ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship: Chew leads after day 1

8:32 AM Fri 8 Jun 2012 GMT

'Matthew Chew sails into the lead ADCO Australasian Winter Etchells Championships' ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Media

Under grey skies the 2012 ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship fleet sailed up the Mooloolah River this morning for race 1 of the series.

With the breeze blowing at 12 to 15 knots and with occasional offshore squalls, the Race Committee set the course at 180, with leg lengths of 1.5 nautical miles, in overcast conditions and a confused seaway.

Race 1 started in around 16-17 knots after a squirt pressure just before the gun.

In a clean start, quite unusual for the first race of the championship, Peter McNeill (Iris 111) started on the pin with Todd Trevillion (3 Gone Missing), Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) and World Champion Tom King (Iron Lotus) next up. Then came Philip Coombs (J for Jig), John Warlow (Le Grande Coq) and class president Jake Gunther (The Boat).

There appeared to be more pressure on the left of the course as half the fleet tacked to port. McNeill led with Bulka and King close behind.

In 15 knots, Gunther was the most left hand boat on the course as the fleet tacked towards the top mark for the first time. Boats mid course seemed to be gaining the most in a now flattening seaway.

Around the top mark coming in from the left on port tack Bulka led from Graeme Taylor (Magpie) and King. King had sailed inside Bulka across to the clearing mark, Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) and Colin Beashel (North Star) followed.

McNeill had lost a lot of ground. Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) followed him, then came Mark Johnson (Roulette) and James Chilman (The Boat That Rocked).

Conditions were improving with the boats surfing downwind making big gains on the waves.

Bulka was holding the lead from Taylor with the familiar red kite of King's Iron Lotus next, followed by Chew and Beashel.

At the bottom mark Bulka rounded well clear of the fleet. Taylor was second, King third, then Chew and Beashel. Thornburrow made gains to be next, then came early race leader McNeill and Chilman, with Jeanne-Claude Strong's Yandoo XX pulling up to ninth. Gary Smith's Tusk completed the top ten.

David Rose (This Will Make Her Scream), the winner of the first Etchells Mid-Winter championship, ruined his chances of a repeat performance when the spinnaker halyard caught around the boom and the spinnaker went into the water. Ten minutes later the crew were still trying to drag the spinnaker aboard. His two crew went for a rather chilly swim but Rose was still smiling. (Dockside Rose reported the whole prawn catch was lost as they had to cut the spinnaker away).

At the mark, Bulka led Taylor with King closing.

As they sailed to the finish the breeze had dropped to about 12-14 knots.

Taylor held a four boat length lead. Bulka, King and Chew were three abreast, with Chew sailing through King and into third after catching a good wave.

With the finish line it sight, the minor placings were all about which boat 'surfed' best in the conditions.

Graeme Taylor led Mark Bulka and Matthew Chew, with a tenacious Tom King hot on Chew's stern.

Graeme Taylor (GT - Magpie) surfed across the line just one length ahead of Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) with Tom King (Iron Lotus) regaining third, just one length further back.

Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) was fourth, a great result for the first season skipper in such great company.

Mark Johnson (Roulette) finished strongly to take fifth, Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) was sixth and Jeanne-Claude Strong (Yandoo XX) gained places to finish seventh. Peter McNeill (Iris 111) and James Chilman (The Boat That Rocked) followed.

Graeme Taylor said 'It was very close and it could have gone any way. It all came down to those last few waves.'

Magpie crew Steven 'Mothie' Jarvin was smiling after their win. 'We protected the right from the top mark and that helped.'

Race 2 of the series got underway as the sun shone through the clouds and conditions eased. The Race Committee set two and a half legs, with an upwind finish near Point Cartwright.

In around 13-14 knots, Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) started on the pin and got away nicely from Mark Thornburrow (Racer X), Colin Beashel (North Star), Todd Trevillion (3 Gone Missing) and Dean Blatchford (Echo Beach).

Bulka extended his lead as the entire fleet went left from the start. This was the case for nearly five minutes until the backmarkers, sucking too much gas, finally started to turn away.

Bulka tacked well ahead, crossing the entire fleet to the inside of the course. Thornburrow followed but Thornburrow had to take a big duck behind Beashel.

Tom King (10) and Mark Thornburrow (11) ADCO Australasian Winters - ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Media

By the top mark however, Bulka was just one length ahead of Peter McNeill (Iris 11I) who had moved into second, ahead of Philip Coombs (J for Jig) and Graeme Taylor (Magpie). Tom King (Iron Lotus) followed, then Beashel, Thornburrow and Mark Johnson (Roulette).

Conditions were easing further and the sun was shining as the fleet headed down the first run.

At the top mark for the second time Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) was 1 min 20 seconds ahead of Bulka. Then came Beashel, Chris Hampton (Tango 1990), Thornburrow and Graeme Taylor (Magpie), while Tom King (Iron Lotus) had dropped back to tenth place.

Colin Beashel ADCO Australasian Winters Etchells Championships 2012 - ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Media

It was an impressive win for Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) from Colin Beashel (North Star), who sailed into second on the last beat.

Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) held on to take third from Mark Thornburrow (Racer X), then Mark Johnson (Roulette), Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990), Jean-Claude Strong (Yandoo XX), Tom King (Iron Lotus) and Graeme Taylor (33).

Colin Beashel said 'Pretty cold, confused seas. A bit of fun down wind, all in all a good day.'

Mark Thornburrow was philosophical. 'We made a few mistakes but we hung in there and got some consistent results. Overall a great day's sailing.'

After two races at the 2012 ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship, Brisbane sailor Matthew Chew and his Gen X Y crew Ashley Deeks, Paul Wyatt and Brian Donovan (4,1) lead the regatta overall on count back from Mark Bulka on Perfect Balance (2,3). Colin Beashel, North Star (5,2) is third, Hong Kong sailor Mark Thornburrow, Racer X (6,4) fourth with Graeme (GT) Taylor, Magpie (1,10) fifth.

Matthew Chew, part of the 2009 Etchells World Champion crew was a happy skipper. 'The conditions seem quite similar to those off Pittwater (NSW) so we were comfortable.

'In the first race we had a good start but had the brace come off our spinnaker and we hung in there for a fourth.

'In second race we went left, won our side and it turned out to be the favoured side. For a new crew and new skipper we are definitely ahead of schedule.'

Racing at the ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship continues tomorrow, Saturday and concludes on Sunday.

Graeme Taylor leads Race 1 ADCO Mooloolaba Etchells Australasians - ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Media

Mooloolaba Etchells Fleet Inc.
ADCO Australasian Winter Championship 2012
7th June to 10th June 2012
All Boats
Series Summary
Pl	B#	Crew	From	1	2	Tot
1	17	Matthew Chew, Ashley Deeks, Brian Donavan &amp; Paul Wyatt	Brisbane	4	1	5
2	27	Mark Bulka, James Arnold &amp; Steve Young	Melbourne	2	3	5
3	12	Colin Beashel, Richard Allanson &amp; Garry Gudmunson	Sydney	5	2	7
4	11	Mark Thornburrow, Simon Cooke, Sam Sakai &amp; Bucky Smith	Hong Kong	6	4	10
5	33	Graeme Taylor, Steve Jarvin &amp; Ben Morrison-Jack	Mornington	1	10	11
6	10	Tom King, David Edwards, Ivan Wheen &amp; Owen McMahon	Sydney	3	8	11
7	02	Mark Johnson, Christian Brook &amp; Nikolas Burfoot	Sydney	9	5	14
8	24	Jeanne-Claude Strong, Tiana Wittey, Neville Wittey &amp; Marcus Burke	Sydney	7	7	14
9	20	Peter McNeill, Simon Reffold &amp; David Gleadhill	Lake Macquarie	8	9	17
10	06	Christopher Hampton, Matthew Johns &amp; Sam Haines	Melbourne	17	6	23
11	15	Ross Lloyd, Matthew Turner &amp; Peter Williams	Melbourne	11	12	23
12	16	Philip Coombs, Stuart Schafer &amp; David Eickmeyer	Melbourne	15	13	28
13	34	Jake Gunther, Tony McPhail &amp; Stuart Skeggs	Melbourne	12	18	30
14	09	David Clark, John Collingwood &amp; Andrew Smith	Melbourne	14	17	31
15	39	Gary Smith, Michael McAullay &amp; Andrew McAullay	Swan River	16	15	31
16	37	James Chilman, Stephen Girdis &amp; Gary Van Lunteren	Brisbane	10	22	32
17	23	Graeme Alexander, Errol Candy &amp; Chris Jackson	Mornimgton	21	11	32
18	03	Roger Hickman, Kate Besley, Daniel Williams &amp; Daniel Morrow	Sydney	13	21	34
19	05	Dirk Van Der Struyf, Graeme Johnson &amp; Richard Rowell	Swan River	25	14	39
20	21	Dean Blatchford, Greg Torpy &amp; Keith Jensen	Lake Macquarie	20	20	40
21	28	Noel Paterson, Sarah Board, Mark Buchbach &amp; Hamish Crossan	Brisbane	18	23	41
22	13	John Warlow, Craig Alcock &amp; Bradley Ginniven	Brisbane	26	19	45
23	35	Mark Sanders, James Howarth &amp; Scott McInally	Gold Coast	19	26	45
24	29	David Turton, David Biggar &amp; Shayne Farnell	Mooloolaba	31	16	47
25	25	Trevor Martin, Paul Braithwaite &amp; Darrell Civic	Mooloolaba	22	30	52
26	01	Michael Stovin-Bradford, Andrew Gordon &amp; Keith Short	Sydney	30	25	55
27	04	Peter Coleman, Iain Gartley &amp; Wayne Dixon	Melbourne	28	27	55
28	31	Paul Minter, Glen Thomson &amp; John Minter	Cronulla	24	32	56
29	08	David Healey, James Hallam, Timothy Robba &amp; Jennifer Skeahan	Brisbane	27	29	56
30	30	Gregory Forgan-Smith, Bruce Pitt, Ludvig Bengtsson &amp; Stuart Lorimer	Gold Coast	32	28	60
31	26	Todd Trevillion, Roger Gain &amp; David Ritchard	Sydney	29	31	60
32	14	Ian Anderson, Joshua Willis &amp; Robin Braender	Swan River	23	40\DNC	63
33	22	David Rose, Josh Torpy &amp; Edward Cowan	Brisbane	40\DNF	24	64
34	18	Jack Ellis, David Buckland &amp; Luke Cable	Melbourne	33	33	66
35	32	Stephen Toms, David Smith &amp; Patrick Largier	Brisbane	34	34	68
36	38	Hayes Michael, James Dagge &amp; Liam Hayes	Brisbane	35	35	70
37	19	Glenn Norton, Brett Heath, Peter Rattray &amp; Richard Hodgson	Melbourne	40\DNF	40\DNC	80T
37	36	Grant Chipperfield, Fenge Shave &amp; Ross Wade	Melbourne	40\DNF	40\DNC	80T
37	07	Mal Blom, Toby Abbot &amp; Iain Davidson	Melbourne	40\DNF	40\DNC	80T