The 74th Australian Titles
Sydney Flying Squadron
10th - 13th April 2009
The Norman Booth Trophy
Sydney Flying Squadron Nationals Page
Ferry Information / Social Events
Heat 1 - Friday 10th April
O, Jonathan temple and Richard Jones, took out heat 1 of the Australian Championships, sailed in a very light NorEaster. Gemmell Sails finished 2nd and Yabba Dabba finished 3rd.
Big rig's were the order of the day, with the breeze barely getting to 8 knots. As a results, the course was reduced to 2 laps, the leaders still taking 2 hours to complete the course.
O lead almost the entire race after a great start and first work, but they did not have it all their own way. Gemmell Sails pressured them all day, and hit the lead on several occasions. Gemmell Sails looked to lead at the first rounding mark, but overlaid it just enough to let O sneak through.
Andrew Short Marine rounded 3rd with Garde 4th and Yabba 5th. Garde made gains on the lead pair while rounding Shark Island, and rounded the bottom mark in 3rd, just behind Gemmell.
The leading pair pulled away from the rest of the fleet up the next work, and a soft patch in the breeze down the last spinnaker run brought the mid fleet together and made for several position changes.
Giddy Up and Yabba Dabba had been going toe to toe all day for 4th place, Yabba Dabba eventually hold out Giddy Up and a charging Andrew Short Marine down the tricky last run to take 3rd. ASM finished 4th, with Giddy Up 5th and Foxy Lady Too 6th.
Handicap honours went to Vantage Real Estate.
Heat 2 - Saturday 11th April
No one thought it possible, but Saturday's breeze was lighter than heat one on Friday. After the light Easy NorEast breeze settled in to all of 5 knots, the race committee opted for an Easterly course.
After a very even start, Gemmell Sails began to open up a lead half way up the long first work, and were closely followed by Giddy Up and Yabba Dabba. The breeze almost completely died on the approach to Shark Island, before filtering in again from the East. This favoured Yabba Dabba and saw them round the top mark in second place just behind the charging Gemmell Sails. O also made big gains approaching the top mark, and picked a nice line of breeze early down the spinnaker run to keep touch with the leaders.
The breeze died and then shifted back to the NorEast again, effect most of the mid fleet, and results in many position changes. The shift in breeze direction turned the course into a one tack event, and the lack of breeze forced the race committee to again shorten the course.
Gemmell Sails hung on to record their first Australian Championships heat win, from son Nick Press in Yabba Dabba. O finished third and Giddy Up fourth.
Heat three was postponed till Monday afternoon.
Two heats are scheduled for Sunday 12th April from 2pm.
Gemmell Sails leads the regatta after two heats from O then Yabba Dabba.
Handicap was again taken out by Vantage Real Estate, a credit to there consistent performance.
Skiff Ed
Heat 3
Rescheduled
Heat 4 - Sunday 12th April
Another day, another drifter.
Heat Four was held in another very light East NorEast breeze.
Gemmell Sails extended their lead in the series with another victory.
They lead from start to finish although they were pushed hard in a dying breeze down the last kite run by Yabba Dabba.
The story of the day was Foxy Lady Too (Peter Polec & Jamie McCrudden), who got a blinder of a start and held onto second place for the majority of the race. They were only robbed of a podium finish down the last run to the finish.
Gemmell Sails now hold a commanding lead from O, 8.4 points in arrears. Much might still hinge on the last race with the possibility that there may not be a drop. The battle for second place rages on, with Yabba Dabba in third place, 0.3 points further back. The race for fourth to sixth place is also up grabs, all three boats are within two point.
Two races are scheduled for tomorrow, heats six and then heat three.
Skiff Ed.
Heat 5
Abandoned
Heat 6
Gemmell Sails, Murray Press & Ben Gemmell, wrapped up the Australian Championships on Monday 13th April. It was a nervous day for the crew, in testing conditions they pulled off a third place enough to seal the championship from O and Yabba Dabba, who failed to finish in the top eight.
Heat six got underway in a light southerly, the Harken skiff of James Francis & Brad Phillips played the shifts perfectly on the first windward beat to round the top mark in first place. They were closely followed by a group of skiffs including Queenslanders Juice To Go (Richard Billet & Tim Willis), Andrew Short Marine (Micheal Spies & Damien Vlotman) and Geotherm (Andrew Chapman & Ali Chapman). Gemmell Sails round in 10th place, with O, Yabba Dabba and Garde towards the back end of the fleet.
Three skiffs opted to head to the Taylors Bay side of the course on the downwind leg including, Andrew Short Marine, CST (Tony Hannan & David Cleworth) and Gemmell Sails. The move paid greatly for all, Andrew Short Marine leading at the bottom mark from CST then Gemmell Sails in third. The downwind lead was not so kind to Harken, who found themselves back in 8th place.
Gizmo (Michael Bochoner & Tim Barraclough) moved into fourth place on the second work, recovering well from an ordinary start. They poked their nose just in front of Juice To Go and Sirromet (Jakub Ronowicz & Peter Valpiani) at the top mark.
Geotherm had a capsize trying to round Bradleys Head on the run to the finish in Athol Bay, and saw them fall out of the top placings.
Andrew Short Marine went on to win the shortened race, CST Composites finished second, and with Gemmell Sails coming in third they remained at the top of the championship scoreboard. Yabba Dabba crossed the line in eight and O in tenth.
Gemmell Sails were crowned the 74th Australian Champions after the rescheduled heat three was abandoned.
O finished second in the championship, with Yabba Dabba coming home third overall and Andrew Short Marine fourth.
The win is a great credit to Gemmell Sails, who showed true skill and speed throughout the entire weekend. It is a well deserved victory for the crew who has been sailing together for five years and has been so close to winning the Championship on many occasions.
Overall handicap honours went to Vantage Real Estate (Jack Winning & Brett Phillips), who wrapped up the title after winning heat six. Hey Charger (Nick Bernard & Robbie Polec) took out second place.
Skiff Ed
Scratch
| Boat | Helm | Crew | Club |
R1
|
R2
|
R4
|
R6
|
drop
|
Points
|
Place
|
| Gemmell Sails | Murray Press | Ben Gemmell | LC |
3
|
0
|
0
|
5.7
|
5.7
|
3
|
1
|
| O | Jonathan Temple. | Richard Jones | SFS |
0
|
5.7
|
5.7
|
16
|
16
|
11.4
|
2
|
| Yabba Dabba | Nick Press | Brad Yabsley | LC |
5.7
|
3
|
3
|
14
|
14
|
11.7
|
3
|
| Andrew Short Marine | Michael Spies | Damian Vlotman | LC |
10
|
13
|
10
|
0
|
13
|
20
|
4
|
| Foxy Lady Too | Peter Polec | Jamie McCrudden | LC |
11.7
|
14
|
8
|
15
|
15
|
33.7
|
5
|
| Sirromet | Jakub Ronowicz | Peter Valpiani | ABBOT |
15
|
11.7
|
13
|
10
|
15
|
34.7
|
6
|
| Garde | Brett Hobson | Alex Johnson | SFS |
13
|
10
|
11.7
|
17
|
17
|
34.7
|
6
|
| GIDDY UP | Paul O'Malley-Jones | John Cole | RQYS |
8
|
8
|
29
|
20
|
29
|
36
|
8
|
| Gizmo | Micheal Bochner | Tim Baraclough | SFS |
20
|
15
|
15
|
8
|
20
|
38
|
9
|
| CST Composites | Tony Hannan | David Cleworth | SFS |
19
|
29
|
17
|
3
|
29
|
39
|
10
|
| Juiced 2 Go | Richard Billett | Tim Willis | RQYS |
26
|
17
|
18
|
11.7
|
26
|
46.7
|
11
|
| Geotherm | Andrew Chapman | Kurt Warner | LC |
14
|
29
|
14
|
19
|
29
|
47
|
12
|
| Thistle Hill | Matt Killoran | Richard Johns | SFS |
16
|
20
|
19
|
13
|
20
|
48
|
13
|
| Cunning Stunts | James Corrie | Dean Curtis | RPAYC |
17
|
18
|
16
|
23
|
23
|
51
|
14
|
| Harken | James Francis | Brad Phillips | LC |
18
|
16
|
23
|
22
|
23
|
56
|
15
|
| Dipolar Software | Ed Blackman | Bill Olsen | SFS |
24
|
19
|
20
|
18
|
24
|
57
|
16
|
| Vantage Real Estate | Jack Winning | Brett Phillips | LC |
21
|
21
|
29
|
21
|
29
|
63
|
17
|
| Panadol Rapid | Andrew O'Brien | Allan Jackson | LC |
23
|
22
|
21
|
27
|
27
|
66
|
18
|
| www.skiff.org.au | Ben Faulkner | Peter Bevis | LC |
25
|
23
|
22
|
25
|
25
|
70
|
19
|
| Hey Charger | Nicholas Bernard | Robbie Polec | LC |
22
|
29
|
24
|
24
|
29
|
70
|
19
|
| Snotbloo | David Winning | Josh Flower | LC |
29
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
29
|
75
|
21
|
| Allwood Sails | Brendon Matthews | Cameron McDonald | DPSC |
29
|
29
|
29
|
29
|
29
|
87
|
22
|
Handicap
| Boat | Helm | Crew | Club |
R1
|
R2
|
R4
|
R6
|
drop
|
Points
|
Place
|
| Vantage Real Estate | Jack Winning | Brett Phillips | LC |
0
|
0
|
29
|
0
|
29
|
0
|
1
|
| Hey Charger | Nicholas Bernard | Robbie Polec | LC |
3
|
29
|
8
|
5.7
|
29
|
16.7
|
5
|
| Foxy Lady Too | Peter Polec | Jamie McCrudden | LC |
5.7
|
11.7
|
0
|
13
|
13
|
17.4
|
2
|
| Panadol Rapid | Andrew O'Brien | Allan Jackson | LC |
11.7
|
5.7
|
3
|
19
|
19
|
20.4
|
3
|
| Sirromet | Jakub Ronowicz | Peter Valpiani | ABBOT |
14
|
8
|
10
|
8
|
14
|
26
|
4
|
| www.skiff.org.au | Ben Faulkner | Peter Bevis | LC |
21
|
10
|
11.7
|
11.7
|
21
|
33.4
|
6
|
| Cunning Stunts | James Corrie | Dean Curtis | RPAYC |
10
|
18
|
5.7
|
21
|
21
|
33.7
|
7
|
| Juiced 2 Go | Richard Billett | Tim Willis | RQYS |
26
|
14
|
17
|
3
|
26
|
34
|
8
|
| GIDDY UP | Paul O'Malley-Jones | John Cole | RQYS |
8
|
3
|
29
|
23
|
29
|
34
|
9
|
| Snotbloo | David Winning | Josh Flower | LC |
29
|
13
|
19
|
10
|
29
|
42
|
11
|
| Gemmell Sails | Murray Press | Ben Gemmell | LC |
17
|
15
|
13
|
20
|
20
|
45
|
10
|
| Geotherm | Andrew Chapman | Kurt Warner | LC |
13
|
29
|
14
|
18
|
29
|
45
|
12
|
| Yabba Dabba | Nick Press | Brad Yabsley | LC |
18
|
16
|
15
|
25
|
25
|
49
|
13
|
| Thistle Hill | Matt Killoran | Richard Johns | SFS |
15
|
22
|
22
|
16
|
22
|
53
|
14
|
| Andrew Short Marine | Michael Spies | Damian Vlotman | LC |
20
|
23
|
18
|
15
|
23
|
53
|
15
|
| O | Jonathan Temple. | Richard Jones | SFS |
19
|
19
|
16
|
26
|
26
|
54
|
18
|
| Harken | James Francis | Brad Phillips | LC |
16
|
17
|
24
|
22
|
24
|
55
|
16
|
| Dipolar Software | Ed Blackman | Bill Olsen | SFS |
25
|
20
|
21
|
14
|
25
|
55
|
17
|
| Garde | Brett Hobson | Alex Johnson | SFS |
22
|
21
|
20
|
27
|
27
|
63
|
19
|
| CST Composites | Tony Hannan | David Cleworth | SFS |
24
|
29
|
25
|
17
|
29
|
66
|
21
|
| Gizmo | Micheal Bochner | Tim Baraclough | SFS |
23
|
24
|
23
|
24
|
24
|
70
|
20
|
| Allwood Sails | Brendon Matthews | Cameron McDonald | DPSC |
29
|
29
|
29
|
29
|
29
|
87
|
22
|