Breeze for Sydney International Regatta competitors

by Sam Crichton on 19 Dec 2006 Steve Jarvin Motors Sydney International Regatta competitors were greeted today with a 10 knot easterly breeze which built to 20 knots and swung to the nor’ east during the course of day three of racing for the 280 sailors in eight fleets.

Racing began at approximately 10:30am with the 470 men and women’s fleets sailing in the area on Sydney Harbour just east of Bradley’s Head. Later in the day the 49er and RS: X Board classes raced to the west of Shark Island and the Laser fleet sailed in the area off Nielsen Park.

The 61 boat Laser fleet raced in their respective gold and silver fleets after completing two days of round robin racing. Tom Slingsby held off a strong challenge from Vasilj Zbogar from Slovenia with New Zealander Andrew Murdoch moving into third after today's three races.

Olympian Nicky Bethwaite and her crew continue to lead the Yngling fleet with the team having to drop a first place and Katie Spithill is holding her second place position. Nicole Douglas is rounding out the top three in this fleet.

Recently crowned NSW 49er champions Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin continue to lead 1999 49er World Champion Chris Nicholson who is sailing with Euan McNicol for this event. Victorians Will Phillips and Jon Newman make up the top thee in the 49er class.

'We started out in about 12 knots and it built to 22 and was quite bumpy with a chop from the outrunning tide. We won the first race by half a leg and in the second race the lead changed a number of times before we crossed Nico and won. In the last race we had a swim when the wing went in the water but luckily we can drop that result at this stage', commented Outteridge.

Martin Gaveriaux, sailing for France, dominated the RS: X Board men’s fleet again today and New Zealander Josh Nixon is in second place on a count back from Australia’s Michael Lancey. World Champion Allison Shreeve is leading the RS: X women’s class from Alisha Kawalla and Western Australian Belinda Stowell.

470 men’s class and Mathew Belcher and Nick Behrens are holding off challenges from both Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page and the Swiss team of Tobias Etter and Felix Steiger who are on equal points. Kathrin Kadelbach and Frederike Ziegelmayer from Germany remain at the front of the 470 women’s fleet.

In the Laser Radial fleet Australian Sarah Blanck sailed well to hold onto the top spot with two seconds and a fourth. Krystal Weir moves into the second place in the women’s group with Mexican Tania Elias-Calles Wolf slipping back to third after finishing seventh, eighth and sixth in today’s races.

The forecast for tomorrow is for a fine, sunny day with light to moderate north to northeast winds, freshening near the coast. Racing at the Steve Jarvin Motors Sydney International Regatta will wrap up tomorrow for another year.

Provisional Results Day 3:

Yngling
1 Nicky Bethwaite RSYS - 6
2 Katie Spithill RPAYC – 12
3 Nicole Douglas Jervis Bay - 21

470
1Mathew Belcher & Nick Behrens RQYS - 8
2 Tobias Etter & Felix Steiger SUI – 14
3 Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page MHYC - 14


49er
1 Nathan Outteridge& Ben Austin RSYS – 14
2 Chris Nicholson & Euan McNicol LMYC – 16
3 Will Phillips & Jon Newman Sorrento SC - 22

Laser (Gold Fleet)
1Tom Slingsby GSC - 15
2 Vasilj Zbogar SLO - 18
3 Andrew Murdoch NZL - 28

Laser Radial
1 Sarah Blanck RBYC – 18
2 Richard Bott MHASC - 27
3 Krystal Weir SYC - 33

RS:X Boards
1 Martin Gaveriaux FRA – 5
2 Josh Nixon NZL - 14
3 Michael Lancy MPSC – 14

Laser 4.7
1 Ben Laycock Blairgowrie YS – 12
2 Jonathan Dawes Belmont 16’s – 14
3 Ben Taylor RPAYC - 22

420
1 Lucinda Whitty & Kimberley Wilmot RPAYC – 11
2 Lachlan Doyle Shaun Wells RPAYC – 13
3 Ashley Carney & Nadene Wilson RPAYC – 22

29er
1 Steven Thomas & Jasper Warren RPYC – 17
2 Clint Marshall & Ty Marshall Belmont’s 16’s – 19
3 Joel Rose & Jamie Woods Belmont 16’s - 43

Full results http://www.sailsydney.org.au