3:37 AM Thu 24 Sep 2009 GMT
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'Reece (RSYS - grey spinnaker) and Mackenzie (CYCA - black spinnaker) racing in Sandringham Yacht Club’s Beneteau 7.5s - Australian Youth Match Racing Championship 2009'
Pam Scrivenor
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The weather in Melbourne caused headaches for the Race Committee on the final day of the Australian Youth Match Racing Championship at Sandringham Yacht Club yesterday. After losing a day of competition on Saturday, due to 30 knot northerly winds, the Race Officer John Middleton called all competitors to an early start on the final day in an effort to get through the remainder of the program.
With all competitors out on the water at 8.30am, racing commenced at 9.30am and the last three flights of the round robins were completed. Jordan Reece (RSYS) took the first race from Will Mackenzie (CYCA) who was undefeated so far in the regatta. The round robins were completed with Mackenzie finishing on top with only one loss and Jay Griffin (CYCA), Jordan Reece (RSYS) and Jason Waterhouse (RPAYC) making up the top four. Mackenzie chose to face Waterhouse in the semi finals, leaving Griffin and Reece to sail off for the other finals position. Both Mackenzie and Griffin won through with 2-0 score lines leaving Reece and Waterhouse to sail off in the petit final.
In conjunction with the semi finals, the sail-off for places five and six went to a decider between the two Sandringham Yacht Club teams skippered by Stephanie Strong and Jarrod Tuma. With scores at one all, the decider saw Strong take the lead from Tuma at the final windward mark only to have her spinnaker work let her down on the final run, allowing Tuma to take the race and fifth place by two boat lengths. Both SYC teams, sailed strongly on the final day, improving their match racing skills against their NSW counterparts over the two days of competition.
It was then down to the finals and a big crowd had gathered in the spectacular new SYC clubhouse to watch the action. Claire Hunting who recently competed in the compasscard Australian Women's Match Racing Championship in Sydney, covered the action on the water. She explained the blow by blow intricacies of match racing and with the course set only 50 metres out from the sea wall, the club provided the perfect viewing platform.
The northerly breeze which had been trying to go south east all morning decided that this was the time to drop out and with the first race well underway between Reece and Waterhouse, the second start between Mackenzie and Griffin was abandoned. Reece won his race convincingly against Waterhouse. With the south easterly finally established, the first race of the finals got underway. Griffin upset Mackenzie's run by sailing the shifts better than his opposition, taking the race by six boat lengths. In the petit final, Reece took his second win in a much closer race and confirmed his third place for the championship. Mackenzie then got one back on Griffin, by less than a boat length, making the scores one each in the final. With the finals reduced to best of three, the next race would be the decider.
Mackenzie led Griffin off the start line and they split tacks immediately with Mackenzie getting the best of the patchy breeze and taking a lead of two boat lengths around the windward mark. Mackenzie then protected his lead looking back nervously throughout the race as Griffin and his team worked hard to stay on his stern. Eventually Mackenzie extended his lead back to three or four boat lengths and took the decider and the championship leaving Griffin to take second place.
At the Presentation dinner, a big crowd gathered to congratulate the youth match racers on their performance. Sandringham Yacht Club Commodore Philip Coombs welcomed the youth sailors from NSW and encouraged the local teams to take every opportunity to build on their match racing skills in up coming events. Andrew Plympton, President of Yachting Australia, thanked the Race Management and Umpires for their support of the event and also thanked Claire Hunting who gave the spectators at the club a valuable insight into match racing with her commentary of the on water action. He also praised Sandringham Yacht Club on their wonderful venue and conduct of the Championship. Plympton presented awards to the top three teams along with the Australian Youth Match Racing Cup to Will Mackenzie and his CYCA team of Ted Hackney, Sean O'Rourke and Kurt Griffiths and their coach, Seve Jarvin. Mackenzie thanked his team, his fellow competitors and the organizers for a successful regatta.
by Pam Scrivenor
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Parkdale, VIC
