Race 2
Sponsored by Winning Appliances and SLAM
(Today’s race sponsored by Maytag)
Sunday, 15 February 2009
Sydney Harbour
Matthew Searle, Dan Wilsdon and Archie Massey totally dominated the 32-boat fleet today when they took out Race 2 of the JJ Giltinan Championship on Sydney Harbour.
The trio took Active Air-2UE to the lead from the start and was never headed over the long South-East course.
Their winning margin was an impressive 1m15s over defending champion Seve Jarvin in Gotta Love It 7.and has also given the team the overall point lead in the championship.
With a number of protests being lodged, all placings and point scores are provisional at this time.
Third placing today went to Rag & Famish Hotel (John Harris), which finished 42s behind Gotta Love It 7.
After a disastrous first leg of the course, Southern Cross Constructions (Euan Mc Nicol) finished strongly to take fourth place, ahead of Me (Ian Henderson) and Race 1 winner Smeg, skippered by Hugh Stodart.
Provisional points are Active Air-2UE on 4 points, Southern Cross 6, Smeg 7, Rag & Famish 8, Gotta Love It 7 9 and appliancesonline.com.au, John Winning Jr. on 13.
In a bold move, Yandoo (John Winning), Southern Cross Constructions and Project Racing (Andy Budgen) went to the RHS of the course immediately after the start while the majority of the fleet went on a long starboard tack to Steel Point.
When the two groups met those on the LHS were more than two minutes ahead.
Active Air-2UE held an 8s lead over Gotta Love It 7 at the windward mark, with Macquarie Real Estate (Micah Lane) a further 20s back in third place.
Rag & Famish was fourth ahead of Me, Kinder Caring Home Nursing (Brett Van Munster), appliancesonline and Smeg, which was one minute from the lead.
Active Air-2UE retained her lead on the long spinnaker run to Robertson Point then eased further away on the work back to Clark Island.
Although 1m20s behind Active Air-2UE, Ian Henderson and his Me team of Aron Everett and Reece Goldsmith were superb on this leg as they sailed into second place 20s ahead of Kinder Caring.
Gotta Love It 7 was 2m55s from the lead in fourth place, followed by Rag & Famish, Macquarie Real Estate, Asko Appliances (Evan Walker), Smeg, appliancesonline and Pure Blonde (James Francis).
While Active Air-2UE continued to lead comfortably at the Rose Bay mark (55s), Gotta Love It 7 was the big improver as Jarvin and his team came back into second place, ahead of Me, Kinder Caring, Southern Cross, Rag & Famish, Smeg and Macquarie Real Estate.
The ‘loop’ across the harbour to Taylors Bay and return to Rose Bay saw little positional change as Active Air-2UE continued to hold a race winning lead over Gotta Love It 7.
Me was still holding on to third place although pressure was now being applied by Rag & Famish and Southern Cross.
Today’s photographs will be published on www.18footers.com.au.
Video coverage is on www.sailcam.tv.
Frank Quealey
Australian 18 Footers League
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