Australian Championship – Race
5
Sydney Harbour. |
| By Frank Quealey, the Australian 18 Footers League. |
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Photos by the Australian
18 Footers League
Page edited By Peter Andrews. |
| Sunday
January 30, 2011. |
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| With the Australian Championship already decided in favour of the Thurlow Fisher Lawyers team, today’s Race 5 of the championship on Sydney Harbour almost became a one race test for the upcoming Giltinan Championship in March. Although the title was theirs, Michael Coxon, Aaron Links and Trent Barnabas had to be content with a second placing today as the defending champion Gotta Love It 7 proved far too good in the 20-knot North-East wind. |
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Gotta love it 7, winner of Race 5 of the Australian Championship on
Sydney Harbour.
Photo © The Australian
18 Footers League.
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| Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Scott Babbage sailed brilliantly from the start and were never on danger of defeat as they steered Gotta Love It 7 to a 38 second win from Thurlow Fisher Lawyers. Third placing today and second overall in the championship went to Yandoo (John Winning, Andrew Hay and Dave Gibson) which finished a further 52 seconds back. |
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Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, during Race 5 of the Australian Championship on
Sydney Harbour.
Photo © The Australian
18 Footers League.
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Red Claw Wines (Matt Searle) was fourth, followed by Rag & Famish Hotel (Jack Macartney) and Panasonic (Jonathan Whitty)
The final pointscore in the championship was Thurlow Fisher Lawyers on 6, Yandoo 14, Gotta Love It 7 15, Red Claw Wines 15, Project Racing (Andy Budgen) 22 and Smeg (Nick Press) on 24. |
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Red Claw Wines, during Race 5 of the Australian Championship on Sydney
Harbour.
Photo © The Australian
18 Footers League.
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| Gotta Love It 7 was amongst the leaders from the start and quickly established a lead on the beat to the windward Beashel Buoy mark. Simon Nearn’s De’Longhi-Rabbitohs was in second place, 30 seconds behind Gotta Love It 7, followed by Smeg and Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, which trailed by 50 seconds. US champion Howie Hamlin had CST Composites in fifth place, just ahead of Yandoo. |
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Red Claw Wines and SLAM, during Race 5 of
the Australian Championship on Sydney
Harbour.
Photo © The Australian
18 Footers League.
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| The fleet flew downwind to the wing mark off Shark Island then to the bottom mark at Clarke Island. Thurlow Fisher Lawyers had worked her way through into second place, but was still 40 seconds from the lead. Yandoo had closed up to third, ahead of Smeg, De’Longhi-Rabbitohs, Red Claw Wines and SLAM, Grant Rollerson. |
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Jeremy Wilmot's Appliances Online, during Race 5 of the Australian Championship
on Sydney Harbour.
Photo © The Australian
18 Footers League.
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| On the following windward beat, the same seven teams were leading the fleet, although De’Longhi-Rabbitohs had been relegated to seventh place. |
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Smeg, during Race 5 of the Australian Championship on Sydney Harbour.
Photo © The Australian
18 Footers League.
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While Gotta Love It 7 held a commanding lead, the battle for minor placings was gripping as Yandoo and Red Claw Wines were also striving for overall results.
Gotta Love It 7’s lead was out to 1 minute and 20 seconds as she headed for home on the final spinnaker run via the wing mark at Shark Island, while Thurlow Fisher Lawyers finally shook off the challenge from Yandoo to take second place. |
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SLAM, during Race 5 of the Australian Championship on Sydney Harbour.
Photo © The Australian
18 Footers League.
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| Next week the Australian 18 Footers League will conduct the Commodore Trophy, with the usual Spectator Ferry leaving Double Bay Wharf at 2pm. |
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Panasonic, during Race 5 of the Australian Championship on Sydney Harbour.
Photo © The Australian
18 Footers League.
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More information and photographs can be found at www.flying18s.com and www.18footers.com.au.
Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League
www.flying18s.com. |
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| Outimage and the
Australian 18 Footers League © 2011 |
