12:13 PM Mon 12 Jan 2009 GMT
Today was first day of racing for the 1824T Flying Eleven 2009 Australian Championships with now 73 registered Flying Elevens competing at Twofold Bay, Eden.
At the close of last night's festivities at the Welcome Night BBQ extravaganza for around 400 people superbly presented by Avalon Sailing Club's volunteers, the race committee confirmed it was their intention to run two races today.
The breeze early on came from the SW and gradually clocked around to the SE by 10am and the conditions looked to be building from the south. However, as the crews left the beach, the breeze began to drop out; great for the multitude of local fishermen continually streaming out to sea from the nearby boat ramp, but continuing frustration for the PRO Peter Moor who had the unenviable task of finding a start line and setting a course.
After having to up-anchor and relocate a couple of times, the start began in a very capricious SE-SW breeze that had some of the fleet two out on the gunwale and others bobbing about looking rather sad.
These conditions prevailed throughout the whole race, many instances of boats becalmed at various times across the race area. At each mark of the course, boats that were in the latter pack appeared in the front pack, and vice versa.
Only one triangle was endured before the shortened course flag came out. 1369 Tom Tom - Tom Koerner and Joshua Ponton ASC, 1334 Ace Penny Kendall and Lucy Murray ASC and 1353 Flying Hellfish Josh McKnight and Ira Dubrey M16'SSC led the fleet around to the bottom mark with the fleet behind changing positions by each mark rounding considerably. At least it kept the spectators interested back on the headland, where they witnessed an array of different coloured spinnaker combinations rounding at each corner.
The final work became a glass-out in various parts of the course inevitably re-shuffling the pack with many latter fleet gaining a spot up front as well as the front packers desperately watching their positions eroded ever so helplessly according to which side of the course they had creeped. As they say, that's sailing, good fortune for some and heartache for others.
By the finish line, 1355 Eugene Tim Forbes-Smith and Wil Dargaville ASC had claimed race 1 ahead of 1368 Cotton On Scott Cotton and Max Vos ASC and 1353 Flying Hellfish Josh McKnight and Ira Dubrey M16'SSC.
Race 2 looked to be quite a different story after lunch on the beach. A sturdy breeze from the SE appeared to be building as the fleet made their way further out Twofold Bay than before. But again, troubles with the breeze flicking from SE to SW once again gave the PRO another headache.
Determined to make the afternoon more consistent, Peter Moor up-anchored yet again and proceeded to lead the fleet well out to seaward, stopping a few times, in search of a consistent wind to set a course. Extra ground tackle was applied to the buoys and the start boat was left with one chain link to spare by the time the location of race 2 was determined!
The race got underway at 4:30pm with a 15kt E -SE breeze and swell and chop building around 2ms; quite a different situation to the earlier race in shore. After one general recall, the I flag produced a clean start for the second time and the fleet split left to the predominant pressure, right to the smoother water with right handers balancing the books.
At the top mark, the fleet converged after a reasonable workout with 1369 Tom Tom just ahead of 1353 Flying Hellfish, 1368 Cotton On and 1363 Crunchie Olivia Price and Maddie Clancy M16'SSC and 1305 Lethal Blonde Chris Fay and Emma Knighton B16'SSC filling the top 5 places now launching off to the wing mark in spectacular display only F11s can produce along such rolling breakers.
It was a magnificent exhibition of seamanship from the fleet with all crews revelling the chance to 'hotdog' at breakneck pace with spinnakers ablaze, squirreling off the top of the breaking waves rolling in from Bass Straight.
All crews managed the gybe mark well and continued their thrilling ride down to the bottom mark.
Up the second work, the front 5 boats began to separate from the fleet a little with 1353 Flying Hellfish rounding ahead of 1368 Cotton On and 1363 Crunchie, 1369 Tom Tom and 1352 Guccii Alex McFadyen and Bradley Leicester M16'SSC.
This was the first sausage leg the fleet sailed since the start of the regatta and by now the breeze had dropped somewhat and a number of holes began to appear across the race course. The sun had re-appeared and the fleet managed to gain a bit of respite after the earlier exhilaration, still continuing to tack for tack their opponents around the track.
1353 Flying Hellfish maintained their lead by the third rounding of the top mark in good breeze once again, followed now by 1362 Guccii, 1363 Crunchie, 1369 Tom Tom and 1368 Cotton On.
Another thrilling ride across to the wing for all ensued, many crews hollering joyously amongst colour and spray, launching dazzlingly off the top of the rolling waves after the gybe mark to the bottom of the course.
As nightfall was encroaching upon the fleet, the increasing holes claimed a number of the crews on their way back up to the finish line, more damaging to some than others with the left hand side delivering god cards to the more fortunate.
Across the line in first place for a hard fought race 2 was 1362 Guccii followed by 1353 Flying Hellfish and 1338 Intergalactic Cookie Monster Natalie Greentree and Chloe White M16'SSC.
Results
Race 1
1355 Eugene Tim Forbes-Smith and Wil Dargaville ASC
1368 Cotton On Scott Cotton and Max Vos ASC
1353 Flying Hellfish Josh McKnight and Ira Dubrey M16'SSC
1305 Lethal Blonde Chris Fay and Emma Knighton B16'SC
1337 Shake Your Booties Toby Dind and Finnian Alexander HHSC
1295 Sparta Nicola Forbes-Smith and Alicia Watt ASC
1334 Ace Penny Kendall and Lucy Murray ASC
1369 Tom Tom Tom Koerner and Wil Dargaville ASC
1361 Do Geese See God Robert and Kasha Wojcik M16'SSC
1366 Protagonist Declan Reilly and James Lawira Fernandez M16'SSC
Race 2
1352 Guccii Alex McFadyen and Bradley Leicester M16'SSC
1353 Flying Hellfish Josh McKnight and Ira Dubrey M16'SSC
1338 Intergalactic Cookie Monster Natalie Greentree and Chloe White M16'SSC
1369 Tom Tom Tom Koerner and Wil Dargaville ASC
1368 Cotton On Scott Cotton and Max Vos ASC
1363 Crunchie Olivia Price and Maddie Clancy M16'SSC
1366 Protagonist Declan Reilly and James Lawira Fernandez M16'SSC
1355 Eugene Tim Forbes-Smith and Wil Dargaville ASC
1358 Decoy Declan Rohr and Alex Paton HHSC
1305 Lethal Blonde Kris Fay and Emma Knighton B16'SC
by David Price
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