Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Australian Championships Day 1

The 45th Australian Championships kicked off with the Cliff Scott Memorial Invitational, the traditional warm up of the Mirror fleet.  In fresh SSE conditions, the fleet got racing and all the nerves and anxiety are now gone. 














The Cliff Scott was a close tussle between the Philippines team of Ridgely Balladares and Rommel Chavez and 2007 Mirror World Champion Ross Kearney and Max Odell from Ireland.  They steamed up the first beat with the Philippinos getting a good break of 10 boat lengths that was bridged to a couple by the time the teams reached the bottom gate on the trapezoid course.  The gap to the following pack was quiet substantial and the two front runners were never headed.  Balladares and Chavez took the bullet followed by Kearney and Odell.  the Cliff Scott Memorial Trophy for the first place Australian boat went to 2009 Australian Champions Lachlan and Finn Gilbert who edged in front of two other boats in a tight finish.


Race 1 of the Aussie Champs eventually got underway under a Black Flag.  The Gilberts took first place followed by local Albany sailors Paul and Austin Taylor with Myles and Rory Odell in third.   















In Race 2, Kearney and Odell were steaming and got off to a great start and were never challenged with the Gilberts in hot pursuit with British teenagers Millie Newman and Jessica Rust in third. 



The final race was taken by the Taylors who went right one the first beat.  Local knowledge perhaps played a role in them splitting from most of the left travelling fleet and it paid off with a bullet and overall lead after three races.  Second were Brits David Conlon and Charlotte Bond and third Anita Scott-Murphy with son Ben Cruse.







1 comment:

  1. Were all following the Worlds from up here on top of the French Alps.
    Go Brightlingsea! Go get 'em.

    ReplyDelete