Sailing Institute Match Racing Regatta wrap up at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club
by Susan Ghent, RFBYC 3 Sep 2018 03:58 PDT
1-2 September 2018
Winning Team - Raffael Torre. Bailey Ireland. Oliver Mavrick. Conall Hansford. Marcello Torre © Susan Ghent / RFBYC
Racing for the March Match Cup trophy, the Sailing Institute Match Racing Regatta was held on 1 and 2 September at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth. Youth sailors from the RFBYC Sailing Institute programme contest the annual event in BW8 keelboats, sailed in teams of five.
As a World Sailing Grade 5 event, it aims to introduce the young sailors to the world of match racing, some receiving points towards their international match racing ranking for the first time. Four teams of sailors from the RFBYC Match Racing Squad participated in the racing while some lucky sailors from the Youth Racing Squad were invited to take part too. The younger group were involved in stations with the start team, on umpire boats and as an observer on the back of the BW8s during the racing.
Founded by Pete Nicholas, the March Match Cup was created to provide opportunities in match racing for local sailors in Perth and first awarded in 2009. There are three great names on the trophy, David Gilmour (2009), Tristan Brown (2010) and Sam Gilmour (2011). It was then lost for a few years while no regatta was held, and it has now been returned to RFBYC.
On Saturday, one full Round Robin was completed in light to moderate winds. Race Officer John Taylor had to finish early due to the wind becoming too light to sail but he was confident that he was on schedule.
Experience showed through this round with Will Drew's Intrepid Racing coming out in front, winning all their matches for the day.
Sunday began with the Semi Final Round. The first team to score two points would go through to the Final Round for first and second place overall and the other two pairs would sail the Petit Final.
Top placed Will Drew chose to match the newer team skippered by Jenna Everett. They sailed to windward of the start line in the pre-start tussle and were holding head to wind. When it was time to return to cross the line for the start of the race, Intrepid Racing got away cleanly, cleared the line and managed to begin with a two boat length lead on Everett. With more experience in the Intrepid Team, Everett and her crew just couldn't match the speed to catch up. This was the case again in their second match although Jenna's team showed great potential and a good attitude for their future.
The two more evenly matched teams of Torre and Bougher had more of a challenge. In match one, Bougher held a good lead but had a penalty to get rid of before the finish. On the last spinnaker run to the finish, Torre had managed to catch up. Bougher went for his penalty turn but couldn't get around quick enough and Torre took the first win.
In their second match Marcello Torre and his team sailed with good speed in the moderate winds and won. He would go through to the final against Will Drew while Jamie Bougher would race Jenna Everett.
In their first match of the Final Series, Torre led Drew from the start for a convincing win.
The other pair had an exciting pre-start with Jenna Everett and her team sailing confidently, really having a good go at controlling the more experienced team of Jamie Bougher, Murray Buchan, Grant Box, Thomas Ostergaard and Andrew Buchan. Everett gybed on to starboard with Bougher following and ending up to windward. Everett luffed but accidentally sailed past head to wind, you could see her disappointment, Bougher pulled the Y flag out and it was a penalty. During the race Bougher extended the lead to take the first win.
In their second match, Everett had not lost her confidence and again sailed confidently, this time managing to take control and start ahead of Bougher. To the delight of the spectators she took her first win for the event.
With scores even, they raced what would be their last match with Bougher taking the win and third place overall.
For first and second places it was a first to score three points. Drew gained control in the pre-start and led across the line but he was too early and had to re-start. A disappointing start to the race for the team as Torre sailed away and took another win.
The Intrepid Racing team had to even up the scores now or it would be their final match. They sailed aggressively in pre-start, it was a dramatic show for the on-looker's. After the dial up with both boats head to wind, Drew circled around and came back at Torre on starboard. Torre did not do enough to keep clear and it was a penalty to his team. As Torre led towards the start line on his final approach, he luffed Drew a few times, each time Drew responded. This may have thrown him off his game as they approached the start boat, Drew misjudged the space and clipped the back of the start boat. It was over for Drew, another win for Torre.
Overall results:
1st Marcello Torre, Oliver Mavrick, Raffael Torre, Bailey Ireland, Conall Hansford
2nd Will Drew, Grayson Downes, Jonathon Everett, Jared Clark, Brock Pitcher
3rd Jamie Bougher, Murray Buchan, Grant Box, Thomas Ostergaard, Andrew Buchan
4th Jenna Everett, Drina Bucktin, Annabelle Jones, Zachary Sprunt, George Elms
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