World champs notch up a win at Tornado Asia Pacific Regatta

7th January 2008  

Mitch Booth and Pim Nieuwenhuis in race mode

Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby (AUS) continue to lead the Tornado Asia Pacific Regatta being hosted by Somers Yacht Club on the Mornington Peninsula at Sail Melbourne today.

Although Bundock and Ashby did not win either Races 5 or 6 today, finishing with third and fifth places, they remain in the lead on nine points after dropping their worst place. Today’s racing was conducted in extremely shifty winds of up to 15 knots.

World champions Fernando Echavarri/Anton Paz scored their first win of the series in Race 5, with Germany’s Tino and Niko Mittlemeier finished second.

Top Russian pair, Andrey Kirilyuk/Valeriy Ushkov won Race 6 and are now third overall. Oscar Johansson/Kevin Stittle (CAN) were second in this race, with Leigh McMillan/Will Howden third.

Currently Mitch Booth/Pim Nieuwenhuis are second placed in the series overall on 17 points, the Russians one point behind, leaving Bundock and Ashby a clear eight points in the lead with four races remaining.

Carolijn Brouwer, the lone female skipper in the fleet, did not have the top three day she was hoping for. Sitting 23rd in the ISAF World Rankings, she is very impressed by the quality of the sailors competing.

“There are a lot of top class sailors here. It’s an awesome regatta with really high level competition. But Bundy and Glenn are in a different league; they are good in any kind of conditions. We are up with the rest of the pack, but we can push harder and do better. We have a lot more in there,” said Brouwer, who with her crew Sebastien Godefroid is looking for a top five finish.

Looking forward to the Beijing Olympics Brouwer/Godefroid find themselves in an enviable position, they have qualified Belgium and themselves for the Games. “This regatta is good for us.

“We are in a comfortable position at the moment we have the opportunity to play around with our boat and sails and try things out before the Games. This is important for us as we don’t have as much experience as the other guys in the class so it takes us a bit longer,” Brouwer said.

The Championship concludes on Wednesday 9th and results are provisional pending protests. The Sail Melbourne ISAF Grade 1 event continues tomorrow.

Di Pearson