17 March 2010

Close call in Squadron Main Series Pointscore

By Peter Campbell

With just two Saturdays to go, only a handful of points separate the top yachts in the Main Series of all four mixed divisions racing with the Squadron, but in the one-design classes, the leaders are more clear-cut.

Last Saturday’s racing saw mixed handicap placing by the top placed boats and tactics will come into serious play in the final two races with handicap adjustments play a significant role. Final discard races will be important, too, in the outcome of several divisions.

In Division 1, Charles Curran’s Sydney holds a six point lead from Willyama (R Barron, S Sanlorenzo and T Stanley) with Equinox (John Molyneaux) Jackie Clare (Geoff & Debbie Davidson) and ISuper (Peter Campbell) all with a chance of making the final top three in the big fleet.

Only points separate Arcturus II (Peter Davenport) and Ambitious (David Matthews) after Ambitious gained two points with a second place on Saturday against a fourth by Arcturus II.  They are both comfortably clear of third boat, alouette (John Waring).

A first and a third in the last two races has given John Jeremy’s Tingari a seven point buffer from second placed Wallop (Bryan Collis & Stephen Wall) in Division 3, and ten points from third placed Come by Chance (John Nutt).

The two top-placed boats in Division 4, Brother Hood (Tony Craven & Jack Rigg) and Hornblower (Peter Campbell & Steve Sweeney) dead-heated for third on Saturday, leaving Brother Hood still three points ahead.  However, discards will close the gap.  In third place is Kerstin II (John Bowman, Ken Chase & John Goldie), five points behind Hornblower.

In the International Etchells fleet, Bushfire (Jervis Tilley) and virtually unbeatable points lead with two races to sail in the Main Series, well clear from Humpback (Stephen Barlow & Peter Gardner) and Alchemist (Richard Hammond & Roger Gain) which won last Saturday’s race.

International Dragon Sidewinder (Carl Ryves) has won 13 races in the classic one-design class and with two races to sail is unbeatable in the Main Series. Liquidity (Richard Franklin & Damien Hannes) are second, Indulgence (Robert Alpe) third in the pointscore.

Only one more race in the Main Series is programmed for the International Yngling class, with Troika (Ruth McCann) holding a 10 point margin in the handicap pointscore from Pourquoi (Hamish Jarrett) with Black Adder (Gary Pearce) a close third.  In the scratch series, Pourquoi is a clear leader from Uncanny (Mel Nathan & Michael Nash) with Black Adder third in standings.

From Peter Campbell

M: 0419 385 028  E: peter_campbell@bigpond.com