2013 State Titles - Deviot Sailing Club

International Mirror State Championships Deviot 23/24th March 2013 The 2013 State Championships were held in fresh conditions at Deviot Sailing Club on 23rd/24th March. Well, actually on Saturday 23rd March, as storm conditions prevailed on the Sunday with horizontal rain, a thunderstorm and even hail, causing racing to be cancelled.

In spite of this, 5 good heats were completed. The series was won by Storefresh sailed by Ken Barnes and Alex Kingsley, who relished the fresh conditions and won every heat! Ken and Alex are headed for the Mirror World Championships to be held at Loch Derg in Ireland in July.

On the race track, the first four boats were pretty close, with second place going to Grant Atherton and Finlay Cooper sailing Kamikaze (2,3,2,4,2). Grant’s daughter Jess is the current National Champion. In third place was Carpe Diem helmed by Jenny Graney. Jenny’s usual crew, Ruby Smillee did not arrive in time to sail on Saturday, due to mechanical problems on the way up to Deviot on the Friday night, causing the car, and boat belonging to the McKay family to be stuck in Oatlands until Saturday lunch time.

Fortunately however, Jenny was able to pick up the 2003 Mirror World Masters Champion, George Fish as her crew. George is a local and came with the added advantage of local knowledge! Jenny had also had a flat tire on her boat trailer on the way up.

Xcelerate (Max Davey and Callum O’Sign from Deviot) came a very close fourth, by one point, and also won the Youth Championship for 16-19yr helm and crew. This was the first proper race that Callum had been in!

The Junior Trophy (helm and crew under 16 yrs) went to Jake Cauchi and Amber Tiller in Crikey and Division B was taken out by Nicole Erwin and Yasmin Dejersey sailing Dual Force both from Deviot Sailing Club.

The Rookie’s Trophy was won by Sam Hillcoat and Joe Savva who put in a great effort, especially considering the conditions.

John Davey has captured the event with his camera, and published a collection of images on his Flickr site. Overall results can be obtained here.

 

 

2013 Mirror Worlds Championships

The 2013 Mirror worlds, they will be held at Lough Derg Yacht, on the Tipperary shore of Lough Derg, Ireland’s largest inland lake. The worlds are scheduled to be held from July 27th to 2nd August 2013. As a prelude to the event, the Irish Nationals will be held from 22nd to 26th July 2012.

More information on this event can be obtained from Mirror Worlds 2013 Website. More information about the location, availability of charter boats and accommodation can be obtained here.

 

 

47th International Mirror Class Australian Championship

Montrose Bay Yacht Club, Hobart, Tasmania

The 47th International Mirror Class Australian Championship is now complete with it all coming down to the last race to determine the 47th National Champion: Kamikaze (Jess Atherton & Kath Maher) taking a solitary point lead over Bob (Anita Scott-Murphy & Ben Cruse) into the last race. Final Results are now available.

Kamikaze crossing the line to win the title

Jessie and Kath celebrate their National title

 

Throughout the fleet, there were plenty of other close battles going on during the championship. As the Sailing Instructions dictate that winners may only accept one trophy, there will be quite a number of smiles all round at tonight's trophy presentation. For this we thank our sponsors for their generosity:

 

Tamar Marine

Steve Walker Sails

Almasts

Peter Johnston Ship Chandlers

Ronstan

Anchor Wetsuits

Dinghy Sports

We also wish to thank the host for this regatta: Montrose Bay Yacht Club, the Organising Committee and the numerous volunteers who provided assistance both on the water manning rescue boats and committee boat, and those ashore providing canteen facilities, radio communication and ensuring that all ran smoothly. A special thank you is extended to Gary Kennedy for performing the role of PRO.

A complete summary of the regatta has kindly been provided by Grant Atherton below. Images are courtesy of Rob Cruse. A full gallery of photos taken by Rob can be found at http://www.robcruse.com.au/Sailing/AUS

Andrew Keil & Hayden Green get Stealth planning

 

The front pack reaching toward the leeward mark

 

Jess Atherton & Kath Maher plough through a wave in Kamikaze

 

Anita Scott-Murphy & Ben Cruse keeping Bob flat

 

Max Davey & Joseph Thomson showing the concentration that yielded a 2nd in Race 7

Tara Foster & Isabella Shields (purple hull) line up Tara’s father Stephen & Laeticia Mooney (blue hull)

The lead pack charge down the first reach under spinnakers

Sisters Molly & Lily Hulton in Star Bellied Sneech enjoy some speed under spinnaker

Bob heads for the start line on Port tack

Kamikaze leads the pack down the reach

Classic Rig Divisions winners Sky III

Youth Winners Xcel-Erate leading Ladies Champions Jazze

Day 5 3rd January 2012:

It all came down to the last race to determine the National Champion with Kamikaze (Jess Atherton & Kath Maher) taking a solitary point lead over Bob (Anita Scott-Murphy & Ben Cruse) into the last race. The task for Bob was simple, to win the Championship, they had to win race 8. Kamikaze started mid line and tacked onto port just before the gun, with Bob closer to the pin end of the line. Once the lead pack had sorted themselves out, Kamikaze led around the top mark with Bulletproof around 2nd with Bob a couple further back. The lead stretched out on the first reach and things were looking grim for Bob at this stage with a sizable gap to make up on the leaders. The order stayed the same for the next windward leeward, then Bulletproof got past Kamikaze just before the windward mark for the last time. Just as Bob were approaching the windward mark, a massive gust came through which resulted in a capsize for Bob and a near capsize for Kamikaze who were just setting their spinnaker, resulting in an unwanted load of water. Bulletproof made the better of this gust and opened up what looked to be a comfortable lead with Kamikaze keeping a watchful eye on Bob, who had quickly recovered from their capsize and were now gaining on Kamikaze and Bulletproof. After the final wing mark rounding the breeze lightened off resulting in the lead three boats coming back to within striking distance of each other. The wind had backed allowing Kamikaze to gybe onto Starboard which gave them right of way over Bob who were still on port. This allowed Bulletproof to stretch away and take the win, while Kamikaze kept a watchful eye on Bob, eventually crossing the line over a minute clear. This gave Kamikaze the Championship title by a single point, leaving Bob with a brilliant score line from which they dropped a 2nd and a 3rd, but came up just shy of defending their title from last year.

PRO Garry Kennedy reported average wind strength of around 15 knots, but also recorded a peak gust of 36 knots and there may well have been higher gusts that had even the top boats struggling to maintain control. The wind this morning was typical of what has been experienced all week, 0 to 20 knots and more with major shifts from NW to SW. Shortly after the fleet had returned to shore, the strength increased to a point where racing may not have been possible, so the early 0930 start worked out well.

There were plenty of battles going on throughout the fleet with numerous division prizes up for grabs, noting that the Sailing Instructions dictate that winners take only accept one trophy. This leaves the following list of winners in the various categories:

1st Overall & Australian Champions: Kamikaze (Jessie Atherton & Katherine Maher) Tasmania

2nd Overall and winner of the Frank Buxton Family Trophy: Bob (Anita Scott-Murphy & Ben Cruse) Victoria

3rd Overall and winner of the Veterans Trophy: Bulletproof (Simon & Sidonia Barwood) Western Australia

Winner of the Junior Trophy: Just Do It (Ethan Prieto-Low & James Stout) Western Australia

Winner of the Youth Trophy: Xcel-Erate (Max Davey & Joseph Thomson) Tasmania

Winner of the Ladies Championship: Jazze (Tara Foster & Isabella Shields) New South Wales

Winner of the Norm Deane Master’s Trophy: Storefresh (Ken Barnes & Alex Kingsley) Tasmania

Winner of the Cruiserweight Division: Foxy Lady III (John & Tim Andrewartha) Tasmania

Winner of the Cliff Scott Invitation Race: Bob (Anita Scott-Murphy & Ben Cruse)

Winner of the Classic Rig Division: Sky III (Marcus & Ishka McKay) Tasmania

 

Day 4 2nd January 2012:

Day 4 kicked off with adjustments to the Race 4 provisional results, with Hello Kitty (Harrison & Lucy Ede) being penalised 3 places for failing to sign off. A Protest heard this morning between Just Do It (Ethan Prieto-Low & James Stout) and Stealth (Andrew Keil & Hayden Green) resulted in the disqualification of Just Do It from Race 6. Going in to today the maths at the top of the fleet was fairly simple. With Kamikaze (Jess Atherton & Kath Maher) counting 4 firsts and a second and Bob (Anita Scott-Murphy & Ben Cruse) counting 2 firsts and 3 seconds, Bob needed to win the 7th & 8th races to tie with Kamikaze (assuming at least one podium place by Kamikaze in races 7 & 8) which would give Bob the series and the National Title on a countback.

Race 7 went the full distance and the conditions were very variable across the course meaning a real shuffle of the regular front runners. The Bob crew sailed extremely well to take the win and keep their title hopes alive while things looked bad for Kamikaze initially with them struggling to find clear air and sitting as low as 10th at the start of the second lap. Youth sailors Max Davey and Joseph Thomson in Xcel-Erate ruined the previous pattern of the women sharing 1st & 2nd between them and sailed well to take 2nd, with Kamikaze recovering to take 3rd and keep their title hopes alive as well. Kamikaze now leads Bob by a solitary point with the final race scheduled to be sailed tomorrow morning. To win the title Bob needs to take 1st in the final race whereas Kamikaze can take the title by either winning the final race, or Bob coming anywhere other than first (or the wind not allowing race 8 to be completed, the Sailing Instructions limit the latest time for the Warning Signal to 1200 hrs).

Demonstrating what a shuffle occurred during race 7, consider the fate of Kamikaze II (Mark Barrington & Celia May) who rounded the first mark clear ahead of the fleet but ended up slipping back to 9th  by the end of the race. Jazze (Tara Foster & Isabella Shields) relished the conditions and scored a 4th moving them up to 8th overall and giving them a 4 point lead over Tara’s father Stephen Foster & Laeticia Mooney in Bad Wolf. Storefresh (Ken Barnes & Alex Kingsley) crossed the line 5th which kept them in 4th overall and within 2 points of Bulletproof (Simon & Sidonia Barwood) who hold down 3rd overall after dropping their 7th from today’s race.

Sky III (Marcus & Ishka McKay) also liked todays conditions with a well-deserved 6th lifting them to 9th overall, and importantly for them moved them to the lead in the Classic division just 2 points ahead of Stealth (Andrew Keil & Hayden Green).  In the Youth division, Xcel-Erate’s performance today lifted them to a one point lead over Just Do It (Ethan Prieto-Low & James Stout), while Just Do It looks safe in the Junior division. Bulletproof look safe in the Veterans division, while Storefresh should be able to hang on to the Masters division. The Ladies trophy will go to the 2nd placed overall boat, as boats can only win one trophy (you would assume the open trophy and title might be more attractive than the Ladies title).

In the Cruiserweights Foxy Lady III (John & Tim Andrewartha) has a 7 point lead over Jolly Roger (Simon Edwards/Jan Stewart/Claire Edwards). Jenny Graney with Ruby Smillie in Carpe Diem missed races 5 & 6 with a back injury but was back racing today and scored an 11th, their second best for the series so far. Rex & Andrew Henderson sailing Fizz came all the way from Western Australia and have been unable to compete since the Cliff Scott Invitation Race on day 1 but were back on the water today and scored a creditable 12th.

PRO Garry Kennedy twice attempted to get the final deciding race underway this afternoon, with both attempts being abandoned before the boats were halfway up the first legs after the wind shifted and died. In these attempts for the final race, we saw the first individual recall of the week as sailors were keen to maximise their final results.

Day 3 31th December 2012:

PRO Garry Kennedy took the opportunity to sail 3 races today, which almost guarantees the full scheduled number of 8 will be achieved for the National Championships being sailed at Montrose Bay Yacht Club on the River Derwent. The theme of the first two days was repeated with the two leading women skippers sharing the race wins between them and opening up a significant gap on the rest of the field. “Kamikaze” (Jessie Atherton & Katherine Maher) won the first two races, with the first race being shortened at the windward mark on the final lap, with “Bob” (Anita Scott-Murphy & Ben Cruse) coming second in races 4 and 5 but going one better in race 6 to take the win comfortably from “Kamikaze”.

After race 5 was sailed the first discard was allowed, allowing Kamikaze to drop the 21 points from her race 1 disqualification and move into the overall lead. Unfortunately Katherine was unable to attend the presentation ceremony held today for the Launceston to Hobart Race where she sailed on “Moonshadow” to take 1st in the PHS division. The lady skippers are certainly showing the men how to sail a Mirror, with “Kamikaze” and “Bob” sharing first and second places in every race except for the race 1 disqualification of Kamikaze, when they were 2nd over the line.

Conditions today were again typical of what was experienced on the first two days, strong currents, big shifts but generally NW to SW winds and again huge variations in speeds from almost calm to 20 knots. The whole fleet is handling the conditions well, with the lessons from the first two days resulting in fewer capsizes and better understanding of the Montrose conditions.

“Bulletproof” (Simon & Sidonia Barwood) had a consistent day with a 3,5,3 return in today’s three races which allowed them to move into overall 3rd place, displacing “Storefresh” (Ken Barnes & Alex Kingsley) who is still doing very well with a 3rd in race 5 and in 4th overall and currently leading the Masters Division. “Just Do It” (Ethan Prieto-Low & James Stout) started the day well with a 4th, but then slipped with a 10th and a 9th in the following two races but are still 5th overall and leading the Junior Division. Masters sailors Mark Barrington and Celia May in “Kamikaze II” have now found the “go switch” after a pair of 12th placings in races 1 & 2 they have put together 4,8,4, & 4 to be in 6th overall. “Jolly Roger” (Simon Edwards & Jan Stewart) were the hard luck story of yesterday with a broken tiller forcing them to retire from race 6 but were back in the fleet today with a cobbled together replacement.

Today’s hard luck story had to be “Foxy Lady III” (John & Tim Andrewartha) who were quick out the blocks and found the best track to the first mark to round in second place only to have their spinnaker pole snap into two pieces – handy for martial arts maybe, but not being able to fly their spinnaker cost them as they slipped back to 12th by the end of the race.

7th and 8th after the 6 races are two of the Classic (Gunter rig) boats, with “Stealth” (Andrew Keil & Hayden Green) holding down 7th by 2 points from “Sky III” (Marcus & Ishka McKay) who are doing well considering they are also using the older style spinnaker.

The above are prior to protest hearings, so are provisional, but it is thought that none of the top few boats are involved in the protest.

Day 2 30th December 2012:

The second day of the Mirror Nationals got off to a sensational start with the protest by “Bulletproof” against “Kamikaze” in Race1 being upheld this morning after a marathon hearing taking over two hours, resulting in Kamikaze being disqualified from Race 1.

The day improved in the two afternoon heats for “Kamikaze” with regular forward hand Katherine Maher resuming her normal role less than 24 hours after stepping off “Moonshadow” the provisional PHS winner of the Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race. After defending national champions Anita Scott-Murphy and son Ben Cruse sailing “Bob” chalked up two wins yesterday in the Cliff Scott Memorial Invitation Race and Race 1, Jessie Atherton and Katherine Maher in “Kamikaze” took out Races 2 & 3 which were sailed Sunday 30/12/12. Conditions were varied with breezes widely varying between less than 5 knots to more than 20 knots and varying in direction as well which had the race committee busy adjusting the courses.

Race 2 was shortened at the windward mark of the final lap with “Kamikaze” getting the gun from “Bob” with Western Australian Juniors Ethan Prieto-Low and James Stout sailing “Just Do It” into third place. Montrose locals Ken Barnes and Alex Kingsley taking 4th ahead of Kingston Beach sailors Marcus & Ishka McKay sailing Sky III into 5th place, the first of the “Classic Rig” contenders. Race 3 went the full distance with “Kamikaze” taking the gun from “Bob” with Western Australia’s Simon and Sidonia Barwood in “Bulletproof” taking 3rd. Masters Mark Barrington from Tasmania and Celia May from New South Wales teamed up and did well to secure 4th in “Kamikaze II” ahead of leading Masters sailor Ken Barnes and Alex Kingsley in “Storefresh”.

Race 3 was notable for the sensational finish with 5 boats finishing within 4 seconds of each other, testing the Race Committee’s clerical skills.

Day 1 29th December 2012:

The 47th Mirror Australian Championships got underway with the Cliff Scott Memorial Invitation Race followed by heat 1 of the National Championships. The championships are being held at the Montrose Bay Yacht club on the River Derwent upstream from Hobart.

The weather conditions ranged from fickle breezes to full on conditions, with PRO Garry Kennedy noting 28 knots recorded on the committee boat, and that stronger gusts were coming through.

This wind strength and shiftiness caused many capsizes, and the field was well spread in the invitation race, with only two boats able to finish within the time limit: defending National Champion Bob with Victorians Anita Scott-Murphy and son Ben Cruse taking the gun ahead of previous National Champion Kamikaze, helmed by Tasmanian Jessie Atherton.

Jessie’s father Grant filled in as crew for day one while regular for’ard hand Katherine Maher was sailing in the Launceston to Hobart Race aboard Moonshadow, which is provisional PHS division winner of the 285 nautical mile offshore race.

Heat 1 of the Nationals had a different outcome, with all boats that did not retire able to just finish within the time limit.

The race looked similar to the invitation race with Bob again getting the gun ahead of Kamikaze. Storefresh, sailed by Masters Division Tasmanian sailor Ken Barnes with Alex Kingsley from the Montrose Bay Yacht Club showed good local knowledge to be third over the line

They were followed by Bulletproof sailed by Western Australia’s Simon and Sidonia Barwood, and Stealth from Victoria, sailed by Andrew Keil and Hayden Green. There is a protest hearing today, with Bulletproof protesting Kamikaze.