Australian A-Cat Nationals at Wangi RSL Amateur Sailing Club Overall

by Event Press 7 Jan 2012 08:15 GMT 2-7 January 2012

Chris Cairns on day 5 of the A Cat Australian Championships © Event Media

Darren Bundock on day 5 of the A Cat Australian Championships © Event Media

High drama in the last race

Last night, seven times A-Cat World Champion Glenn Ashby (Emirates Team New Zealand America's Cup team, and winner of 14 multihull World titles and two Olympic Silver medals) won the 2012 John Cootes Furniture Australian A Class Championships. Ashby declared this star-studded fleet 'the best ever.'

The final day of the Championships was another postcard day on Lake Macquarie, NSW. Blue sky and a light 10-12 knot sea breeze greeted competitors for the last race in the 2012 Australian Championships with the minor placings to be decided in another race of 'champions'.

After eight races Steve Brewin, (2011 A Class World champion) was three points clear of Wangi Wangi local Nathan Outteridge (three times 49er World Champion).

It was a clean start and Darren Bundock (14 catamaran World titles, two Olympic Silver medals and member of Oracle's America's Cup Syndicate) led at the top mark. Scott Anderson (1984 Tornado Olympic bronze medallist) was second.

Tom Slingsby (four times Laser World Champion) rounded fourth behind Andrew Landenberger (1996 Tornado Olympic bronze medallist) and Brad Collett (2011 NSW and Queensland A-Cat Champion).

Australian legend James Spithill (skipper of 2010 America's Cup winner BMW Oracle) followed, then Outteridge with Brewin two places further back.

On the next laps Bundock, Anderson, Landenberger, Outteridge, Spithill and Brewin battled for the placings. It seemed that Brewin could stay with the 49er champion.

On the top of the upwind leg for the third time, Brewin was on the wire struggling with a jammed downhaul as he started to reach to the clearing mark.

Suddenly he dropped his mainsheet, the boom swung away, he capsized - it was all over. Brewin took an eternity to right his boat. He was 17th when he finally passed the clearing mark and by that time the leaders were approaching the finishing line.

Down at the finishing line Bundock crossed ahead of Landenberger and a fast finishing Outteridge, who slid across the line four seconds ahead of Anderson. Slingsby was next, then Brayshaw and Collett. Spithill was ninth, Brewin 14th.

Within minutes they were back in the boat park. It does not pay to get between a sailor and his trailer on the last day of any regatta.

Nathan Outteridge was smiling. 'Steve was staying close initially. I was keen to try to drop us both back into the teens and then have a drag to see who could best sail through the fleet. On the last run I was really pushing. Just stoked to get second overall against this fleet.'

Darren Bundock, the final race winner was third overall. 'It was good to get out in front today. I won the race in the first gybe, just wish that Ashby bloke was here so I could have beaten him today.'

Steve Brewin was philosophical. 'Oh well shit happens!! I was really enjoying the battle with Nathan. He did it well - he was sitting on me. I made a mistake. I only had a little downhaul brake and I was trying to fix that and I shouldn't have been and I let go of the main. Game over.

'On the way out the sail fell down and then the downhaul went. Then I was in the water, so trouble comes in threes.

'I could have sat on the beach and done what I did here. But you know what? There is another regatta soon, then another Worlds.

'I will look forward having learnt by my mistakes. Sure I was beaten into third place overall but it was a great, great regatta.'

Jimmy Spithill finished fifth overall. 'A really impressive fleet, 70 boats, and a wonderful regatta. With the curved (dagger) boards, trapezing, Glenn and Nathan are on another level downwind; they are real naturals on the wire while the rest of us look like a bunch of teabags.

'Myself, Dirk (de Ridder), Tom and Darren are taking our boats to San Francisco. On the trapeze downwind in SFO will be a blast!

'Just to be able to mix it with Steve Brewin, Scott Anderson and Andrew Landenberger, who have had so much time in these boats, was wonderful.

'Lastly a special thanks to Tony Outteridge, who got every race away on some great courses.'

Scott Anderson, the 2012 Grand Master Champion, finished fourth overall. 'It's absolutely fantastic that these guys have committed to A-Cats. Now the AC on Cats and these are the perfect boats to learn the basics. If you stuff it up, the boat tells you very quickly. Good on the guys for coming.'

Stephen Brayshaw said 'Brilliant, brilliant racing. Not being a professional I am just stoked to come eighth in this amazing fleet. We have really, really enjoyed having to top guns here.'

Tom Slingsby, still coughing gasped 'Last night's rum did not help my cold. But I am getting this boat figured. If I started today I'd be looking OK, I just need more time in the boat. If I take it to San Francisco where there are strong breezes. I'll look for a 'kiddie's corner' where I can venture out one day.'

John Kostecki (Oracle Racing tactician) laughed 'OK, ok, I've done enough practicing, now I am ready to start the regatta!'

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Skipper	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	AUS111	Glenn Ashby	1	1	2	1	1	4	1	3	[DNC]	14
2	AUS973	Nathan Outteridge	2	6	[7]	3	5	3	3	2	3	27
3	AUS4	Steve Brewin	4	3	1	6	2	1	4	9	[14]	30
4	AUS888	Darren Bundock	3	2	4	2	[20]	8	2	11	1	33
5	AUS975	James Spithill	10	9	6	4	3	5	5	[16]	9	51
6	AUS902	Scott Anderson	7	10	10	10	[25]	2	6	7	4	56
7	AUS308	Andrew Landenberger	6	7	8	13	12	[24]	19	8	2	75
8	AUS25	Stephen Brayshaw	9	[17]	13	7	10	16	9	6	6	76
9	AUS20	Chris Batenberg	12	11	[22]	5	19	10	8	5	10	80
10	AUS321	Andrew Williams	11	[OCS]	15	12	7	12	7	4	13	81
11	AUS972	Tom Slingsby	15	5	5	8	24	23	[30]	1	5	86
12	AUS10	Brad Collett	8	8	14	15	11	[25]	20	10	7	93
13	AUS967	Graeme Parker	14	12	11	17	6	15	14	[22]	12	101
14	AUS13	Jack Benson	24	15	9	14	4	[28]	15	20	8	109
15	GER14	Bob Baier	13	22	3	11	8	[40]	24	25	11	117
16	AUS907	Davis McKenzie	16	14	[30]	19	13	14	10	18	22	126
17	AUS958	Simon McKeon	5	4	17	9	27	[36]	22	28	15	127
18	AUS961	Stuart Scott	[23]	19	19	18	15	17	13	14	17	132
19	AUS949	Dave Brewer	20	13	[31]	23	28	7	11	13	23	138
20	AUS898	Chris Cairns	31	30	12	[DNC]	9	6	17	17	19	141
21	AUS969	Grant Pellew	21	27	16	16	18	18	16	23	[32]	155
22	AUS8	Graeme Harbour	17	24	24	[32]	29	9	21	15	18	157
23	AUS936	David Parker	28	16	21	21	[32]	11	12	24	27	160
24	AUS920	Adam Beattie	22	23	25	22	14	21	26	26	[35]	179
25	AUS957	David Loutit	18	21	28	24	23	[32]	23	21	30	188
26	AUS22	Mark Johnston	26	20	[58]	29	17	19	47	12	21	191
27	AUS844	Richie Howells	29	28	26	27	16	[42]	31	31	26	214
28	NED88	Caroljn Brouwer	40	[41]	18	20	35	20	34	33	29	229
29	AUS933	Chris Parker	33	33	23	25	31	[44]	27	32	28	232
30	AUS900	Wayne Mercer	19	18	38	30	43	37	[OCS]	19	31	235
31	AUS947	Lucas McDonald	30	26	44	[47]	21	13	29	43	33	239
32	USA1	John Kosteki	27	[DNF]	36	33	48	29	25	27	16	241
33	AUS100	Simon Nelson	[DNF]	35	32	31	39	46	18	42	25	268
34	AUS7	Hamish Sinclair	34	[DNC]	27	35	26	22	49N	45N	34	272
35	AUS911	Michael Kopp	36	34	37	39	[42]	26	33	30	41	276
36	AUS101	John Richards	47	40	20	28	22	27	[DNC]	DNC	40	295
37	AUS9	John Dowling	32	31	[46]	41	34	34	42	38	43	295
38	AUS58	Andrew Chaney	39	32	33	36	49	41	35	39	[DNC]	304
39	AUS837	Clare Neeskens	45	[54]	29	37	40	30	44	47	36	308
40	AUS954	Paul Neeskens	38	29	47	[56]	41	48	32	29	45	309
41	AUS935	Steve Breaden	37	38	35	[DNF]	50	33	40	37	46	316
42	NED112	Dirk de Ridder	35	25	34	[OCS]	71B	38	28	DNF	20	322
43	AUS827	Neil Caldwell	42	37	45	43	45	[55]	41	34	42	329
44	AUS880	Ian Michie	48	44	49	44	30	[51]	38	44	38	335
45	AUS37	Bruce McArthur	25	[DNF]	48	26	46	39	DNF	DNC	24	350
46	AUS944	Steve Wright	44	[DNF]	64	42	37	35	46	40	48	356
47	AUS90	Pieter-Jan Postman	46	47	53	[61]	38	52	36	41	44	357
48	AUS804	Thomas Stuchbery	55	49	40	46	53	[58]	37	36	58	374
49	AUS9I4	Brad Wicht	[DNF]	43	43	52	55	45	45	50	49	382
50	AUS739	William Pringle	54	[DNF]	57	57	33	49	43	48	56	397
51	AUS668	Brian Cole	58	48	52	53	44	[59]	52	49	54	410
52	AUS950	Robert Griffits	43	42	41	40	56	60	[DNF]	DNC	DNC	424
53	NED888	Jeroen Van Leeuwen	52	[DNF]	59	38	71B	31	DNC	DNC	37	430
54	AUS942	Steven Yarrington	56	53	39	34	54	53	[DNC]	DNC	DNF	431
55	AUS956	Vic Collett	[DNC]	DNC	51	48	36	47	DNC	DNC	39	434
56	AUS48	Ian Johnson	53	50	61	55	51	43	[DNC]	DNC	52	436
57	AUS939	Campbell Miller	41	39	[DNF]	DNC	59	56	58N	56N	60	440
58	AUS802	Konrad Schultz	59	55	[67]	60	64	61	49	45	50	443
59	AUS948	Russ McDonald	60	36	50	62	58	65	[DNC]	DNC	47	449
60	AUS883	Kasey Warr	49	46	42	49	60	66	[DNF]	DNC	DNC	454
61	AUS746	Brett White	51	45	66	51	57	64	[DNC]	DNF	55	460
62	AUS912	Alex Duff	57	56	60	54	47	54	[DNC]	DNC	61	460
63	AUS5	Horst Kopp	62	51	54	45	63	[DNF]	DNC	DNC	51	468
64	AUS941	Julian Jenkins	[DNC]	DNC	55	DNC	52	50	50	DNF	53	473
65	AUS932	Pat Drover	50	52	56	50	[DNC]	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	492
66	AUS76	Dario Valenza	61	[DNC]	62	63	66	63	51	DNF	59	496
67	AUS959	Graham Hiles	64	57	63	58	67	67	[DNC]	DNC	62	509
68	AUS955	John Cootes	63	[DNC]	65	59	62	68	DNC	DNC	57	516
69	AUS765	Mark Griffits	[DNC]	DNC	DNC	DNC	61	57	53	DNF	DNC	526
70	AUS747	Chris Carter	[DNF]	DNC	68	64	65	62	54	DNF	DNC	526