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Gemmill Homes Australian Flying Fifteen Championship at Esperance Overall

by Jonny Fullerton, Grand Prix Sailing 5 Jan 2017 07:07 UTC 30 December 2016 - 5 January 2017

The Jerwoods finish in style

The heat arrived in Esperance with light to moderate breeze for one final race to decide the gongs at the 2017 Gemmill Homes Australian Flying Fifteen Championship.

An early start and a windward/leeward course was set for the final showdown. The breeze fluctuated between 8 - 14 knots from N/NE with plenty of pressure puffs coming off the white sand dunes in Esperance Bay.

The start was slightly relaxed but Philippa Packer & Dean McAullay (Absolutely Ffabulous) drove off the line close to the committee boat end to get an early edge, however it was the boats at the pin who worked the left (inshore) side of the course that crossed in front for the first top mark turn.

No surprise as champions elect, Nick & Janet Jerwood (Ineffable) had their bows in front of another SoPYC boat, Greg Tonnision & Mark Lovelady (Spot the Difference). Alan Bax & Simon Childs (Fforever Young) led a bunch of the usual suspects in pursuit.

Tonnison & Lovelady stuck to the Jerwoods like glue to reduce the lead at the gate to a single boat length. Places were shuffling in the top ten as a number of small pressure puffs wafted down the course.

Tonnison & Lovelady attached the Jerwoods up the beat crossing tacks until they got the edge picking up a pressure shift to tack across their bows. At the top they managed to open out a 6 boat length lead on the Jerwoods. Ashley Smith & Adam Kingston from Sandgate YC in Queensland sailed well to move up to 3rd and local EBYC sailor David Swan (Swanny) & Matt Elliot with the bit between the teeth in (Phar Lap) 4th.

Down the second run the Jerwood machine closed the gap to 1 boat length at the gate and spectators expected the inevitable. However the other SoPYC pair, Tonnison & Lovelady were not going to let them have all the glory and the next upwind leg was an absorbing tacking dual with the lead changing hands several times.

Third and final time round the top mark and the Jerwoods had managed to snick in front once again. Swanny rode Phar Lap into third with the Queenslanders chasing.

The final gate rounding saw the battle close up again between the lead pair and more changes in the 3 - 8 positions. The final upwind leg was another absorbing encounter with the lead again swapping. Just when we thought the Jerwoods would add another bullet to their collection, Tonnison & Lovelady got the better of them in the closing stages to take the gun and move another place up the leaderboard in the process.

The British Flying Fifteen sailors Alan Bax & Simon Childs (HISC UK) crossed in 9th but discarded this result to maintain 2nd overall in the Open category. John Wilson & Matt Summers (Ffast Lane 4) finished 8th to just hold on to 3rd overall by a point from the rapidly improving David Yu & Chris Nelson (Tuffan Up) first boat from (RFBYC).

Ashley Smith & Adam Kingston (Ffast Lane) (QLD) finished their regatta with a 4th to squeeze into the top 10. David Swan & Matt Elliot (EFBC) sailed a solid regatta to finish 9th overall and first local boat.

Philippa Packer sailing with Dean McAullay (RFBYC) sailed a good regatta finishing 6th overall as first female skipper and 6 places in front of her husband Ron Packer back in 12th.

87 year old veteran Bill Shand from Victoria sailing with David Parish finished all races to finish 24th overall, not too shabby!

Karen & Russell Dawes (Eagle Eye) from SoPYC picked up the trophy for first Silver boat. (age of boat, not colour!).

So Nick & Janet Jerwood from SoPYC win their 3rd Australian National Championship title to add to their world championship and UK National winners medals. They serve notice to the visitors travelling to the Flying Fifteen World Championships in Napier, New Zealand in February.

The regatta will be remembered for sublime sailing conditions, blue skies, turquoise waters, strong breezes, waves (err ripples in Esperance) and a social programme you would want to emigrate to WA for!

Overall Results:

PosSail NoBoat NameHelm/Crew (Club)R1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8Pts
13986IneffableNick Jerwood/Janet Jerwood(SoPYC)111[3]121[2]7
24047Fforever YoungAlan Bax/Simon Childs(UK)3[13]42313[9]16
33989Ffast Lane 4John Wilson/Matthew Summers(SoPYC)236523[7][8]21
43859Tuffan UpDavid Yu/Chris Nelson(RFBYC)54[8]154[5]322
53743Spot the DifferenceGreg Tonnison/Mark Lovelady(SoPYC)62[9]88[13]2127
63775Absolutely FfabulousPhilippa Packer/Dean McAullay(RFBYC)485[15]674[10]34
73992Glamour BuoysGreg Leaversuch/Peter Barblett(RFBYC)[13][17]2104611538
83987Ffollow UsTim Walker/Alan Sharpe(SoPYC)85104[14][12]9642
94053Phar LapDavid Swan/Matt Elliot(EBYC)[42]677108[13]745
103972Ffast LaneAshley Smith/Adam Kingston(QLD)[12]7[19]91196446
113982StorytellerChris Paterson/Ed Repsevicius(SoPYC)11[16]311[12]5101151
123619AffrodisiacRon Packer/Steve Ward(RFBYC)[14]10[14]671081354
133717All TorquePeter Bowman/Ethan Prieto‑Low(RFBYC)10[42]1213131514[15]77
143526Fat RRRs Over the SidePeter Jackson/Les Kearney(VIC)15[20]16121618[22]1289
153856Feet and FingersJohn Wallace/Stewart Wallace(EBYC)92111142611[42][33]92
163879Aussie WayKim Peaker/Neil White(SoPYC)[19]1813[19]1816121693
173935She Who Must Be ObeyedJohn Hassen/Gene Donraadt(SoPYC)20917[21]15[29]181998
183822A‑SquaredAndrew Knowles/Anne Knowles(SoPYC)71242[42]91416[42]100
193855FflashpointPeter Rooke/Martin Arrowsmith(SoPYC)181515[26]19[21]1914100
203494Catch Me If You CanChris Wells/Gordon McWilliam(EBYC)16[23]1816[22]171721105
213800SaltheartMark Gooding/Michael Gooding(SoPYC)17[24]20[25]21191518110
223984FaffinCarl Pettersson/Kristine Pettersson(SoPYC)[31]11[32]1723252620122
233964FforeignerSimon Lucas/Aileen Lucas(PRSC)21142318[25]2323[26]122
244040Forty FortyBill Shand/David Parish(VIC)25[28]22[27]17242117126
253878Fast Lane IIRob Donaldson/Ryan Norris(EBYC)22[33]242427[37]2028145
263259Eagle EyeKaren Dawes/Russell Dawes(SoPYC)2325[33]22[32]312723151
274010Mr FoxMark Millman/Max Dobie(GYC)27272723[28][36]2522151
283909Tuffa NuffAshley Reichstein/Tim Buckman(EBYC)243521203022[42][42]152
293814Committed to ConfusionJJ Wallace/Sam Gardiner(EBYC)263028312020[42][42]155
303767BubblesKen Bubb/Lee Bubb(QLD)282625282426[28][42]157
313833No BullTim Bussemaker/Kevin Griffiths(SoPYC)[36][32]263029302424163
323928SwifftPeter Emby/David Sutcliffe(SoPYC)2919[35]32[37]283227167
333658HippoDavid Dwyer/Brittany Nicolas(EBYC)352230[37][42]322929177
343475Enuff RopeGreg Howell/Leanne Howell(SoPYC)30[38]343331[42]3025183
353057FfoenixJohn Lyus/Rita Nesdale(SoPYC)32343135[35]27[42]30189
363991Ffancy ClassiqueJohn Midolo/Gordon Roe(SoPYC)3331[37]3433[34]3131193
373659EndorffineWim Speelman/David Hall(EBYC)37[37]36363435[42]32210
383766The Last WonNils Blumann/Gary Warman(EBYC)343629294242[42][42]212
393931WOW!Michael Clark/Neil Smith(VIC)382942[42]3633[42]34212
40=3910Oui Non Peut‑etreJennifer Sims/Deanna Wilson(SoPYC)424242424242[42][42]252
40=3761ROffLSandy Dunn/Tim Barling(SoPYC)424242424242[42][42]252

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