Guy Bancroft back into lead in B14 Worlds

11:41 AM Fri 9 Jan 2009 GMT

'B14 World Championship - Derwent River Hobart.' Peter Campbell &copy Click Here to view large photo

McRae Yacht Club's Guy Bancroft has regained the lead in the B14 skiff World Championship being sailed from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania on Hobart's Derwent River.

The Victorian sailor's son, Rhys, 21, who had taken the overall lead yesterday, had a mediocre day on the water and slipped from first to ninth in overall stands.

However, a close second is Tasmanian Nick Richardson from the Wynyard Yacht Club, only four points behind Guy Bancroft going into tomorrow's final two races of the 10 race series.

Guy Bancroft and his crew Nick Darlow notched up a 4-2-4-11 score today sailing Sly Bone to climb back from seventh to first on 18 points. Nick Richardson and Alan Nicholson, sailing Pigs Arse, placed 3-3-11-7 to be on 22 points.

The British team of Mark Barnes and Pete Nicholson in Seavolution are third overall on 25 points, winning race five this morning and following this with a 5-8-5 result.

These three crews have a clear break over the rest of the fleet headed by another British boat Quinta Radison Ltd, sailed by Chris Bines and Dave Gibbons, on 35 points.

Apart from Pigs Arse, the best placed Tasmanian boat is Aviva, sailed by former Laser champion Simon Morgan and his crew Drew Nathan from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. They are 13th overall with placings today of 17-14-28-18.

The Derwent River smiled kindly on the frustrated fleet of Australian and British sailors allowing race officials to complete four heats in a long day of catch-up on the race schedule.

Nevertheless, there were moments of frustrations, particular in the unstable light south-easterly breeze in the morning.

With the tide pushing the 50 boat fleet of these scaled-down 18-foot skiffs over the line there were four general recalls and 11 boats, including a number of the top teams, fell foul of the black flag, Rhys Bancroft included.

by Peter Campbell

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing

Guy Bancroft back into lead in B14 Worlds

Sports/News

Weather Forecasts & Live Reports

Buy & Sell/Classifieds