Sail
Melbourne International Regatta 2004 - Pegan And
Fitzgibbon Still In Front At IFDS Worlds
Racing
continued today off Blairgowrie Yacht Club on
Port Phillip Bay in the IFDS World Championships.
This
morning Fleet A got away in frustrating light
winds again in the 4-5 knot range, Dan Fitzgibbon
(AUS) missing his first win of the series to finish
fifth in Race 5, but got his momentum back in
the increasing winds in the ten knot range of
Race 6 to grab another win.
Fitzgibbon,
a 27 year old from Queensland, dropped his fifth
placing, as a drop came into play after Race 6.
He will have to hope that he can score two wins
on the final day tomorrow, or that Zolton Pegan
(AUS) sailing in Fleet B has an oops somewhere.
Today was not the day though, Pegan, from NSW,
won both races in Fleet B.
Mat
Brown (AUS) clocked his first win of the Sail
Melbourne event in Fleet A, Race 5 today. A sports
fanatic, the 20 year old West Australian quadriplegic
has improved as this championship has gone on.
Brown’s career in sailing started in 2001
and in 2003 he won the Access Dinghy State Championship,
losing only one race. His win today has lifted
him into equal second place with Bento Amaral
(POR). His worst result also came today, a 12th
in Race 6 which he has dropped.
Equal
second overall, Amaral continues his consistent
racing, with a third today and his worst result
in Race 6, a dropped sixth. Amaral will have to
work hard to guard that second place.
The
34 year Wine Controller from Portugal was a keen
sailor prior to breaking his neck whilst body
surfing in 1994. Like a number of others at this
event, he though he would never sail again, but
with Chris Mitchell and Jackie Kay’s arrival
in Portugal to promote Sailability, his life changed
for the better.
‘It
was quite an excitement for me to sail again,
before my accident I used to sail an Optimist.
Now, I fit sailing into my busy life – I
think life should be about variety, so I spend
an equal amount of time with friends, skiing,
working and sailing. The Liberty is quite thrilling
to sail,’ Amaral said.
Craig
Scanlan (AUS) improved his chances today too,
with a 4-2 result, he is in fourth only two points
behind the third placegetters. Scanlan, from NSW,
is also a quadriplegic after a swimming accident.
Colin
Johanson (AUS) enhanced his chances also, the
46 year-old Victorian quadriplegic posting his
best results today, a second and third placing,
putting him two places behind Scanlan. These results
open the field up somewhat.
On
the Fleet B course this afternoon, winds improved
somewhat for the first time in a couple of days.
‘This
morning was light, but this afternoon, competitors
sailed in nice 12-18 knot winds on flat seas,
it was very pleasant,’ Blairgowrie’s
Chris Wilson said.
With
only two races remaining, to be sailed tomorrow,
Pegan looks unassailable, the winner being the
lowest scorer from the two groups.
Peter
Thompson (AUS) and Craig Clarke (SA) went hard
at it today to put themselves in second and third
place overall in Fleet B. Thompson, from the ACT,
finished his day with a 2-3 result for 11 points,
Clarke, from South Australia, doing the same in
reverse order for 15 points. A sailor prior to
his car accident 17 years ago which left him a
quadriplegic, the energetic Clarke said he was
glad to be back on the water.
The
World Champion will be decided from the lowest
points in both groups. Should there be a tie after
the race drop, the Championship will be awarded
to the most disabled competitor with the lowest
score.
Racing
in this Sail Melbourne event finishes on Port
Phillip Bay tomorrow.
For
information and full results, go to the official
website:
www.sailmelbourne.com.au
Di
Pearson
