5:21 AM Sat 9 Jun 2012 GMT
On day 2 of the ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship competitors were presented conditions similar to those of yesterday, with the effects of the recent East Coast low still evident.
The Race Committee set the off shore course at 170, with 1.8 nautical mile leg lengths under threatening clouds and in a confused seaway.
The Start boat was positioned just on the outer edge of the Inner Gneering shoals where two currents meet, testing the sailors skills in the short chop.
The fleet went into sequence for the first start of the day. With a solid rain squall to the north of the course and sun shining through the clouds, racing commenced for race 3 of the series.
It was a clean start. Graeme Taylor (Magpie) started midline while the rest of the top contenders started down the line, around mid pin.
Three quarters of the way up the first beat Taylor led World Champion Tom King (Iron Lotus). Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) was coming in from the right and looking good. He crossed King handsomely by at least three and a half lengths.
While the sun shone over Mooloolaba, there were storm cells to south and north of the course and the breeze, although approximately 15 knots, was moving around quite markedly.
It was close at the top mark. Taylor rounded ahead of Thornburrow, with current series leader Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) moving up into third ahead of King. Peter McNeill (Iris 111) was next, followed by David Healey (Rapscallion), David Rose (This Will Make Her Scream), Roger Hickman (Sun Tzu), Grant Chipperfield (Dark Joker) and Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990).
The breeze continued to build, hitting 20 knots as the fleet reached the top mark for the second time.
In rain and wild conditions Taylor rounded first, ahead of second placed Thornburrow with Chew further back in third and McNeill fourth.
As they headed towards the finish, surfing skills came into play.
Magpie, with keen surfer Ben Morrison-Jack as her bowman, extended down the run doubling their lead to some twenty lengths on the fleet.
Graeme Taylor and his crew surfed away to take the win. Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) was second while Peter McNeill Iris 111) made up considerable ground to cross in third. Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) was fourth, Tom King fifth, followed by Jean-Claude Strong (Yandoo XX), Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990), Philip Coombs (J for Jig), Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) and David Turton (Harold Holt).
Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) retained his overall lead at the 2012 ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship. Graeme Taylor (Magpie) was three points behind, tied with Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) but leading on count back.
Mark Johnson (Roulette) and local Mooloolaba Fleet Captain Trevor Martin (Butterfly Effect) retired from race 3, Johnson having broken his carbon tiller extension, when he fell in a tack.
However both skippers lined up for race 4 of the series.
As the fleet went into sequence, both the breeze and sea state were building.
The wind was averaging 22 knots but heading towards 25 and the seaway, although increasing, was from the south and more consistent. Blue sky was appearing as the Race Committee signalled Course 1 with 2.5 nautical mile leg lengths, finishing upwind off Point Cartwright.
On the pin Peter McNeill (Iris 111) got away well, as did David Clark (Dawn Raid) and Graeme Alexander (Smile N Wave). Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) was best placed, fourth up from the pin, high and fast.
Tom King (Iron Lotus) was squeezed out on the line and had to go around. As a result he was badly buried at the back of the fleet. King was seen crossing the sterns of the entire fleet.
Boats were launching off waves as the seas again became lumpy and the wind further increased.
By the top mark Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990) had moved into the lead, ahead of McNeill with Thornburrow third. Chew rounded fourth, then Mark Bulka (Perfect Balance) ahead of Clark and Dean Blatchford (Echo Beach). Race 3 winner Graeme Taylor (Magpie) was back in 13th.
Former Class president Noel Paterson (Waterloo Bay) hit the mark after coming in from port, stalled he could not penetrate the starboard lay line wall for aeons then had to complete his circles. The error cost him dearly and he dropped around 20 places.
Tom King was buried deep in the fleet. However Colin Beashel (North Star) was even further back.
As fleet reached the top mark for the second time, McNeill held a comfortable lead over Thornburrow and Chew. Clark was fourth round, Hampton next with Blatchford and Mark Johnson (Roulette) following. Taylor was 12th, with Tom King outside the top twenty.
By this time Mark Sanders (Rebound) and Todd Trevillion (3 Gone Missing) had retired from race 4.
A big squall went round the fleet and up to the north side. McNeill was caught on the wrong side of the squall, got out of phase and lost his lead.
Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) crossed the line first, followed by Matthew Chew (Gen X Y ), with McNeill managing to hang onto third.
Thornburrow commented 'We had two good races today. It was very tough - windy, but our boat handing was good with no mistakes and we went right way.
'We'd expect 25 knots, like it was at the end of today. We are enjoying it but it's a bit cold.'
Peter McNeill said 'We're Grand Masters and it was a tough sea and pretty bumpy. We were going quite well and we had some good speed downwind, but lost the lead in last lap.
'Mark and Chewy went right from the bottom mark. We thought left would work on the last beat but it did not, so that did not do us any favours.
'But being an old Pittwater boy, I do not mind the chop at all.'
David Clark (Dawn Raid) was fourth, Christopher Hampton (Tango 1990) fifth, Mark Johnson (Roulette) sixth, with Jake Gunther (The Boat), Graeme Taylor (Magpie) and a fast finishing Tom King (Iron Lotus) next.
Dockside Tom King said 'It was not our day. Getting closed out at the pin in the last race was not pretty.
'Matt Chew has been working hardest and it shows.
'Good rides and good racing - that's what we came for!'
Graeme Taylor explained his 'loss of form' in race 4.
'We had two sailing gloves in our pump in the race 4. We did the whole second beat with MJ (Ben Morrison-Jack) in the boat bailing, because we were sinking.
'We did the whole second run with 'Mothie' (Steve Jarvin) having the pump in bits. So we were two up and amazed to finish eighth actually.'
With a 4, 2 result today Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) and crew, Ashley Deeks, Brian Donovan and Paul Wyatt, retain the lead at the 2012 ADCO Etchells Australasian Winter Championship. They are two points ahead of Hong Kong sailor Mark Thornburrow (Racer X) with Graeme (GT) Taylor (Magpie) third.
Matthew Chew (Gen X Y) said dockside 'It was pretty windy and waves were choppy. We had good boat handling and that helped.
'We were getting good starts midline, conservatively going the favoured way and it worked out well for us.
'We are just going to hold on harder if it gets windier.
'We are leading but we are here to race, so bring it on!'
Racing concludes tomorrow, Sunday 10 June, with two races scheduled to complete the series. The first warning signal will sound no earlier than 10am.
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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
|
3
|
4
|
Tot
|
1
|
17
|
Matthew Chew, Ashley Deeks, Brian Donavan & Paul Wyatt
|
Brisbane
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
2
|
11
|
2
|
11
|
Mark Thornburrow, Simon Cooke, Sam Sakai & Bucky Smith
|
Hong Kong
|
6
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
13
|
3
|
33
|
Graeme Taylor, Steve Jarvin & Ben Morrison-Jack
|
Mornington
|
1
|
10
|
1
|
8
|
20
|
4
|
20
|
Peter McNeill, Simon Reffold & David Gleadhill
|
Lake Macquarie
|
8
|
9
|
3
|
3
|
23
|
5
|
27
|
Mark Bulka, James Arnold & Steve Young
|
Melbourne
|
2
|
3
|
9
|
11
|
25
|
6
|
10
|
Tom King, David Edwards, Ivan Wheen & Owen McMahon
|
Sydney
|
3
|
8
|
5
|
9
|
25
|
7
|
12
|
Colin Beashel, Richard Allanson & Garry Gudmunson
|
Sydney
|
5
|
2
|
14
|
13
|
34
|
8
|
06
|
Christopher Hampton, Matthew Johns & Sam Haines
|
Melbourne
|
17
|
6
|
7
|
5
|
35
|
9
|
24
|
Jeanne-Claude Strong, Tiana Wittey, Neville Wittey & Marcus Burke
|
Sydney
|
7
|
7
|
6
|
24
|
44
|
10
|
09
|
David Clark, John Collingwood & Andrew Smith
|
Melbourne
|
14
|
17
|
11
|
4
|
46
|
11
|
15
|
Ross Lloyd, Matthew Turner & Peter Williams
|
Melbourne
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
12
|
48
|
12
|
34
|
Jake Gunther, Tony McPhail & Stuart Skeggs
|
Melbourne
|
12
|
18
|
16
|
7
|
53
|
13
|
16
|
Philip Coombs, Stuart Schafer & David Eickmeyer
|
Melbourne
|
15
|
13
|
8
|
19
|
55
|
14
|
02
|
Mark Johnson, Christian Brook & Nikolas Bu
rfoot
|
Sydney
|
9
|
5
|
40\DNF
|
6
|
60
|
15
|
03
|
Roger Hickman, Kate Besley, Daniel Williams & Daniel Morrow
|
Sydney
|
13
|
21
|
15
|
20
|
69
|
16
|
23
|
Graeme Alexander, Errol Candy & Chris Jackson
|
Mornimgton
|
21
|
11
|
20
|
18
|
70
|
17
|
21
|
Dean Blatchford, Greg Torpy & Keith Jensen
|
Lake Macquarie
|
20
|
20
|
24
|
10
|
74
|
18
|
05
|
Dirk Van Der Struyf, Graeme Johnson & Richard Rowell
|
Swan River
|
25
|
14
|
21
|
15
|
75
|
19
|
13
|
John Warlow, Craig Alcock & Bradley Ginniven
|
Brisbane
|
26
|
19
|
19
|
14
|
78
|
20
|
37
|
James Chilman, Stephen Girdis & Gary Van Lunteren
|
Brisbane
|
10
|
22
|
22
|
26
|
80
|
21
|
29
|
David Turton, David Biggar & Shayne Farnell
|
Mooloolaba
|
31
|
16
|
10
|
28
|
85
|
22
|
28
|
Noel Paterson, Sarah Board, Mark Buchbach & Hamish Crossan
|
Brisbane
|
18
|
23
|
25
|
25
|
91
|
23
|
04
|
Peter Coleman, Iain Gartley & Wayne Dixon
|
Melbourne
|
28
|
27
|
23
|
17
|
95
|
24
|
08
|
David Healey, James Hallam, Timothy Robba & Jennifer Skeahan
|
Brisbane
|
27
|
30
|
17
|
22
|
96
|
25
|
39
|
Gary Smith, Michael McAullay & Andrew McAullay
|
Swan River
|
16
|
15
|
26
|
40\DNF
|
97
|
26
|
22
|
David Rose, Josh Torpy & Edward Cowan
|
Brisbane
|
40\DNF
|
24
|
12
|
23
|
99
|
27
|
14
|
Ian Anderson, Joshua Willis & Robin Braender
|
Swan River
|
23
|
29
|
33
|
16
|
101
|
28
|
01
|
Michael Stovin-Bradford, Andrew Gordon & Keith Short
|
Sydney
|
30
|
25
|
18
|
29
|
102
|
29
|
31
|
Paul Minter, Glen Thomson & John Minter
|
Cronulla
|
24
|
33
|
27
|
21
|
105
|
30
|
25
|
Trevor Martin, Paul Braithwaite & Darrell Civic
|
Mooloolaba
|
22
|
31
|
30
|
27
|
110
|
31
|
35
|
Mark Sanders, James Howarth & Scott McInally
|
Gold Coast
|
19
|
26
|
29
|
40\DNF
|
114
|
32
|
18
|
Jack Ellis, David Buckland & Luke Cable
|
Melbourne
|
33
|
34
|
31
|
32
|
130
|
33
|
30
|
Gregory Forgan-Smith, Bruce Pitt, Ludvig Bengtsson & Stuart Lorimer
|
Gold Coast
|
32
|
28
|
32
|
40\DNC
|
132
|
34
|
36
|
Grant Chipperfield, Fenge Shave & Ross Wade
|
Melbourne
|
40\DNF
|
40\DNC
|
28
|
30
|
138
|
35
|
38
|
Hayes Michael, James Dagge & Liam Hayes
|
Brisbane
|
35
|
36
|
37
|
31
|
139
|
36
|
26
|
Todd Trevillion, Roger Gain & David Ritchard
|
Sydney
|
29
|
32
|
40\DNF
|
40\DNF
|
141
|
37
|
32
|
Stephen Toms, David Smith & Patrick Largier
|
Brisbane
|
34
|
35
|
34
|
40\DNF
|
143
|
38
|
07
|
Mal Blom, Toby Abbot & Iain Davidson
|
Melbourne
|
40\DNF
|
40\DNC
|
35
|
40\DNF
|
155
|
39
|
19
|
Glenn Norton, Brett Heath, Peter Rattray & Richard Hodgson
|
Melbourne
|
40\DNF
|
40\DNC
|
36
|
40\DNF
|
156
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Event website
www.mooetchells.yachting.org.au/
by ADCO Etchells Australasian Winters media
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