Mornington Etchells mates on fire
Mooloolaba Saturday 07/06/08 - Graeme Taylor's Magpie from the Mornington fleet, with awesome speed in a 12-18 knot sou'-easter, today took a clear pointscore lead in the Etchells Musto Australian winter championship.
'2008 Musto Etchells, Day 2, Magpie, www.questphoto.net'
Peter
Duncan www.Questphoto.net
Taylor with his Mornington friend Grant Wharington sailing mainsheet and Queenslander Simon Gorman on the bow, scored 7-1-2 placings in the three races sailed today after winning the opening race in light winds yesterday.
'They're on fire,' said a competitor, Darren Jones from Jason Muir's Australian champion crew on Racer XY, which is in seventh place overall.
Magpie won race three after being back in fifth place at the first mark and improved from fourth at the second windward mark to finish second in race four.
After four races in the six-race series, with the worst place discard still to kick in after race five, Magpie leads with 11 points from Critical Balance (Mark Bulka) from the Melbourne fleet, 17 points, Racer X (Michael O'Brien, Mooloolaba), 19, Black Snake (Cameron Miles, Pittwater), 21 and 870 (Mark Bradford, Brisbane), 28.
Magpie is a 1993 vintage Bashford boat carrying Quantum sails. She won the most recent Victorian championship from a fleet of 45. 'We are going really well and I am very happy with my crew and the boat,' said Taylor.
Race two started in 12-14 knots and a testing, choppy seaway. Racer X improved steadily from ninth in a closely-bunched group of leaders at the first mark to win in a close downwind finish to the two-round windward-leeward course from Critical Balance and Black Snake.
The wind increased to 15-18 knots for race three. 870 led around the first mark from Triad (John Bertrand, Melbourne) Black Snake, Racer X, Magpie and Racer XY. Magpie gained on the leaders down the first run, chose the right-hand gate mark and took advantage of a shift to pass Triad, which had gained the lead downwind. Magpie went on for a comfortable win from Racer X and Triad.
The sou'-easter eased back to 12 knots for race four. Mark Bulka's Critical Balance, crewed by James Ryssenreek and Steve Young led around all marks to win comfortably from Magpie, just clear of another tight bunch with Men at Work (Bucky Smith, Mooloolaba) third.
Top ten placings and points: 1, Magpie (G.Taylor, Vic), 1-7-1-2, 11 points; 2, Critical Balance (M. Bulka, Vic) , 6-2-8-1, 17; 3, Racer X (M.O'Brien, Qld), 3-1-2-13, 19; 4, Black Snake (C.Miles, NSW), 5-3-6-7, 21; 5, 870 (M.Bradford, Qld), 11-10-3-4, 28; 6, Men at Work (B.Smith, Qld), 17-4-12-3, 36; 7, Racer XY (J.Muir, Qld), 20-5-5-6, 36; 8, Triad (J.Bertrand, Vic), 7-16-4-10, 37; 9, Fifteen (D.Clark, NSW), 4-11-23-11, 49; 10, Fair Bump Play On (D.Rose, Qld), 8-19-7-18, 52.
Full results: www.mooetchells.yachting.org.au
by Bob Ross 
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Turners Beach, TAS
