Australian champion strikes first blow against Brits at B14 Worlds

11:01 AM Wed 7 Jan 2009 GMT
Victorian sailor Guy Bancroft today followed up his Australian championship win last Sunday by striking the first blow against a strong British contingent contesting the B14 skiff World Championship on Hobart's River Derwent.

The 51-year-old sailor from McRae Sailing Club on Melbourne's Port Phillip leads the worlds after three heats with his 21-year-old son Rhys in second place overall. Another McRae sailor, Dave Lorimer, is in third place followed by the first British sailor Mark Barnes.

The B14s, scaled down versions of the famous Sydney 18-footers, turned on a spectacular display of racing on the river, especially once the afternoon south-easterly seabreeze kicked in at 15-18 knots.

Carrying their huge asymmetric spinnakers, the top boats in the 50 fleet were surfing at speeds of 20 knots, although the conditions produced several capsizes and retirements

With no racing on Tuesday's scheduled opening day because of 30 knot winds, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania's race committee managed to conduct three races today, the getting away after several attempts in the fitful northerly breeze.

Guy Bancroft and his crew, Nick Darlow, from the McRae Yacht Club on Melbourne's Port Philip, scored a convincing 4 minutes 36 seconds win in heat one from two British boats, Hyde Sails (Alan Davis & Toby Barsley-Dale) and Team Gill (Nick Craig & Matt Johnson).

Bancroft followed this with a fourth and a third, while son Rhys and his crew Joey Randall, placed 9-3-4 in Bonework. Lorimer and his crew, Raf Heale, sailed Toxic to placings of 8-8-5.

'A good day's sailing for McRae Yacht Club,' added Guy Bancroft, who has been sailing B14s for five or six years, notching up a second and a third in past World champoionsips.

British sailors Mark Barnes and Pete Nicholson sailing Searevolution are fourth overall with a 5-1-12.5 result today.

Wynyard sailors Nick Richardson and Alan Nicholas, sailing Pig's Arse, began the Worlds well with a sixth and a second place, but slipped to 16th in race three.

The eight heat World Championship continues on the Derwent tomorrow.

www.b14.yachting.org.au/

by Peter Campbell

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Australian champion strikes first blow against Brits at B14 Worlds

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