Macquarie Access Worlds at Middle Harbour Yacht Club - Overall
by Di Pearson and Angus Clinton, MHYC media 13 Apr 2012 09:47 BST
7-13 April 2012
Winners announced in single-person classes
A beautiful morning at the Macquarie 2012 Access World Championships, being hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club on Sydney Harbour, but while the warm sun smiled down on the 120 competitors, the wind gods went on strike forcing race officials to abandon racing in the single-person competitions.
Principal Race Officer, Mark Pryke, waited and waited, but there was no alternative, so yesterday’s overall leaders are today’s winners.
Brothers finish top two in Access 2.3 Worlds
A bit of brotherly love and Angus and Duncan MacGregor have finished first and second in the Access 2.3 single-person World Championship. Sixteen year-old Angus from Tinaroo in Queensland has successfully retained his world title in the class, courtesy of four wins, a trio of seconds and a fourth place.
His 22 year-old brother, Duncan, a university student living in Canberra, counted two wins and a trio of seconds in his score. Like his younger brother, he did not stray outside the top five, despite being out of the class for a while because of studies.
Angus, who won the Australian Sailor of the Year with a Disability in 2010, has an enormous amount of talent and a bright future ahead in sailing, if he should pursue that course.
“I wanted to win the title again – so I feel a bit relieved that it’s all over – but it wasn’t a life or death sort of wish,” he said laughing.
Of him and Duncan placing top two, Angus just said, “Yeah, it’s really nice.” For Duncan, “it’s a pretty good feeling.”
Duncan explained: “When you turn up to big world class regattas like this, you don’t know who will be here. There’s always new people, and people from overseas you haven’t raced before, so you never know what the level will be.”
“It would have been good to race today; it’s really light. We’ve had a great mix of weather, which means it doesn’t favour anyone – everyone gets a fair go,” he said.
Angus added: “Actually, if you’re a good sailor, you should be good in all conditions.”
A big supporter of the 2.3 class, Angus said: “This is the original Access boat and I’d like to see the fleet kept strong.”
‘Hydey’ takes gold in the Access Liberty
Greg Hyde, who represented Australia in windsurfing at the 1984 Olympic Games and went on to claim fame in the 16 foot skiff class and in ocean racing, winning the 1993 Sydney Hobart, won five out of eight races in the Access Liberty single-handed class to claim the world title.
Hyde, from Clontarf near Middle Harbour, contracted encephalitis 14 years ago, then had a stroke in 2008, resulting in partial paralysis, short-term memory loss, and speech difficulties, none of which have affected his great skill in tactical racing.
As they say, you can’t keep a good man down, and while many threw down the gauntlet this week, Hyde was not distracted from the task at hand; winning.
Hyde’s nearest rival was Christopher Cook (AUS), a national and international champion who received Ballina Council’s Australia Day award for outstanding work as a volunteer. Cook finished 12 points behind Hyde, with Frenchman, Gerard Eychenne third, a further 13 points away.
Now competition is over, Hyde intends getting back into the 2.4mR Paralympic class with hopes of competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “Winning,” he says, “is a matter of choice. Making the right tactical decisions, going training, staying positive.”
He described the mixed conditions of the week, which included 26, 15 and 6-12 knot winds, as “challenging.” Hyde added, “It has been tactical, definitely, with all the wind shifts and pressure.”
Hyde, who feels fortunate that his health has not affected his sailing ability, said Cook and Eychenne both gave him a run for his money.
Michael Leydon wins Access 303 International title
Able-bodied sailor Michael Leydon (AUS) has claimed the Access 303 international title from Stephen Churm (AUS).
Sydney sailor Churm, whose inclusion in the Australian team for the London Paralympics in the Sonar three-person keelboat will become known on Monday, looked to be in the money. However, Leydon was on a winning streak and Churm could not combat the onslaught of five wins.
“The regatta was fantastic,” Churm said. “It was well-run, the volunteers were terrific, all to the credit of Middle Harbour Yacht Club. Sailing wise, we had everything and the competition has come a long way since I sailed in the class.”
Tasmanian able-bodied sailor, Rodney Viney finished third, and with his Tassie team mates had a fun week at the regatta.
Internationals claim the spoils in the Liberty Servo
New Zealander Helena Horswell has taken out the Liberty single-person Servo International Championship from three Dutch sailors who breathed down her neck all week.
Horswell won by four points over Wilma Van den Broek, with Sefke Jan Holtrop third and Vera Voorbach fourth in a strong Dutch showing.
The Kiwi sailor is the only one competing in the Servo to complete all eight races. She used humour to overcome Tuesday’s winds of up to 26 knots with big gusts to get her through the day, saying: “I laughed at nature, but the heavy winds are hard to operate with the levers,” and cited the competition as being “very high.”
Tonight’s prize giving will be held during the Closing Ceremony at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, followed by an official dinner.
It has been a wonderful event.
Fitzgibbon and Tesch clean up
Three days before they are officially announced as the SKUD 18 crew to represent Australia at the London Paralympic Games, Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch have put their prospective rivals on notice, winning 10 out of 10 races in the international fleet at the Macquarie 2012 Access World Championships, hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club on Sydney Harbour.
Although second placed Ame Barnbrook/Lindsay Mason (AUS) and third placed Tim Dempsey/Jan Apel (NZL) threw everything they could at Fitzgibbon/Tesch, it was to no avail.
Tesch, a high school teacher on the NSW Central Coast, said, “Ame and Lindsay have helped make us better sailors and get us to where we’re going.”
On winning the SKUD International title today, Queenslander Fitzgibbon, the silver medallist skipper at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, said: “This has been great training for us. We’re going to Hyere’s in France for the SKUD Worlds on Monday and this regatta and our result here means we go in ready.”
Barnbrook and Mason came into the final day of the regatta in third place overall, but got closer to their New Zealand competitors yesterday after scoring a pair of second places.
Today, Barnbrook, who is renowned for her starting skills, steered the pair to a further pair of second places to overtake the Kiwis, who are also likely to represent at the London Paralympics.
“We were so close to beating them (Dan and Liesl) at times. One day…. If anyone has a hope of winning for Australia at the Paralympics it’s them,” Barnbrook graciously said.
Of the variable conditions this week, Barnbrook, from Narooma on the NSW south coast, said: “We thrive in 5-15 knots, so it was perfect conditions for us yesterday and today.
“The event has been run really well and the volunteers have been amazing,” she added.
Dempsey and Apel finished third overall. “We know Dan and Liesl are good; we tried to beat them here, believe me,” Apel stated ahead of being announced into the New Zealand team for London.
The Malaysian crew of Al Mustakim Martine and Nurul Amliln Balwi (MAL), also looking to represent at the London Paralympics finished fourth. The skipper said it was important for them to be here and experience the variable conditions. In their own country, they are used to very light breeze.
In the Access 303 two-person class, able-bodied sailors Patricia Ennis and Michael Leydon, a former Paralympic Games coach, were in the enviable position of being unbeatable yesterday and a further second and a win consolidated their new status as world champions.
Defending champions, Zoltan Pegan and his wife Eva MIrcsev (HUN) finished second overall. The harsh conditions of Tuesday were too much for them and many others, and they failed to finish Race 4, which pretty much sealed their fate.
Pegan was also nursing a nasty virus, but with physio from local volunteer, Kate Hogan, Pegan was feeling a little better yesterday and back capitalising on the lighter breezes he and Mircsev excel in.
Today was the same, Pegan and Mircsev revelled in light and shifty breezes, but did not have enough in the tank to overcome the winners.
“I’ve always liked the light conditions, - it’s when I’m at my best,” the former military pilot and expatriate Aussie acknowledged.
The Hungarians, who started the Championship with two victories, also notched up another three, in Races 7, 8 and 9, and finished off the regatta with a second, to leap-frog from third overall to second.
“This was a typical Easter weather regatta and today was such a beautiful day,” he said wistfully.
Mark Thorpe and Bruce James (AUS), who were sitting in second place until today, were pushed back to third overall.
Fujio Unuki and Naoki Maruyama (JPN) were the best placed internationals in fifth overall in this hot fleet.
Tonight's prize giving will be held during the Closing Ceremony at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, followed by an official dinner.
Successful Macquarie 2012 Access World Championships wraps up
An event on the scale of the Macquarie 2012 Access Worlds hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club cannot succeed without the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and staff who have contributed their skills, time, equipment and even homes to make the event an enjoyable experience for the 120 competitors.
Nick Ward, a volunteer working on the race results, really captured the mind-set of those behind the scene when he said that the regatta has been great because “everyone’s happy.”
Many volunteers have gone above and beyond in their efforts. Wendy Bates, for example, has earned the nickname ‘Wendy Will” due to her inclination to do anything that needs doing.
“Every night I’ve been going home and boiling 100 eggs then mashing them with butter to put in sandwiches for the next day,” she explained. This is in addition to her duties as a hospitality volunteer while at the Club which entail: answering a deluge of questions, giving directions, selling sponsor clothing and helping with the daily sausage sizzle.
Competitors raved about the volunteer force – and about the Middle Harbour Yacht Club staff, whom competitors described as “helpful and really friendly – we feel at home here.”
The regatta has experienced “the two ends of the spectrum,” in regards to weather, Gill Attersall said, pointing out that weather this varied is the domain to the truly skilled sailors.
Unfortunately, the heavy weather at the start of the event led to a significant amount of equipment damage. However, everything affected was patched up or replaced, thanks to a delivery of parts from Chris Mitchell, the designer of all the Access boats and the SKUD 18. He had to drive them up all the way from Nowra on Sydney’s south coast.
At the other end of the weather extreme, the single crew competition was cancelled today, the final day of the Championships, due to lack of wind, which was also quite light, but at least sailable, on Thursday.
Even the slower conditions have been a boon to some sailors, allowing them to take advantage of the little wind available.
John Figgures, a member of the International Jury, commented that “you don’t become a good sailor by reading a book,” and that, “every regatta you learn something.”
Both able-bodied and disabled sailors competed in a single event that left some racers slightly nonplussed due to the advantage of those whose upper body strength helped in the heavy weather.
The inclusive nature of the event, though, had a generally positive perception.
David Staley, Access Class Executive Officer, feels that the general view was in keeping with goal of the boats; “To give a platform to compete on an equal playing field.” There is a perception among other sailors that the Access boats are “disabled boats,” Staley said. “Chris (Mitchell) is just about getting people into sailing and giving them a non-threatening first experience.”
Middle Harbour Yacht Club has proven to be more than up to the task of hosting the event, in large part due to the “spectacular volunteers,” Staley stated. There we some concerns about space at the Club, but thanks to the volunteers, these evaporated.
“The whole atmosphere has been wonderful and relaxed”, Staley commented. He said that bigger clubs in Sydney may not have been as “well disposed” toward the nature of the event.
Racing has also gone quite smoothly. Figgures found that there were no more protests than at any other regatta.
There was a small issue with power boats causing trouble for the fleet by not being aware of the impact of their wake on the small Access boats. “Maritime had a quiet word with a couple of boats”, said a wry Figgures.
Sir James Hardy, in his position of Patron for the Macquarie Access World Championships, has been present for the entire week, and is consequently in an ideal position to give a full overview.
Sir James, a speaker at the Opening Ceremony, found the whole event “A-grade... the MC, Errol (of EJP Communications), ran a tight ship,” he said. Sir James was also impressed by the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, “speaking from the heart.”
An outstanding sailor himself, Sir James found the competitors “dauntless with amazing spirit,” and said that they had given him a “serious education.”
The Sydney-based yachtsman has also been helping out in his own way; taking out volunteers, sailors and spectators on his famous wooden yacht, Nerida, to watch racing.
Sir James lived up to that charge of his Freemasons Lodge, a sponsor of the event. “Living in the design of happiness and conferring it to others,” being generous with his time, yacht and food. When asked about his opinion of Middle Harbour Yacht Club as a venue he simply said: “Full credit to Middle Harbour Yacht Club Commodore, Julie Hodder. Julie contacted me a year ago to be Patron of the regatta and the preparation has gone on that long.”
Commodore Hodder described the Macquarie 2012 Access World Championships as “bigger than Ben Hur.” She said that the event could not have been a success without the help of over 300 volunteers; particularly Glynn Attersall, Wolfgang Kullik and Trevor D’Alton.
The Commodore noted that some of the volunteers are essentially permanent, working once a week at Middle Harbour Yacht Club reception. At this point, Liz Folkard, one of the many volunteer, commented “Julie’s too modest; they do it because they love her.”
The Worlds have been a godsend for Middle Harbour Yacht Club too. Not only due to increasing visibility of the Club as a whole, but also through the friendships formed with local, national and international supporters such as: Middle Harbour Skiff Club, Manly Sailability and Sailability in general, the Access Association, Mosman Council and the Macquarie Group Foundation. The last of which is credited with providing more volunteers.
For full results, photos and more, go to the official website: www.2012accessworlds.mhyc.com.au