Wednesday 14 January 2009

Flying Fifteen Worlds 2009: Baking on Day Four


Aussie Champions, No Bull, lead upwind. Image copyright Bernie Kaaks.

by David Seaman

Melbourne turned on a scorcher today, 13th January, with a fiery northerly breeze. After one false start and a general recall, the fleet was extermely well behaves and got off to a clan start at the second attempt. The black flag obviously has some effect at this late stage in the Regatta.

With a course running towards Altona Beach, the fleet separated to both sides of the course. At the end of the first beat to the gate, Grant Alderson led, he was overtaken on the downwind leg by 3880, Craig Rainey. By the time they returned to the kite run the the wing mark, the order was Alderson, Parkin, Apthorp and Bax.

The wind then did a Melbourne north of Port Phillip favorite, the south of the course had a southerly cooler breeze, and the north stayed with an ioncreasing northly heat blast. At the finish (after a wide course change), it was No Bull (Grant Alderson) from Art Gekko (Mike Hart) by a short half head. Next was ff (Charles Apthorp), Ffrentic (Murray Gilbert) and *** (Barry Parkin). A great race.

It's a draw with one race to go!

Provisional results after four days (top six placings):

1= 3833 No Bull Grant Alderson (AUS) 2-2-12-(12)-1-1 18pts
1= 3911 **** Barry Parkin (GBR) 6-1-5-3-4-5 18pts
3. 3821 TBA Steve Goacher (GBR) 1-3-13-6-3-(16) 26pts
4. 3739 Ffortune Aaron Goodmanson (NZL) 5-6-(11)-7-6-8 32pts
5. 3781 16 David Tucker (NZL) 15-5-1-5-11-(33) 37pts
6. 3840 Ffrenetic Murray Gilbert (NZL) 11-(17)-3-4-16-4 38pts

Flying Fifteen Worlds 2009

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