Laser Oceania and Australian Championship - Day 3
by Gail Moreton, Peter Campbell 5 Jan 2019 18:44 PST
The Laser fleet starting in Bass Strait of Mersey Bluff, Devonport, Tasmania on Saturday - Laser Oceania and Australian Championship 2019 © Beau Outteridge
Only two points separate Australia's two top Olympic Laser sailors, Tom Burton and Matthew Wearn, after five races in the 2019 Oceania and Australian championships being sailed on Bass Strait off Devonport.
Burton (NSW), the world's top Laser sailor between 2012 and 2016 and gold medallist at Rio, followed his win on Friday with two seconds today.
Wearn (WA), the defending national champion in the Laser Standard Rig, had a win and third place to move up the leader board.
Giving the two Laser champions a real run for their money is another WA sailor, Elliott Swifto, who won the last race of the day.
Best placed Tasmanian in the Standard Rig group is State champion Sam King at 15th overall in the 43-boat fleet.
In the Laser Radials, a mixed fleet of 69 boats, West Australian Zac Littlewood holds a two-point margin over Belgium woman Emma Plasschaert. Tasmanian Will Sargent is 13th overall.
Tasmanian Anna Vaughan has slipped from third to sixth place overall with a 13-10 result yesterday in the Laser 4.7s, with Queenslander Kristen Wadley just one point ahead of Jonathan Lio from Singapore. WA junior boy Lawson McAullay is third, just one point back.
After an early start for competitors, race committee, and volunteers on Saturday, the wind decided not to settle to a consistent direction to allow a course to be easily set until later in the day. Racing was finally under way for all courses at around 1:45pm.
The first race for the day, race 4 for the championship, was under way in around 15 knot north westerly breeze. First for the 4.7 fleet was Johnathan Lio (Singapore), second was Kristen Wadley (Qld), and third Matthias Lin (Singapore).
For the Radial fleet, Zac Littlewood (WA) won from Emma Plasschaert (Belgium) and Wonn Kye Lee (Singapore).
First place in the Standard fleet was Matt Wearn (WA), second was Tom Burton (NSW), third Swifto (Luke) Elliott (WA).
Race two for the day, race 5 for the championship, was started in a 10 knot westerly breeze in with great surfing conditions for Laser sailors.
In the 4.7 fleet, Lawson McAullay (WA) won from Kristen Wadley (Qld) and Brooke Wilson (NSW).
In the Radials, Zac Littlewood (WA) again led the way to finish first with Simon Merritt (Vic) second and Emma Plasschaert (Belgium) third.
For the standard fleet Swifto Elliot (WA) outsailed Tom Burton (NSW) and Matt Wearn (WA).
With five races now completed the results allow sailors to drop their worst score.
Series results for the 4.7 fleet have Kristen Wadley (Qld) first, Jonathan Lio (Singapore) second, and Lawson McAullay (WA) third, with only a point separating each of these positions.
The Radial fleet has Zac Littlewood (WA) first, Emma Plasschaert (Belgium) second and Manami Doi (WA) in third with only a gap of two points between first and second.
Standard fleet first is Tom Burton (NSW), Matt Wearn (WA) second, and Swifto Elliot (WA) third, with only a few points separating these leaders.
With sailors aged from U16 to over 75, there are a number of age category results. In the 4.7 fleet first junior boy is Lawson McAullay, also third overall, while irst junior girl is Evie Saunders (NSW), also ninth overall.
In the Radial fleet first junior boy is Stefan Elliot-Shircore (WA). First in the Corinthian women 21 to 35 years of age group is Jacinta Ainsworth (WA), 16th overall.
In the Standard fleet, the first U21 sailor is Finn Alexander in fifth overall. The first Tasmanian sailor is Sam King in 15th place overall.
Full results for all classes are available through the 'Sailor' app on a smart phone or the website www.auslasernationals.com.au under the results tab.
Racing is set for a 2pm start today, with three races scheduled.