A cold front moving across southern Victoria brought chilly temperatures and stronger winds to day three of the Sailing World Cup Melbourne (9-13 December 2015).
Racing was attempted in a couple of classes in the 15-20 knot winds blowing across the top of Port Phillip with the 470, Finn and 2.4mR classes managing to get one race in for the first session of the day. The remaining fleets were then held ashore due to the 30 plus knots breeze and only the SKUD18 and Sonar completed a race in the afternoon session.
“When we started the race, it was perfectly fine with around 15-16knots. But by the second downwind it was starting to get a bit windy and we had a bit on in the last lap. And of course after the racing it got even worse,” 470M sailor Alexander Conway (NSW) described the day.
Patrick and Alexander Conway continue to lead the 470 fleet after posting another race win today despite the challenging conditions:
“We just managed to win the race. We got a big right-hander and were fourth or fifth at the top mark. The guys in front had a big lead but we managed to get it back,” Alexander Conway added.
Racing in a mixed fleet, Australian Sailing’s Carrie Smith (WA) and Jaime Ryan (QLD) encountered carnage and capsized, but still managed a second place to defend their lead in the 470 Women. Sasha Ryan (QLD) and Aurora Paterson (VIC) won the race and are ranked second.
“It was pretty hectic out there today, a typical Melbourne blow-out and we managed to bend our pole and our mast,” Jaime Ryan said.
And Carrie Smith added: “We decided to do a nice cart-wheel downwind when we were winning and beating all the boys, which was a bit disappointing. But overall we are happy that we survived the day and that we could race against the boys and have a bit of fun at the same time. We’re in one piece and that’s the main thing.”
In the Finn, Australian Sailing Squad’s Oliver Tweddell (VIC) won the only race of the day.
“We got a pretty decent race in and it was only in the last downwind that we had a 30plus knots score come through. It was a bit hectic but lots of fun too,” local Oliver Tweddell said.
With predictions of rising wind strengths for the afternoon the Principal Race Officers called off racing for the day at 4 p.m. across all classes and with results in the other classes standing from yesterday, Thursday, 10 December 2015.
Saturday, 12 December will be the penultimate day of racing in the Olympic classes with the top-ten Medal Races scheduled for Sunday, 13 December 2015.
Paralympic Boat Classes
Racing out of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria on the Williamstown side, the Paralympic classes all managed to get one race in on their penultimate day with racing concluding tomorrow, Saturday, 12 December and with all three Australian Sailing Team crews in medal contention.
Paralympian and 2015 Para World Sailing Bronze medallist Matt Bugg (TAS) finished second in the one and only race in the 2.4mR and is ranked third overall after a total of five races. Teammate Neil Patterson (TAS) is ranked 11th.
Paralympic Gold medallist and 2015 Para World Sailing Champions Daniel Fitzgibbon (NSW) and Liesl Tesch (NSW) posted another race win and have a five points lead over the second ranked British crew going into the last race day.
SKUD18 teammates Ame Barnbrook (NSW) and Brett Pearce (NSW) are ranked fifth overall after posting sixth.
2015 Para World Sailing Championship silver medallist in the Sonar, Colin Harrison (WA), Jonathan Harris (NSW) and Russell Boaden (WA) suffered minor boat damage colliding with another team at the top mark and results are still pending a protest.
All of Australian Sailing’s Paralympic sailors are contesting the World Cup after securing three medals at the 2015 Para World Sailing Championships (28 November – 3 December 2015) in Melbourne last week.
Racing will resume on Saturday, 12 December from 11:00 a.m. (schedule to be confirmed).
Sailing World Cup Melbourne Australian Sailing Team & Squad Results (as of 11 December 2015)
Olympic Classes
Men's One Person Dinghy – Laser
– Luke Elliott (NSW) – ASS: 1, 2, 11, (36 BFD) – 4th
– Mitchell Kennedy (QLD) – ASS: 5, 1, 8, 5 – 3rd
– Mark Spearman (WA) – ASS Youth Bridging: 3, 10, 13, 9 – 11th
Women's One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
– Ashley Stoddart (QLD) – ASS: 2, 1, 2, 2 – 2nd
– Jacinta Ainsworth WA) – AS Youth Team: 7, 7, 4, 4 – 4th
Men’s Two Person Dingy – 470M
– Alexander Conway & Patrick Conway (NSW) – ASS: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 – 1st
– Tom Klemens (VIC) & Tim Hannah (VIC) – ASS: 5, 3, 2, 2, 2 – 2nd
– Angus Galloway (QLD) & Joshua Dawson (NSW) – ASS: 3, 2, 6 (OCS), 3, 4 – 3rd
Women's Two Person Dinghy – 470W
– Carrie Smith (WA) & Jaime Ryan (QLD) – ASS: 1, 1, 1, 1, (2) – 1st
– Sasha Ryan (QLD/ASS) & Aurora Paterson: 3, 2, (5 DNC), 2, 1 – 2nd
– Pip Pietromonaco (VIC/ASS Youth Bridging) & Amelia Catt (TAS) – ASS: 2, (4), 2, 4, 3 – 3rd
Men’s Skiff – 49er
– David Gilmour (WA) & Rhys Mara (VIC) – AST: 1, 1, 3, (5), 1, 1 – 1st
– Will Phillips (VIC/ASS) & Sam Phillips (VIC): (5), 3, 1, 1, 2, 2 – 2nd
– Harry Price (NSW) & Harry Morton (NSW) – ASS Youth Bridging: 4, 5, 5, (6), 4, 5 – 5th
– Joel Turner (QLD) & Tom Siganto (QLD) – AST/ASS: 3, 6, 4, 4, (11 OCS), 11 (DNF) – 6th
Women's Skiff – 49erFX
– Tess Lloyd (VIC) & Caitlin Elks (WA) – ASS: 1, (3), 1, 1, 1, 2 – 1st
Men's One Person Dinghy (Heavyweight) – Finn
– Oliver Tweddell (VIC) – ASS: 1, 2, 2, 2, 1 – 2nd
Women's Windsurfer – RS:X
– Joanna Sterling (QLD) – ASS: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 – 1st
Paralympic Boat Classes
Two-Person Keelboat – SKUD18
– Daniel Fitzgibbon (NSW) & Liesl Tesch (NSW) – AST: 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 – 1st
– Ame Barnbrook (NSW) & Brett Pearce (NSW) – ASS: 7 (DNF), 5, 5, 5, 6 – 5th
One-Person Keelboat – 2.4mR
– Matt Bugg (TAS) – AST: 7, 3, 3, 1, 2 – 3rd
– Neil Patterson (TAS) – ASS: 11, 10, 11, 11, 11 – 14th
Three-Person keelboat – Sonar
– Colin Harrison (WA), Jonathan Harris (NSW), Russell Boaden (WA) – AST: 3, 2, 1, 1, (7) – 2nd Result to be confirmed pending a protest!
– Cora Zillich/AST
