Macquarie Access Worlds at Middle Harbour Yacht Club - Day 2
by Di Pearson, MHYC media 10 Apr 2012 10:32 BST
7-13 April 2012
Competitors handle hairy conditions
Competitors got a taste of some serious wind and cold today, what sailors call “fresh to frightening,” as an increasingly strong south-easterly made the temperature plummet to 17 degrees at midday, the coldest day on record for seven months as racing continued at the Macquarie 2012 Access World Championships being hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club on Sydney Harbour.
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“This is why we sail,” said Liesl Tesch of winds that peaked at around 20 knots with gusts. Sailing with skipper, Beijing Paralympic silver medallist Dan Fitzgibbon, the Australian crew added a further two wins to their perfect score of two victories yesterday, to lead the SKUD 18 class.
After two days of racing, the Australians lead the New Zealand team of Tim Dempsey and Jan Apel by six points. Both teams are waiting on confirmation of London Paralympic selection and are using the Macquarie Access Worlds for serious training.
The Kiwis, who also enjoy big winds, pulled a pair of second places out of the bag, but as Apel said: “We’re here to try and win.
“The idea is to beat Dan and Liesl – we like the idea of it – but we haven’t sailed against them much, so we’ll see,” the retired school teacher said. “We’re really enjoying the event; it’s a really good set-up and the volunteers are really friendly and helpful,” she said.
Volunteers from MHYC, the Macquarie Group Foundation, HMAS Penguin, NSW Maritime and Marine Rescue were on the beach and at Middle Harbour Yacht Club to help get competitors boats on the water and ashore again following racing and on the water assisting with safety and race management.
First up, they assisted two-person classes; the SKUD 18 and Access 303 to get on the water for the first session starting at 11.00am this morning, all of whom are very appreciative.
Patricia Ennis (AUS) and former world champion and Paralympic coach Michael Leydon have taken over the lead from reigning world champions Zoltan Pegan and Eva Mircsev (HUN) in the two-person Access 303 class today, scoring a third place and a win.
After finishing sixth in the first race of the day, the Hungarians felt the conditions were too much and retired from Race 4, dropping them down to fourth overall. Pegan is also unwell, having arrived at the Championships with a virus. A number of others also retired from Race 4, finding the going too tough.
With four races away, Ennis/Leydon now lead G’rard Eychenne/Andrew Jager from France and Wayne Crabb/Bob Schahinger (AUS).
“It was great top-end conditions,” said Leydon, an able-bodied sailor from the ACT. “I’m proud we started and it’s a testament to the class and the amount of ability in it,” he added.
Leydon admitted that despite the high winds, “we sailed with a full main – we would have been better off to reef like most the others did – they had better control of their boats.
“We were bow down in the gusts and there were these little fronts that kept coming through,” he said.
Lister Hughes, an international jury member at the Worlds, was on the water for the two races. “I thought they all sailed exceptionally well,” he said. “The wind was very up and down, mostly between 10 and 20 knots. The competitors were outstanding; I admire them,” he said.
This afternoon, the single-person classes started their racing session just after 2.00pm. Although the wind appeared to have died down a little, the gusts kept sweeping the course area near Balmoral. On the Harbour proper, gusts of up to 39 knots were recorded.
Crews continue to tough it out in strong winds Macquarie 2012 Access World Championships
Conditions tested all at the Macquarie 2012 Access World Championships being hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club on Sydney Harbour this afternoon, when all the single-person classes hit the water for the 2.00pm session and only the fittest survived strong winds to finish two races.
Rodney Viney from Tasmania, who won Race 4 in the 303 single-person, commented after racing: “It was extreme conditions, so the attrition rate was high. A lot of boats filled with water, so there was a lot of bailing going on.”
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Viney, an able-bodied sailor and member of Sailability Tasmania, admitted though, “Being from Tasmania we’re probably a bit more used to this sort of wind, which gave us an advantage.”
Only Stephen Churm (NSW), who is on the verge of being chosen to represent Australia at the London Paralympics in the Sonar three-person keelboat, is ahead of Viney on the podium, after he too clocked up a win in Race 3, with a second place in Race 4.
In the Access 2.3 class, young Angus MacGregor has moved to the top of the standings. The 2010 Australian Sailor of the Year with a Disability and reigning champion in the class, did not let a boat full of water stop him from performing.
The 16 year-old from Tinaroo in Queensland, came ashore all smiles, despite being drenched through. “Yep, I did a lot of bailing today,” he confirmed. “It was very tricky sailing, but a lot of fun,” he said.
According to officials on the course, winds reached the mid 20 knot range and oscillated between south and south-east this afternoon, making it a difficult day’s racing for all. The chill factor was severe and competitors welcomed a hot shower and a barbecue back at Middle Harbour Yacht Club after racing.
Angus’ older brother Duncan broke rope attached to a fitting on his boom in Race 4, but, he said: “funnily enough, it turned out to be my best race – I finished second.” That result puts him in third place overall, two places behind his brother.
Koji Harada from Japan also had a brilliant day in the Access 2.3, with a Race 3 win. Although he finished sixth in Race 4, it was good enough for fourth place overall. “Fortunately we did not have any troubles in the big wind – some people broke things and others had their boats full off water. I am happy to win,” said Harada, who comes from Enoshima.
Meanwhile, Brendan Tourelle from New Zealand is leading the Access Liberty single-person class, even though he did not figure in the top two places today. Race 3 went to Christopher Cook (AUS) who led the series coming into today, while Race 4 went to Akko Van der Veen from The Netherlands.
With a number of protests in the pipeline, requests for redress and some discrepancies in finishing places, some results may change by late tonight and early tomorrow morning.
Racing continues from 11.00am off Middle Harbour Yacht Club tomorrow.
For full results, photos and more, go to the official website.