ISail Whitsunday B14 World Championship at McCrae Yacht Club - Overall

B14 World Championships on Port Phillip Bay © Rhenny Cunningham / www.sailingshots.com.au

B14 World Championships on Port Phillip Bay © Rhenny Cunningham / www.sailingshots.com.au

Australia wins the Ashes

Team Hamburg Sud/Leaky Pipes, consisting of 12 European B14s (11 UK and 1 France) attended the B14 Worlds in McCrae, Victoria, Australia from the 2–6 January 2015. Britair FRA777 (Sebastien Le Cam/Sophie Le Cam) was the first French team to attend an Australian B14 Worlds Championships. Racing consisted on 10 50 minute races over 4 days with day 2 lost to big winds.

The question was, would Europe win the Worlds having taken 1st and 3rd in the Open Australian Nationals preceding the Worlds, so retaining the Ashes in Team McCrae's backyard.

Day 1 and it was looking good. Both Whitstable Marine (Chris Lewns/Tom Pygall) and Seavolution (Mark Barnes/Alicia Clifford) were taking it to the Aussie teams. However, the breeze was due to kick in later in the week and with the McCrae teams playing their joker with 1430 starts, just as the sea breeze would really kick in, the fat lady was to have the last laugh.

Day 2 with big rollers on the beach and big breeze, there would be no racing that day.

Day 3, 3 races and on queue the breeze was up at around 16 knots. Whitstable Marine was in the thick of it with the heavier Aussie teams of Bonus Bone (Guy Bancroft/Lachlan Imeneo), AUS 375 (Brent Francombe/Leigh Dunstan) and Bonework (Ian Cunningham/David Cunningham). Seavolution being one of the lightest 2 teams faded with some of the heavier European teams starting to flex their guns and push the results led by Ullman Sails (Mark Watts/Chris Bishop) breaking into the top 10.

B14 World Championships on Port Phillip Bay - photo © Rhenny Cunningham / www.sailingshots.com.au

Day 4, 3 races again, with their secret weapon in coach Bunny Warren, Whitstable Marine hit the water with purpose, but it was to be the day of local favourite Bonus Bone, who knew exactly when to hit the wind bend and where to chase the breeze down downwind in winds of 20 plus knots. Giving a master class in how to pull back a counter from a poor start. They were to charge to the front of the fleet by the end of the day. With Whitstable Marine in 3rd and Seavolution in 7th, the European team on the march was Ullman Sails with a 6 and 4. All 3 races on the day went to the big teams, with first lighter team being Whitstable Marine with a 4th in race 6th. The other big mover on the day was Bonework.

Day 5, and we were told it would be lighter, but alas it was not, it was more of the same, if not windier. So going into the last 2 races, it was the heavier teams thrashing it out to the left and lighter teams, not able to hold their lane looking to the slightly lighter right and hopeful favourable shift. Ullman Sails, came into their sweet zone and led the charge. Alas they were to fall in on the last gybe in race 9 but still recover to gain 2nd. Race 10, and a bit more wind saw Ullman Sails and Bonework thrash it out with AUS375. All was on and who was to win the Worlds rested on the last race. AUS375 had the edge and led the heavier teams till a mistake near the end of the race, resulting in a capsize, retirement and loss of the regatta, so releasing Bonework and Ullman Sails to thrash it out for the race. Bonework got the better by the finish with Ullman Sails in hot pursuit in 2nd, so taking 3rd overall from Whitstable Marine. Bonus Bone did another big recovery and got back to 3rd, with this result they won the regatta from AUS375.

B14 World Championships on Port Phillip Bay - photo © Rhenny Cunningham / www.sailingshots.com.au

The main winners of the regatta were the B14 class as a whole. With all bar 2 skiffs running the latest specification kit, there were no broken masts, wings or poles. 16 female sailors (helm/crew) took part in the event with 3 of them at times either winning of contending the podium in individual races. Crew weights ranged from 132 – 168 kg. 6 sailmakers, 4 Australian and 2 British were represented at the event, with the most prolific in the top 15 being North Sails followed by Irwin Sails. The winner interestingly used a North 3DL main and Irwin jib/kite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422503916&x-yt-cl=85027636&v=My2a53CBaZ0

More Youtube videos of the racing can be found here.

The next World Championships will be at Lake Garda in Italy in July 2016. Hopefully Team Europe will get the Ashes back.

Come and see the latest specification Seavolution B14 GBR795 on stand A12 in the main hall at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show and see what you could be racing at Rutland, the first 2015 TT. She'll be ready to go and calibrated to win. See you there.

Overall Results:

More information at www.mccraeyc.com.au