1:14 PM Mon 5 Apr 2010 GMT
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'Rogers in Karabos IX is the leading Australian boat in the International Dragon class Pre-Worlds regatta on Port Phillip'
Peter Campbell ©
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Former world champion Nick Rogers and his crew of Leigh Behrens and Simon Burrows from Hobart, have pulled the Easter Bunny out the hat to win the significant pre-world regatta for the International Dragon class on Melbourne's Port Phillip.
After a slow(ish) start over the first two days, the Tasmanian crew, sailing Karabos IX from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, won four straight races to grind down the talented Russian yachtswoman Olga White, steering Murka 11.
From eight points down in the overall standings after the first two days, Rogers cut the Russians' lead to three points on Sunday and moved to the top of the leader board with a third successive win in this mornings penultimate race, as Murka 11 slipped to eighth place.
It was a close race, however, with Victorian Mark Woodland sailing Lyla and current Prince Philip Cup holder Richard Lynn, sailing Puff from Perth, throwing out a strong challenge. Both Lyla and Puff passed Karabos IX on the second beat to windward, but the Tasmanian boat proved too fast on the final spinnaker run to the finish.
Rogers won the final race and the regatta, conducted by Royal Brighton Yacht Club, by putting a loose cover on the Russians in the light southerly breeze this afternoon. This time, Karabos IX led all the way, with Olga White and Murka 11 finishing a disheartening twelfth.
In the end, Rogers, who is the current Tasmanian champion and a ten time winner of the Prince Philip Cup, finished on 19 points from a scoreboard of 4-8-4-4-1-1-1-1, winning the regatta by six points from the Russian boat Murka 11 on 25 points (1-2-3-6-3-2-8-12) and Richard Lynn, sailing Puff, on 28 points (8-5-2-19-4-4-3-2).
White's husband Mikhail Mouratov placed fourth overall on 35 points, followed by Sydney yachtsmen Matt Whitnall in Taranui on 37 points and Andrew York in Wizzardry on 38 points, and German Thomas Muller, sailing Liquidity on 39 points.
by Peter Campbell
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