Rough Day at the Office

Written by Nic Douglass Friday, 02 January 2009 21:58

Happy New Years everyone!

Apologies for the delay in reports – Race 4 final results were not finalised until the 31^st due to pending protests.
Unfortunately there has been no room to get me out on a committee boat, and with no spectator boat I will pass on the results to you as I have heard from competitors and from my observations via binoculars.

Day 2 – Rough Day at the Office

Competitors headed out in extremely breezy conditions, many were reluctant to leave the beach. Racing conditions were reported as 18-22 knots at 215 to 230 degrees. I would hazard a guess this was in the lulls, as mains were ragging, boats were submarining downwind and there was many a rescue needed across the course of the day.

To read on about Day 2 and 3 click below...

Race 3

Sway AUS2847 – Shane Guanaria and Mel Rippe were out to an early lead never being headed in the rough and testing conditions. Dave and Doris Bretherton on Edge Off AUS2851 sailed exceptionally well, showing off their down wind speed to sail through the top pack and finish second. Rustafarian Rocket AUS2776 Luke Owen and Sam Clarke finished a tidy third just ahead of Rob Douglass and Pete Isaacs on Coollit AUS2848. The four lead boats had their own pack well in front of the main bunch. Next to finish was Sheepstations AUS2853 sailed by Jon Ross and Jackie Bange in their first top 5 of the regatta.

Race 4

More breeze and waves, and with competitors starting to think about the stakes of the regatta the pressure was up as well. The crew of Coollit AUS2848 Rob Douglass and Pete Isaacs were off to a flying start, leading around the top mark. Sheepstations AUS2853 put in a flying reach to lead the fleet around the first wing mark with Coollit hot on their tail. Rudder cavitation was common and places changed frequently downwind. Coollit lead around the bottom mark. By this stage the lead rescue boat had left the sailors to fend for themselves and assist with rescues.

Shane Guanaria and Mel Rippe on AUS2847 rounded the bottom mark in 5^th, and sailed smart to make up ground on the lead pack who were well ahead at that stage. On the last windward mark rounding, Coollit sailed for the hitch mark, which was not in the water due to the amount of rescue boats that were needed for rescues. They finished third behind Sway, and Edge Off AUS2851 – Dave and Doris Bretherton. Oogy Wawa AUS2830 and proud new owners Nicole Kidman and Stuart Templeton had a great finish in 4^th, and the crew of Sheepstations Jon Ross and Jackie Bange had their second 5^th of the day after an unfortunate capsize near the finish.

There was a subsequent protest against the race committee from Coollit AUS2848 for equal 1^st, due to the lack of hitch mark. Results were confirmed yesterday evening. Sway AUS2847 and Coollit AUS2848 were awarded equal points for first, Edge Off AUS2851 - Dave and Doris Bretherton remain in second and there is no third place.

Day 3 – The Day of All Weather – In VIC after all!

Race 5

Race 5 and five starts later (including two black flags) and the fleet eventually were underway for the mid-point of the Unibilt Tasar Nationals. Very shifty conditions from south to south west.

Shane Guanaria and Mel Rippe of Sway AUS2847 were quick off the mark leading around the top mark from Coollit 2848, Josh Faddy and Louise Houtzager on Mango Chilli AUS2842, Chris Payne and Heather Macfarlane on Chaos Theory AUS2781 and Chris Parkinson and Nick Grey on Agamemnon AUS2820.

Tricky conditions and coming to the business end of the regatta, it was a dog fight at the top with many sailors coming through the fleet with all they could muster. Dave and Doris Bretherton on Edge Off AUS2851 were quick off the breeze Change of course mark went in for the second windward mark as the breeze shifted to the south. Sway rounded the first mark with Coollit Rob Douglass and Pete Isaacs right on their hammer. Coollit sailed a particularly good run to take the lead and the race. Second was Sway, third Edge Off, fourth Chaos Theory and fifth Mango Chilli.

Race 6

All about the movers and shakers this race. The first start got away, perhaps as the competitors did not want to wait 45 minutes again after their recalls in Heat 5. It was chilly out there!

AUS2454 lead around the first windward mark sailing particularly well with a raining cloud influencing the work. Next was Luke Owen and Sam Clarke in Rustafarian Rocket AUS2776, with Chaos Theory AUS2781 Chris Payne and Heather Macfarlane close behind. By the second work there was a distinct gap between the first three and the second pack of a few boats with the main pack another distance behind.

Chaos Theory lead around the final windward mark, putting in a gybe set. Sway AUS2847 sailed by Shane Guanaria and Mel Rippe were second, again with Coollit AUS2848 right on their tail. Coollit took the lead by the bottom mark after a particularly good run getting their second bullet of the day. Sway had their lead stolen for the second time relinquished to second place, third was Rustafarian Rocket, tailed by Chaos Theory and AUS2345 Pigs Can Fly rounded out the top five.

Race 7

Only one general recall this race, and straight to a black flag. The stars of this race were newcomers to the class Max Taylor and Sam Kivell AUS2011 who heeled their boat to avoid the anchor rope right at the pin, hit the left corner and were miles in front by the time they got to the top mark. This was arguably the biggest lead of the regatta to date.

Max and Sam, who are better known for sailing a 470 held it out to the finish with Placebo Effect AUS2846 Craig and Mel Davidson and Orange Lodge AUS2731 Paddy Oliver and Diane Nelson fighting it out back in the next pack. Orange Lodge finished second passing Craig and Mel on the work to the finish. Fourth place went to Coollit AUS2848 who are narrowly leading the regatta from Sway AUS2847. Fifth place once again went to Sheepstations AUS2853.
The results are sure to mix up today when the second drop comes into effect. Something to note at the moment is the order of the placings and their boat numbers – 2848, 2847 and 2846 like it was meant to be.

Hopefully post something for you this afternoon.

Cheers

Nic Douglass in McCrae with your Tasar Nationals News

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Rough Day at the Office

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