Role reversal for previous Etchells winter winner

'2008 Musto Etchells, day one, tactical and trying conditions' Peter Duncan www.Questphoto.net

Graeme Taylor's Victorian crew aboard Magpie, from a great start in a tricky, shifting light wind, led around all marks to win the opening race of the Musto Etchells Australian Winter Championship off Mooloolaba today.

Crewing for Taylor was Grant Wharington, owner-skipper of the maxi Skandia Wild Thing. Taylor has been a regular crewman and watch captain aboard Skandia Wild Thing. Joining the Victorians aboard Magpie was Queenslander Simon Gorman.

Magpie won by 30 seconds from Jervis Tilly's Bushfire, from NSW, with Racer X, skippered by Mooloolaba local Michael O'Brien, third.

Race officials delayed the start for nearly three hours, firstly waiting for the faint sea breeze to build and then through three general recalls.

With the light, building northeast sea breeze shifting backwards and forwards through 30 degrees, the 54-boat fleet alternately bunched at the leeward pin end of the starting line to prompt the first general recall; at the boat end to initiate the second and at the pin again to force the third general recall.

With the black flag signalling disqualification for anyone over early, the race finally got away on the fourth start with one significant casualty.

Last year's winner, Skip Lissiman's Bandwagon from Perth, was judged to be over the line early and disqualified.

Magpie's start gave her the winning break. She started cleanly with speed at the pin end, tacked onto port after 15 seconds to cross clear ahead of the nearest starboard-tack group and led by four or five boat lengths from Bushfire at the first mark.

Magpie and Bushfire held the top two positions for the remainder of the race over the two-round windward-leeward course in a breeze that steadied to six and a-half knots.

Finishing out of the top ten were the Australian champion Racer X (Jason Muir, Qld), 20th and runner up in the Australian championship the New Zealand boat Valsheda, skippered by Alastair Gair, 18th.

Top ten results; 1, Magpie (Graeme Taylor, Vic); 2, Bushfire (Jervis Tilly, NSW); 3, Racer X (Michael O'Brien, Qld); 4, Fifteen (David Clark, NSW); 5, Black Snake (Cameron Miles, NSW); 6, Critical Balance (Mark Bulka, Victoria); 7, Triad (John Bertrand, Victoria); 8, Fair Bump Play On (David Rose, NSW); 9, La Vie Dansante (Chris Pratt, SA); 10, Pedro (Kirwan Robb, Victoria).

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by Bob Ross