VX One Australian Championship wrap
by Brady Lowe 29 Jan 2019 16:38 AEDT
Mack One National Champions - with Douglas and Patrick below on the final beat © Brady Lowe
Back to Back / Mack to Mack - Mack One wins their second VX One Australian Championship with a race to spare after dominating the series held at Festival of Sails in Geelong.
With another "Boat of the Day" flag in their grasp, Ben Franklin, Josh Franklin, and Allan Moffatt enjoyed the sail home with a final day scorecard of 2, 1, 2, never finishing off the podium in a race at the event. A well earned victory to the team from the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
One highlight of the regatta is surely the battle for the podium places, which saw 10 points separating 2nd to 6th at the beginning of the third and final day. After opening the day with a win in Race 7 but a less than ideal Race 8, Rob Douglas and his crew went into the final race with 1.5 points to make up to Port Curtis Sailing Club Andy Patrick; it was a nail biter, with the Patrick looking shaky at the start of Race 9, and Douglas looking strong.
Brett Whitbread and Joel McDonald stormed away with a big win but it was the placings from 3rd to 5th where the podium places would be decided as the US team of Sandra Askew, lay between Douglas and Patrick and a determined look from the Americans who hit their stride well on Day 3.
In the end the results would be decided on the final 50m as the breeze faded, with Douglas crossing the line for 3rd just as Patrick snuck half a bowsprit ahead of Askew and held on into the finish for 4th in the race to clinch 2nd place overall by 0.5 of a point!
For those who looked strong early in the regatta, Supervax of Brett Whitbread, Brian Case's Slick; and Weapon of Choice skippered by Fred Kasparek there must be the knowledge that with a fleet so close there are some great regattas ahead over the next 12 months, but there must also be some questions of what has to be done to challenge the boys on Mack One!
Up and down the field the racing was superb, with too many great performances to highlight. Royal Geelong Yacht Club turned on a magnificent regatta on and off water, with the festivities ashore only matched by conditions which saw 4 different breeze patterns in 3 days, warm sunny conditions, and a track which threw everything at the competitors. Another great event for the VXOne class down under!