Russian sailors join Dragon fleet for Prince Philip Cup

1:39 AM Fri 2 Jan 2009 GMT

'Gordon Ingate 2008' Peter Campbell &copy Click Here to view large photo

Two Russians skippers and their crews will join competitors from New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Great Britain and New Zealand in contesting the prestigious Prince Philip Cup regatta for International Dragon class yachts which starts on Sydney Harbour today.

The opening event is the Martin Graney Memorial Trophy, a round-robin match racing event to be sailed today and tomorrow, followed by a three heat fleet racing series for the Ted Albert Trophy and Charles E Davies Memorial Trophy on Sunday.

The seven race Prince Philip Cup, the Australiasian Championship for the Dragon class, starts on Monday, 4 January and continues through to the following Saturday.

Defending the Cup, which he won on Hobart's Derwent River last January, is 81-year-old Gordon Ingate, a longtime member of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, which is the conducting club for the regatta. Ingate will again skipper Whim.

Among his strongest opponents in the 24-boat fleet will be Tasmanian Nick Rogers, who sailed with Ingate as mainsheet hand and tactician in winning the Prince Philip Cup on the Derwent.

Rogers is a former World Champion in the Dragon class and will be attempting to win his ninth Prince Philip Cup as a skipper and crew. He will be skippering his recently launched Karabos IX with a crack crew from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

The two Russians boats are Murka 3, skippered by Mikhail Muratov, and Murka 9, with Olga White on the helm.

Current International Dragon class president Robert Campbell will be on the helm of Toogara, with owner Robert moving to the mainsheet position, while New Zealand will be represented by Scott Palmer, sailing Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Returning to the Dragon class is prominent Etchells skipper Matt Whitnall, helming the extensively overhauled Taranui.

Of the 24 entries for the Prince Philip Cup, four are from Victoria, three from Western Australia and two from Tasmania while 11 boats will be representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and NSW.

Four skippers are contesting the Martin Graney Memorial Trophy series - Gordon Ingate in Whim (NSW), Tasmanians Nick Rogers in Karabos IX and Andrew Crisp in Kirribilli II, and West Australian Sandy Anderson in Sassafras.

Each skipper will match the others once during today's round-robin, with the finals tomorrow.

by Peter Campbell

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Russian sailors join Dragon fleet for Prince Philip Cup

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