Stoke Beer 18ft Skiff Auckland Champs- Knight Frank lead after 5 races

by John Little on 18 Nov 2014 The Stoke Beer 2014 18ft Skiff Championship was a blustery affair with strong westerly winds all weekend.

Saturday was a full blow out so the decision was made that five races would be sailed Sunday and the following Sunday (23rd of November) would be used to complete the series.

Racing was competed on a windward-leeward course with plenty of thrills and spills as the fleet battled wind verse tide.

In an 18-24knot Westerly race 1 got underway with Yamaha and ASCC over the line as the incoming tide made time on distance difficult at the start. While the fleet made their way to the top mark Yamaha capsized whilst returning to the start line putting them even further behind. Knight Frank led with Maersk Line and Aon Racing keeping the pressure on around the top mark and down the first run. Fortunately for Yamaha it was a two lap course which gave them time to chip away at the boats in front and made gains all the way around the course.

As Knight Frank extended their lead, Aon Racing and Maersk Line were in a close quarter battle for second position on the final downwind leg to the finish. However with so much focus on each other they left the door wide open for Yamaha who got a pearlier of gust to sail down the shore line inside them both to claim second place behind Knight Frank and in front of Maersk Line, Aon Racing and Fineline.

Race two was a clean start as Yamaha and Maersk Line claimed the early advantage on the right hand side of the course to cross ahead of Knight Frank and Aon Racing. At the top mark Yamaha rounded clear in front as Knight Frank absolutely had one as they pinched to try make the top mark. Gybing to clear themselves from Maersk Line and the top mark Knight Frank then had to dip Aon Racing before finally tacking on to the layline to round in fourth place.

As Yamaha extended her lead Knight Frank turned lemons into lemonade and picked up a fantastic pressure to gybe inside Aon Racing and Maersk Line and shoot out to a clear second around the bottom mark. As Yamaha tacked early up the second beat to head left Knight Frank banged the right hand layline and managed to pick up a shift that helped them reel Yamaha in to round equal at the top mark. During the neck and neck hoist Yamaha had a moment and capsized giving Knight Frank a clear run to the finish to claim another win. Yamaha managed to save third place behind Maersk Line and ahead of Aon Racing.

The race committee reduced race 3 to a one lapper and got things going again quickly after the last boat finished race 2. Knight Frank took advantage of this quick fire start and held the lead from start to finish to claim another win ahead of Yamaha, Maersk Line and Aon Racing.

Race 4 was a different story with the fleet ensuring they were on the line at the gun. For Yamaha and Maersk Line however they were a little too eager and got trapped to windward of Knight Frank and were held out above the start boat at the gun. Knight Frank then shot out to a slim lead ahead of Aon Racing as the fleet tacked and headed out right. Knight Frank maintained her lead at the top mark as Yamaha put on her after burners and clawed her way back up the leader board after completing a penalty turn to finish second ahead of Maersk Line and Aon Racing.

Race 5 was increased to two laps as the wind built to high 20s at times. Yamaha won the start at the boat end and held on starboard tack all the way to the Okahu Bay wharf. Whilst the rest of the fleet had tacked slightly earlier on to port, Yamaha picked up a big wind shift in the left to shoot out to a comfortable lead ahead of Knight Frank, Aon Racing and Maersk Line which was held all the way to the finish.

So after 5 races Knight Frank leads on 4pts ahead of Yamaha (7pts), Maersk Line (12pts) and Aon Racing (14pts).

Due to the abandonment of racing on Saturday races 6 & 7 will be sailed this coming Sunday, 23rd of November, starting at 1pm from the Auckland Sailing Club.

Thanks to Stoke Beer by McCashins, and our mates at Fineline Marine and North Sails NZ for their support.

Knight Frank: 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - (2) - 4pts
Yamaha: 2 - (3) - 2 - 2 - 1 - 7pts
Maersk Line: 3 - 2 - 4 - 3 - (4) - 12pts
Aon Racing: (4) - 4 - 3 - 4 - 3 - 14pts
Fineline: 5 - (DNF) - DNSx3 - 26pts
ASCC: (OCS) - DNF - DNSx3 - 28pts