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Craftinsure 2023 LEADERBOARD

B14 Australian Nationals at Woollhara Sailing Club

by Mark Barnes/Matt Searle 6 Jan 2006 16:18 GMT

Superb conditions greeted the fleet for the start of the Australian National championships with a 15-18 knot SE breeze and blue skies just as the brochure advertised. With a heavy starboard bias on the line a large bunch of boats became rafted at the committee boat causing some grief! By the first windward mark Gutted Hedgehog (Matt Searle/Andy Ramus) established a good lead which they held to the finish. PICA (Jamie Mears/Matt Gill) were second at the top mark which they again held to the finish only to find that they had been a little keen off the start line.

Boatracer.co.uk (Nils Jolliffe/Jonathon Branch) and Bugger the Bone (Richard Fisher/Stuart McDonnell) jostled for 3rd and 4th but it was eventually Boatracer.co.uk's superior downwind speed that secured them the 3rd spot. Simon Hadley/Pete Nicholson sailed a good race to finish 5 th thus keeping 4 British boats in the top 5.

Race 2, the startline had been squared up and the fleet pushed pretty hard forcing 3 - 4 boats over. With shifty conditions upwind there were plenty of place change opportunities but it was those who worked the right hand side of the course that came out on top. At the top mark Gutted Hedge had the top spot closely followed by Evil Empire (James & Anus Luffman) and CST composites (Clive Watts/Chris Dixon). These teams stayed on starboard gybe to take a great gust down the track and beat Gutted Hedgehog to the bottom mark. Ronstan (Jono Pank/Ritchie Edwards) in also joined the pack to complete the top 4. The next lap saw a similar pattern with place changes up the beat and down the run but by the final beat Gutted Hedgehog established a good lead that they held to the finish followed by Ronstan, CST composites, Evil Empire and Octopussy.

Day 2 of the Nationals was sailed is a SE 5 - 10 knot breeze. The first face of the day was abandoned on the Harbour Master's instructions due to a Tanker sailing through the course. Race 3 and the restart under black flag, the line was square. The fleet split left and right. Out to the left Boatracer.co.uk led to the favoured left followed the plumbers, Readycrest (Mark Barnes/Tom Pygall) and Ronstan.

During the race there were several place changes with the British contingent coming to the fore. Boatracer.co.uk held on to the lead though challenged on several occasions by different boats to win. Second was not so straight forward as a general cargo ship sailed through the course benefiting Gutted Hedgehog who finished second followed by Ronstan, Readycrest (later OCS with 8 other boats).

Race 4 and second race of the day started in an 8 knot breeze from the SE. The race was to turn into a UK convention with PICA taking the lead and holding it till the end to take the bullet. Readycrest worked their way through the fleet with Gutted Hedgehog but pipped them to second. Fourth was the first Aussie boat The Nude (Ritchie Reynolds/Lissa McMillan) followed by Ronstan. Day 3 brought classic conditions to Sydney Harbour with a NE 15 - 20knt breeze and grey skies. Race 5, first race of the day started in an 18 - 20 knot breeze. The line was bias to the pin with the fleet splitting to both left and right on the first beat. There was a pile up at the windward mark but all got away without any damage. The fleet converged on the windward mark and the top positions changed throughout the race with the Aussie contingent taking 3 of the top 5 places. Gutted Hedgehog won followed by BangBang, CST composites , Ronstan, and Nerdwork (Marty Johnson/Spike (Mike Halkes).

Race 6 and second race of the day started in 20 knots breeze from the SE. The race started with a charge to the left and was to turn into a UK convention with Gutted Hedgehog working their way through into the lead with the next four places highly contested. At the finish it was Gutted Hedgehog followed by Ronstan, Boatracer.co.uk, Nerdwork and AT&T (Tim Fells/Sean Dwyer). Race 7, third race of the day started in an 15 - 18 knot breeze from the SE. The race started with pin bias and a charge to the left was to turn into a UK convention with again with Gutted Hedgehog taking the win followed by AT&T, PICA, Octopussy (Scott & Cameron Kennedy) and Boatracer.co.uk.

Race 8 and Gutted Hedge had stamped their intentions on the event and had headed for the shore having won the event. The breeze had dropped slightly to about 15 knots. Minibus (Don Forster/Kate Forster) won the pin and sailed to the left corner and led round the first lap. Nerdwork at last came alive and overtook Minibus to never be seen again. This race developed into an Aussie convention with BangBang (Keiran Livermore/Tim Austin) and CST composites taking the first three at the finish followed by the British convention.

The event was sailed in mixed conditions with Gutted Hedgehog worthy Open Champions with the Worlds boding well for them. The Aussie champions were Nerdwork from CST Composites.

The Worlds start on the 09.01.2006 with the British Lloyds Register sponsored contingent holding the upper hand but the Aussie fleet have closed the gap and are not to be discounted. Sailing is to be held between Rose, Chowder and Taylor's Bay.

Overall Results:

1. Gutted Hedgehog - Matt Searle/Andy Ramus (UK) - 7pts
2. Boatracer.co.uk - Nils Jolliffe/Jonathon Branch (UK) - 23pts
3. Ronstan - Jono Pank/Ritchie Edwards (UK) - 26pts
4. Nerdwork - Marty Johnson/Spike (AUZ) - 30pts
5. CST Composites - Clive Watts/Chris Dixon (AUZ) - 36pts

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