Australian Flying Fifteen Championships at Daveys Bay Yacht Club Overall
by Sue Thompson 5 Jan 2013 23:34 NZDT
29 December 2012 - 4 January 2013
The fleet start a race during the Australian Flying Fifteen Championships © Joel Strickland, Ted's Camera Stores Australia
The Melbourne weather forecast was for heat and no wind on Thursday and that is exactly what we had, so International Race Officer Alan Carlisle kept the fleet on the beach and racing was eventually postponed to the next day.
Fridays forecast was for 40 degrees and a hot northerly that eventually came in and settled enough for the fleet to get away around 1230. There were plenty of shifts and a few pressure holes to challenge the fleet in the first race, which built to 18-22kts. The swell was the best we had seen all week and there were a few post-race stories about the exciting downwind rides and a few boats opting not to go down the face of some waves! Yet it was Lake Burley Griffin sailors Matt Owen and Andrew Reed who crossed the line first making them the 6th winner from 7 races and moving them into 3rd place overall.
Peter Milne and Phil Dubbin finished second ahead of Chris Paterson and Rupert Leslie in Storyteller, with the regatta leaders having to settle for 5th place behind Adam Hawkins and Ben Jones. Unfortunately the Rainey brothers had outhaul problems putting them back in the middle of the fleet and into 4th place on the point's table.
In the Silver Fleet Queenslanders Larry Bardsley and Paul Webster sailing Turning Vehicle had their first win, and as the conditions took its toll several boats retired to the shore.
The 8th and final race brought a few surprises and cheers as Rob Radnell and young crew Sam Danks rounded the top mark in first place and hanging on downhill to round the bottom mark in 4th and eventually finishing 16th. While Hawkins and Jones alongside Coutts and Maskiell moved into the lead, some of the fleet found themselves out to the left of the course and overlaid the top mark with a few of the leading boats finding that mid fleet fight hard to keep their positions.
The final 8th race enabled a second discard from the scoresheet, the top 6 from race 6 did not change, but their order did, with Hawkins/Jones winning overall from Smith and Kingston who had lead the regatta from race 1. 2012 Champion Matt Owen sailing with Andrew Reed moved into 3rd place with Rainey brothers 4th. A tie for 5th place between Thompson/Taylor and Milne/Dubbin started a countback, both had a first place but it was the result of race 7 that broke the tie with Milne/Dubbin having a second place beating Thompson/Taylors' 3rd place for race 2, there was plenty of post regatta banter between the boat park neighbours!
It was Hawkins and Jones 3rd attempt at the Australian Championship and they dedicated their win to Adam's father, thanking their families for their support. Flying 15 Australian President Peter Rooke thanked Daveys Bay Yacht Club for a great regatta and in particular the terrific club volunteers who helped the regatta run smoothly.
The 2013 Australian Championship will be held at Lake Macquarie in NSW.
Overall Results:
1. Hawkins/Jones, Idsswapthisforabundy, 14 pts
2. Smith/Kingston, Sake, 16 pts
3. Owen/Reed, The Wife's Fault, 21 pts
4. Rainey/Rainey, Where the bloody hell are you, 24 pts
5. Milne/Dubbin, Lapse of Reality, 32 pts
6. Thompson/Taylor, Ark, 32 pts
Full results at www.daveysbay.org.au