Flying
Dutchman Australian Championship - The Final Beat
Became A Reach And Then All Hell Broke Loose!
There
was something for everyone out on Port Phillip
Bay in the two races of the Flying Dutchman Australian
Championships today.
The
wind kicked in from the north this morning in
what turned out to be, according to former three-time
World champion, Ian McCrossin, a ‘tactically
trying day, it was variable in air and strength,
at one stage the wind just suddenly went left
and left most of us struggling out on the right.
It was very tricky, the lead changed a few times,
it was hard sailing, mostly in the 15-18 knot
range,’ and that was just the first race!
In
the second and final race for the day, the northerly
was still there playing its tricks, when on the
last beat a big southerly change came through
leaving the boats to reach to the finish, and
that was when all hell broke loose and some big
damage was done.
It
was one of those days when things break, and they
did – many competitors came ashore before
the races were over - with broken rudders, rigging,
bodies and hearts, their chances gone by the wayside.
Only
the tough were left standing, including the top
ranked Hans-Peter Schwarz/Peter van Koppen (GER)
and Srabolics Maethenyi/Andras Domokas (HUN) who
hold down first and second places in the Open
section respectively, after three races, the former
winning both of today’s races.
Top
placed Australian’s are Norman Rydge/Richard
Scarr, who currently hold down third overall,
but lead for the Australian Championship trophy
with 3-2-7 scoreboard.
Behind
them sit Ian McCrossin/James Cook in fourth overall
but second Australian boat. These top four boats
finished their day damage free, unlike some other
unlucky sailors including the New Zealand pairing
of Alisdair Daines/David Gibb, who snapped the
rudder off their boat on the reaching leg home
in the final race.
Daines
described their misfortune this way, ‘we
were mid fleet and having the ride of our lives,
then it just got too much and it just snapped
in the heavy conditions, so we pulled our heady
in till it was just two square feet and paddled
for the finish line.’
Ian
Ruff/Angus Reid (AUS) had an interesting second
race too; ‘we were going so fast on that
last reach, then Angus went over the side and
that was the end for us,’ he said of their
26th placing to be in 23rd place overall for the
Open series, and 11th for the Australian title.
Rescue
boats from the host club, Sandringham, were kept
busy helping many limping boats ashore in the
Sail Melbourne event.
On
a positive note, the Italian and Spanish entrants
received news this afternoon that they will have
the boats out of customs and on the water tomorrow,
thanks to the help of Sail Melbourne Regatta Manager,
David Staley.
The
final two races of the series will be sailed tomorrow,
with McCrossin’s earlier picks for the Worlds
that start on January 2, sitting comfortably in
the top places.
For
information and full results go to the official
website:
www.sailmelbourne.com.au
Di
Pearson
