Day 5 Friday 10/01/03

The final day of the Sail Melbourne B14 World championship was a tense affair with 4 boats in contention for the title with 2 races to be sailed. At the end of 8 races the UK team of Jono Pank/Shaun Barber held a slim lead, after having an OCS decision reversed late yesterday, over Tim Fells/Dave Cunningham (UK) and Guy & Rhys Bancroft (AUS) who were tied for 2nd position. Another 2 points back were Matt Searle/Rich Bell (UK).

Race 9

At the 930am start time a 5 knot SE breeze saw the fleet underway. Most headed for the shore which had proved to be favoured throughout the regatta. As the first leg progressed the wind died and then came back from the right side of the course. Fells/Cunningham were buried at the start while the Bancroft team worked up the middle tending left. At the first mark, Tasmanian team, Adrian & John Beswick (AUS104) flew the flag for Australia rounding on the heels of Nils Jolliffe & Jon Branch (GBR728). Fells/Cunningham picked the pressure early and headed right to recover to about 10th position at the first mark. The Bancrofts also recovered well downwind to be 2nd by the bottom mark and initially headed to the right side up the next work. Ewan McLellan/Alex Matthews (GBR687) and Fells/Cunningham were the big movers up the 2nd work, playing the shifts to the left of the course to reel in Jolliffe/Branch. Searle/Bell (GBR725) had also recovered well after suffering up the first work to be amongst the leaders. On the last lap of the course McLellan/Matthews consolidated their lead while Jollife/Branch had an altercation with the Bancrofts at the bottom gate which left the Bancroft team in the drink.

Final placings were;

1. Beercan, McLellan/Matthews (GBR687) 2. AT&T, Fells/Cunningham (GBR758) 3. RayMarine, Jolliffe/Branch (GBR728) 4. Sprint, Searle/Bell (GBR 725) 5. The Nude, Reynolds/McMillan (AUS368) 6. Buggar the Bone, Bancroft/Bancroft (AUS357) 7. Snatch, Pank/Barber (GBR746)