Issue date
There was an element of uniformity on the leaderboard after the second day of the Lexus Flying Fifteen world championship in Napier yesterday, with Australian crews occupying the first three positions followed by three British pairs.
David Yu and Chris Nelson were leading with fellow Aussies Matthew Owen and Andrew Reed on 13 points, followed by former world champions Nick Jerwood and Janet Jerwood two points further back. Hayden Percy and Scott Pedersen, who won the first race on the opening day, were the first Kiwis in seventh.
Only one race was possible yesterday with a light easterly breeze on another semi-overcast afternoon in Napier.
After one general recall, race 3 started under the U flag with all 57 competitors spread across the length of the start line. Those who got to the middle right of the course took advantage of the breeze flicking right in Hawke's Bay.
At the top mark, David Mckee and Mal Hartland (GBR) from Dovestone SC, led closely followed by class stalwart Steve Goacher and Tim Harper from Royal Windermere/Southport SC. Local sailors David Zorn and Graeme Robinson from Napier SC rounded in third. Also in the mix were two boats from Western Australia, Philippa Packer, crewed by former world champion, Dean McAullay from Royal Freshwater Bay YC and championship leader David Yu and Chris Nelson, also from (RFBYC).
The lead three broke clear to head down the run back to the gate as the breeze softened even more. Slowly three-time former world champion Steve Goacher soaked down inside McKee and Hartland to round a boat length in the lead at the gate. Kiwis Zorn and Robinson floated round in third as places changed behind them when the fleet converged under collapsing spinnakers.
The second work became a bit of a soldiers course, although picking the way through the shifts and keeping the boat moving in the light airs required a lot of concentration.
The order was the same at the top mark second time around but on the triangle leg via the wing mark the two lead British boats extended in their own private battle, while Zorn and Robinson had to work really hard to hold third. Other places in the top 10 became much more intense as the breeze dropped below 5 knots. New Zealanders Murray Gilbert and Jonathan Burgess from Royal Akarana YC in Auckland and the Queenslanders, Ashley and Adam Kingston representing Hong Kong, made good gains.
Rounding the bottom gate, the leaders had an agonising 1nm leg back to the finish line. Goacher and Harper extended for a bit more breathing space, crossing the line to win their first race of the 21st Flying Fifteen Worlds. McKee and Hartland settled for second but the biggest celebration was for third as Zorn and Robinson punched the air.
(Zorn and Robinson claimed third yesterday)
“We got a good clean fast start and sailed a short distance to clear the guys to weather of us and flicked on to port and hit the right hand side and were sitting pretty nicely," Zorn said.
“It was really tense on the last lap, especially with Murray and Johno. They are fast downwind and were right on our tail at the bottom mark last time. But we knew where we wanted to go and knew the line we wanted to take and just stuck with it.”
Smith and Kingston (HKG) had a much better day crossing in fourth and Rob Ward and Bruce Yovich (NZL) from Onerahi YC posted a respectable fifth.
Today's race 4 of the championship was scheduled to start at 1pm with a similar forecast of light winds.
Provisional Results (Top 10 of 57 entries, after 3 races)
1 AUS 3859 David Yu / Chris Nelson - 3,1,9 = 13pts
2 AUS 3684 Matthew Owen / Andrew Reed - 2,4,7 = 13pts
3 AUS 3986 Nick Jerwood / Janet Jerwood - 5,2,8 - 15pts
4 GBR 4005 David McKee / Mal Hartland - 7,10,2 = 19pts
5 GBR 3760 Jeremy Davy / Martin Huett - 9,5,10 = 24pts
6 GBR 4021 Steve Goacher / Tim Harper - 19,8,1 = 28pts
7 NZL 3091 Hayden Percy / Scott Pedersen - 1,6,22 = 29pts
8 GBR 4030 Greg Wells / Richard Rigg - 4,14,15 = 33pts
9 NZL 3739 Aaron Goodmanson / Alister Rowlands - 18,3,13 = 34pts
10 NZL 3542 Rob Ward / Bruce Yovich - 11,29,5 = 45pts
For full results and more information visit
