Airlie Beach Race Week - Day 2
by Di Pearson 9 Aug 2015 14:44 BST
7-14 August 2015
Ichi Ban and More Noise lead in thrillers at Airlie Beach Race Week
In a thriller to the finish of two windward/leeward races at Airlie Beach Race Week today, Matt Allen's Ichi Ban has taken the lead in IRC Racing Division 1, while Jason Close scored two more bullets with More Noise in Division 2 for a clean lead.
Matt Allen boarded his freshly purchased TP52 for his first race yesterday, after returning from the Transpac Race in the USA last week. It did not take the Yachting Australia president long to come to grips with his latest Ichi Ban.
In a two-race thriller, he and Ray Roberts' Farr 55, OneSails Racing, literally match raced around the course both times, the two side-by-side on the downwind legs, however Ichi Ban trucked away from her nemesis both times on the run to the finish on the two-lap course sailed in a lovely 10-15 knot breeze.
Roberts came home one place better in the Passage Race yesterday, but Ichi Ban held all the cards today, finishing with a third and a win to OneSails Racings' fifth and second, cutting her opponent out at more than one mark rounding.
Gordon Ketelbey's Farr 40, Zen, won the first race of the day, with Bob Steel's brand new Mat 1180 second. Zen was second in the second race and is now third overall.
Matt Allen said, "In the first race it was a bit more of us trying to work out the mode - I've still got the learners plates on – yesterday was the first time I've steered the boat. We had a couple of gear issues; we're ironing out the little gremlins."
Allen continued, "We've lightened boat up a little bit since I bought it and it has more sail area, so that's why our rating has gone up to match (OneSails Racing)," he said.
The Sydney yachtsman said there was a little bit of geographical shift in the first race of the day. "The wind was shifting right a little going up to first mark and there was a current change between the two races," he said.
Ichi Ban and OneSails Racing ended up bow to bow up first beat on left side of course, the rest of Division 1 went right. The Goat (Bruce Foye/Sebastien Bohm) rounded the windward mark the first time in front of Ichi Ban, as the right side of the course was favoured.
"The two boats are pretty evenly matched, it comes down to how you execute you're your crew work," Allen said of Ichi Ban and Roberts' boat which have exactly the same handicap.
"It's pleasing to do so well and know there's more in the tank – things we can improve; angle heel and all those little things you get used to on a boat that's new to us. When to change rig settings etc."
"Going to Hamilton Island there will be more TP52, so Airlie Beach Race Week has proved a great platform for what is ahead."
Allen acknowledged that tides versus geographical shifts, along with tactics will play a huge role in the rest of the series which will be Passage Races.
In in Division 2, Jason Close is having a field day, adding two more wins to his victory of yesterday. The Sandringham Yacht Club member purchased More Noise, an Archambault 31, 18 months ago and has already won the Club Championship and finished third in Division 3 at the Festival of Sails in January.
Close puts their great performance so far down to a good boat, new sails and "a great team effort. We are all Sandringham Yacht Club sailors and we work really well together. Despite the boat's name, there isn't much noise on the boat," he said.
The yacht is making a lot of noise on the course though, beating the likes of 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner, Wild Rose (Roger Hickman) and noted skiff and yacht champion, Peter Sorensen (The Philosopher's Club).
"Things are coming together quite nicely. I know we do well locally, but I had no idea how we would go against the big names like Wild Rose and Sorro (Sorensen). This is our first time here with the boat, so we're pretty happy," Close said.
"We're a bit smaller than the rest, so we've avoided the argy-bargy at the marks; we come through when that's all over. We try to get a clean start and go for clear air."
Justin Brownbill's Botany Access Cocomo is second overall going into Day 3. The Sydney 36 pulled off two second places today, while Wild Rose, a Farr 43, is third, but on equal points with Brownbill's boat with Sorensen's yacht a further two points in arrears.
Hickman stumped up third in Race 3, despite being involved in an incident at the bottom mark rounding the first time.
Coming in to the mark from the left side, with boats bearing down on the other gybe, Hickman got inside in the nick of time, but then all went wrong when the headsail twisted in three places, leaving Brownbill and Sorensen's boats nowhere to go.
However, all competitors enjoyed great racing as Airlie Beach threw on some great breeze, despite a forecast for light air, on another sunny day.
Morticia leads multis at Airlie Beach Race Week
Multihull favourite, Shaun Carroll's Morticia is holding onto her lead at Airlie Beach Race Week and has firmed as odds on favourite to take the title at Whitsunday Sailing Club's annual regatta.
Skippered by noted sports boat sailor and ocean racer Chris Williams, Morticia, the Lombard 10.5 tri design, played second fiddle to Peter Wilcox's Schionninggforce1500 designed Mojo, today.
Sailing a Passage Race from Pioneer Bay to Grassy Island return, Voodoo beat Morticia to the post by just over two minutes once the handicaps were applied. However, following her win of yesterday, Morticia leads the series by one point, with Mojo second and Andrew Stransky's Fantasia in third.
The fleet started in light air just after 11.00am.
"Instead of sailing the rating game, which we normally do, we've set Morticia up to sail overseas at St Barts and at St Maarten Heineken Week – a few regattas in the med over an 18 month to two year period," Williams said this afternoon.
"Our rating has gone from 983 to 1012 and we're throwing as much horsepower as we can at the boat to be competitive on the world stage," the Sydney sailor said.
Williams has been steering the boat for two years now, but says he is still at novice at multihulls. Nor did he expect them to win here, given the modifications to the boat that have affected its handicap.
"We didn't expect to win here, because we are trying to learn to sail the boat again, we are learning from scratch, it is such a different boat," he said.
Carroll, Williams and the crew will likely leave for the Med after the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race in January.
"It will likely be our last Australian regatta. When we return, Shaun and I will be doing the next Melbourne-Osaka double-handed race – the first time they have included multihulls," Williams said.
Back on Airlie Beach Race Week, Williams said they had a good day yesterday, but things got off on a bad footing today.
"I stuffed up the start, got there a bit late and with the tide going out, crossed the line early, so had to go around the pin and re-start. We fought back well, but the pre-start was an 'oh dear'," he said.
His tip on who will win here at Airlie Beach? "It will come down to Fantasia, Mojo, Morticia and Mad Max. We'll see what happens after two more Passage Races and a day of windward/leewards," Williams said.
"This regatta is a good test for the boat and we once we got over the start, the team settled into the nice breeze of around 11-14 knots."
Event website is www.abrw.com.au and all other information on the Whitsunday Sailing Club website, www.whitsundaysailingclub.com.au