10:45 AM Tue 29 Dec 2009 GMT
46th National Championships and Sabot Week.
In sailing, they say you score a bullet when you win a race on scratch.
Today (Tuesday) under a shotgun start Sophie McIntosh and Jordan Makin scored two bullets in the first two races of the Australian Sabot Championships and they will get the shotgun cartridges as souvenirs to prove it.
The junior sailors, both aged 11, sailing in Double Diamond celebrated with teammates Blake and Ashleigh Robson in Black Pearl, who finished second in both races, after the first day of racing on Brisbane Water in the 10-race championship being hosted by their home club Gosford Sailing Club.
The steady south-easterly breeze of 10-15 knots was ideal for the opening races involving a bumper field in this the 46th National Championships and Sabot Week.
The junior races , involving Sabots with both skipper and crews, were keenly contested with only seconds between the three leaders throughout. Third place in both races went to Drummoyne's Dana and Jessica Tavener in Firebolt, the race results mirroring this year's NSW state results.
Meanwhile in the keenly contested 63-strong senior fleet, NSW state champion Paddy Gilbert from Hunters Hill in Predator and Victorian Oliver Kalpokas in Tenacious each recorded a first and a sixth to sit at the top of the table with plenty of racing still to come.
South Queensland's Joel Turner is handy in third, along with James Brewer from Hunters Hill in fourth spot and Gosford's Vardon Robson, fifth.
Other prominent Gosford competitors included Kirk Mitchell (eighth) and Henry Makin (10th).
The Sabot championships are being sponsored this year by Robson Civil Projects, Laser suppliers Performance Sailcraft Australia along with Ronston and Zhik.
The leader after the first two races in the senior division Sabot Week, a parallel regatta for sailors not competing in the nationals, is Conquistador's Zane Comadira, from South Queensland, who also scored two bullets.
The junior leaders are Stephanie and Ben Markey in Wahoo, from South Queensland.
by Peter Mcintosh
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Manly, QLD
