Craig Piccinelli continued to prove his ranking as the Whitsunday Sailing Club's inform skipper to breakaway to a three point lead in the Maurice Drent Boating Services trophy series on Pioneer Bay.

They already have added three monthly title wins to the trophy locker to lead the season's aggregate points by a comfortable margin.

However skipper Piccinelli and the Wobbly Boot crew maintain they are still searching for a more consistent boat speed to be in contention to win the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week Performance Handicap class championship next month.

Their present form represents a solid start to their campaign but both skipper and crew remain totally aware that they will have to lift their game when the national standard fleet of performance handicap class yachts representing major clubs from Australia and New Zealand line up for the first race in the 2008 title clash on Thursday August 14.

Meanwhile the tactical racing pressure remains focused on Wobbly Boot to retain her lead in the present series after being pushed back to accept a fifth place in the tightly contested second race which resulted in a 19 second win for the Rod Sawyer skippered Surefoot while Crescendo (Stewart Key) and Idle Time Kevin Fogarty filled the minor places.

All three crews welcomed the opportunity to compete in a more consistent 15 knot South East breeze to ultimately improve their chances of challenging Wobbly Boot when the sails are tensioned for the important third race of the series off Airlie Beach this week.

There is a very strong chance that the Wobbly Boot crew with their slightly more consistent 2-5 seven point score will become a target for tactical attention as the battle for the series points continues to heat up.

Only two penalty points separate the next six trophy contenders with last week's line honours winner Treasure Vlll (Harold Menelaus) 10pts leading Rising Farrast 10.5pts, Idle Time 11pts, Queensland Marine Services 11pts, 007 11.5pts and Another Fiasco 12pts.

This compact nature of the points table suggests all seven crews including the series leader Wobbly Boot will struggle to race in uncontested wind and sea room when the tactical 'battle line' is drawn on Pioneer Bay this week.

by Ian Grant

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