7:14 AM Sat 20 Mar 2010 GMT
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'K2 leads the fleet by the smallest of margins with Rumbo a close second. - 2010 Farr 30 Australian Championship'
Tom Spithill
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It was a long day on the water for the fleet contesting the FARR 30 Australian Championship, hosted by the RPAYC, with racing postponed for some time today due to no wind. However, there were certainly not many better places to be as the fleet sat off iconic Palm Beach for the better part of the day waiting for the breeze to fill in.
Only three-quarters of one race was completed today being race five of the 12 race series.
Race five started off in a light six knot easterly as the wind tried to fill in. The boats that elected to take the left hand side up the beat were rewarded with a little more breeze. At the top mark it was a familiar sight with Bruce Eddington's 'K2' slipping into first place at the top mark with 'Rumbo' only a boat length behind. Chtris Tyquin's 'Goa' from the RQYS continued his consistency from yesterday sitting third in the pack at this stage of the race with current National Champion Guy Stenning 'Optimumm' out of contention.
On the downwind leg 'Optimumm' opted for an asymmetrical spinnaker in an attempt to claw their way back to the pack. The rest of the fleet elected to use symmetrical spinnakers on the downhill run.
At the bottom mark,' K2' still held its lead over 'Goa' and 'Rumbo' but conditions only deteriorated on the last upwind with the breeze softening forcing Race Officer Ted Anderson to shorten the course at the top mark. Over the line, it was the same three as at the bottom mark with 'K2' winning from 'Goa' and 'Rumbo' in third.
With 'Optimumm' picking up a fifth placing today Stenning traded places with Tyquin on the overall pointscore which reads:
K2 Bruce Eddington 7 Points
GOA Chris Tyquin 12 Points
Optimumm Guy Stening 13 Points
Italian Job Lewis Perrin 25 Points
Rumbo Clark Holbert 27 Points
Synergy Alex Douglas 30 Points
Asterix Colin Loel 32 Points
Don't Tell Mumm Garry Hobson 34 Points
Racing will continue tomorrow with the bureau forecating W/NW 8/13 knots at first, increasing N/NE 15/20 knots. RO Ted Anderson will attempt to get as many races in as possible before the 2010 Australian FARR 30 Champion is crowned back at the host Club, the RPAYC.
The competitors will enjoy a fantastic and entertaining night at the RPAYC tonight with MC Rob Brown, OAM and guests of honour James Spithill and Grant Simmer, OAM there to celebrate with fellow Club members their achievements in AC 33 and to acknowledge James' victory as skipper on BMW Oracle and Grant Simmer's involvement as design co-ordinator with Team Alinghi and of course his 7 AC campaigns and 3 victories of the Cup in 1983, 2003 and 2007.
This is the first time leaders of the two teams discuss the Cup together in an open public forum since Brad Butterworth and Russell Coutts both joined a Cup forum in Monaco last December.
They will take to the stage to talk about their insights and experiences in AC 33 in Valencia. Along with their personal experiences will be some sensational audio visual material on the big screens of these amazing boats in their battle to win the most esteemed trophy in yachting, the America's Cup.
by Tom Spithill and Damian Devine
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