far.

It is state against territory in the Open BIC class with Kirsten Wadley from Queenland leading after eight races. Margot Mason is flying the flag for NSW on second and Patrick Wiltshire from the Northern Territory is third before Cian Williams shows the maroon again at fourth place.

Kurt Hansen and Lindsay Pike (NSW) are comfortably in the lead in the Flying 11 class after six races. Three bullets on the first day certainly helped and they now have six point lead over Jack Buchan and Emma Jones (NSW). Owen Long and Sarah Jones (NSW) follow in third on sixteen points.

As the fleets ready themselves for the final day of Sail Sydney the forecast is for 5-10 knots before increasing to 15-20.

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