Farr 40 National Championships: John Calvert-Jones Trophy - Day 2
by Lisa Ratcliff, Australian Farr 40 media 20 Feb 2014 12:13 GMT
19-22 February 2014
The forecasters got it right on day two of the Aberdeen Asset Management Farr 40 National Championships: John Calvert-Jones Trophy as Hobart upped the ante for the eight boat fleet contesting their Australian title.
An early NNW wind in the high teens gusting up to 28 knots caused some damage in race five, the first of the day. Trevor and Steven Richardson's Local Mocean tore their main and Jeff Carter's Edake broke a mainsail batten.
It went from bad to worse for Carter who ripped a spinnaker in race seven. "I may as well have stood in the shower tearing up $100 bills. The result was the same," said Carter, from Sydney's Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
Guido Belgiorno-Nettis' Transfusion is holding firm on the prime position, still three points ahead of Martin and Lisa Hill's Estate Master at the series mid-way point.
Andrew Hunn and Lloyd Clark's Voodoo Chile has moved into third place, bumping Stephen Boyes' Wired off the podium.
Estate Master's Darren 'Twirler' Jones on main tells the story of their day. "We were having a Barry Crocker. We got a fourth in the first race of the day and we decided Pepsi [Hamish Pepper] hadn't done a great job as tactician.
"I was feeling quite fresh so I put him on my shoulders and carried him across the boat back and forth for race five. He weighs let's say 105 kilos. We got a win in that race.
"I had to get a rub down in between races because he's quite heavy to carry.
"Next time he hung on for the ride and we got a second. Mind you he's not used to holding onto wet weather gear. His hands are bred for a more woollen feel. Luckily our skipper Martin had an old woolly jumper down below so we put that on him and he held tight. Bloody Kiwis...."
Estate Master used up its lucky card in the final race seven. The Sydney crew had to pull down the spinnaker and turn the boat twice to exonerate a penalty. They picked the right side of the comeback trail and finished second in that race from well back in the field.
"With all the boat changes and keels getting fixed, all the 40s are a lot more even. We used to get hammered by Transfusion," said Jones.
More seriously he knows Estate Master needs another couple of months before the boat has that lived-in feel.
"We have changed sail makers and we aren't going to get the sail program and rig set up right until we have more time on the boat. We also have a bunch of new people and we are a little underweight.
"Everyone is going well here in Hobart. The flat water and the shifty stuff are great levellers," Jones added.
He reflected on the Australian class' development while he's been away campaigning mostly Melges 32s and Farr 30s. "I haven't sailed the 40s for some time. When I think back to the Australian fleet four years ago compared to now it has lifted quite a lot.
"The class has been going 20 years and the wheels have turned 100 times. The setup, trim and crew work has drifted down through the boats and they all look the same. It's all come to a head."
Like Estate Master, Voodoo Chile is in the hunt to try and thwart Transfusion's trifecta of consecutive national title wins.
"We are only half way through the regatta and tomorrow is another day," cautioned co-owner of Voodoo Chile and skipper for the national championship Andrew Hunn.
"We had a great day. It was made easy because my crew know exactly what they are doing. There will be good pressure in the morning, who knows what might happen. We are in good shape."
On competing at a home fixture Hunn says they are enjoying hosting and sailing against the top teams on local waters. Other than tactician David Chapman and bowman Wulf Wilkens, both from Sydney, the entire crew was born or lives in the Tasmanian capital Hobart.
"Without realising it you have a better idea what's likely to happen. We were very familiar with the sort of conditions we had today," Hunn said.
On the flipside he's conscious the away teams are able to focus 100% whereas the locals have "home things" they need to fit in around the regatta.
After running race five a big westerly shift meant a re-set of the course for a NW bearing. Two postponements later race six was away then race seven was ticked off in reasonably steady breeze, still around the same strength in the high teens gusting into the 20s.
"I think we tired them out, they'll sleep well tonight," IRO Nick Hutton predicted.
Overnight a howling 40-50 knot west nor'wester will rattle the rigging. This should turn sou'westerly 15 -25 knots early in the morning then decrease to 10-20 knots in the afternoon.
Professional photographs for this regatta can be viewed daily. Please see the full results.