2021-22 Red Pumps 16ft Skiff Australian Championships in Belmont Bay - Day 4
by Mark Rothfield 6 Jan 2022 13:26 UTC
1-8 January 2022
With boat speeds nudging 26 knots, and a nor'east wind strength not far behind, it was survival of the fastest in races 6 and 7 of the 2022 Red Pumps 16ft Skiff Australian Championship today, hosted by Belmont 16s on Lake Macquarie.
SKE Electrical and Jamesco both snapped their second-rig masts, two boats broke rudders, one snapped its top batten in a bear-away, and there were multiple retirements. Back on shore, crews were applying eye drops by the litre to salve their blood-red peepers, having copped a saltwater fire-hosing.
Nevertheless, most relished the frenzied, high-speed action: "You're relying on your feel, your senses, your crew and how much noise they're making," explained Contender Sailcloth skipper Will Howard.
Adds skiff youth sailor Matthew Meaney from Tooheys Extra Dry: "We were loving it, especially that second race when it picked up a fair bit - some of those downwind runs we were just hanging on for dear life."
But through all this, heavy air specialists Moonen Yachts came through unscathed and with two solid victories. They're the only crew to win multiple races in the series - three out of seven - and they now sit second overall with two races to play and one further score to drop.
Nathan Wilmot's Ronstan crew will retain the yellow leaders' vests for tomorrow, having posted a 5th and a 3rd today. But strong winds are again predicted, forcing an earlier start time of 11am, which may again favour Turner.
"Strong winds have always been our favourite conditions. It's what skiff sailing is all about - going fast and keeping it loose," Turner said. "We were just hanging on all day long and trying to see where we were going through the spray. But we managed to keep everyone in the boat, keep the rig in the air, and got two wins to show for it."
Insight Building Services claimed second place in the heat but subsequently took on water inside the hull, which bogged the boat down and made the runs perilous. They limped into 24th.
The Contender crew clicked into gear in Race 7, finishing second across the line - partly making up for the Sydney Hobart disappointment aboard the TP52 Celestial for brothers Will and Richard Howard.
"Hobart was tough, it was long, and obviously the back-and-forth surrounding the protest was emotionally draining," Will Howard said. "At the start of this week we didn't have a lot left in the tank but you still find it. We're doing well, we're improving, and going in the right direction.
"Today, we like breeze and our boat handling is generally sound. We made some adjustments to the rig between races and it helped a lot. Our strategy was to keep it simple, with minimal manoeuvres, and it worked - the bottom mark was a graveyard at times."
IMEI also had a consistent day, with a 3rd and 4th. It's steered by David Gilmour, son of former match-racing champion Peter.
With injured skipper Tom Burton out for the regatta and reserve helm Jake Liddell unavailable, Knighton Group subbed in Australian Cherub champion Kris Fay to helm the boat... it's third skipper in four days. They managed a 9th and 14th.
Belmont's Bella Group, with Georgia Steenson at the helm, is the new outright leader for the female skipper trophy. Today, only she and Marilyn Sorensen on Shead were able to complete race 7. Lancelin continues to lead the Youth category from Tooheys Extra Dry.
Racing for the 13ft Skiff fleet was abandoned due to the strong conditions.
Results after Day 4:
Pos | Boat Name | Skipper | Crew | Crew | From | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
1 | Ronstan | Nathan Wilmot | Brett Davis | Malcolm Page | Man | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | [5] | 3 | 19 |
2 | Moonen Yachts | Daniel Turner | Angus Williams | Matt Stenta | Man | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | [11] | 1 | 1 | 22 |
3 | Brydens Lawyers | Lee Knapton | Peter Mackie | Ricky Bridge | StG | 7 | 2 | [12] | 4 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 26 |
4 | IMEI | David Gilmour | Trent Barnabas | Rob Napper | Man | [12] | 3 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 28 |
5 | Fluid Building | Nathan Outteridge | Tom Slingsby | Iain Jenson | Man | 5 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 5 | [17] | 6 | 35 |
6 | Insight Building Ser | Rod Carter | Adam Gilson | Andrew Stone | Bel | 4 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 2 | [24] | 40 |
7 | Contender Sailcloth | Will Howard | Richard Howard | Corey Hamilton | Bel | 10 | 6 | [14] | 9 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 40 |
8 | Domino's | Michael Quirk | Dallas Dawson | Thomas Stenson | Bel | 6 | 1 | 2 | 10 | [15] | 13 | 12 | 44 |
9 | Sail Racing | Felix Grech | Paul Darmanin | Tom Potter | Man | 11 | 9 | 7 | [15] | 9 | 6 | 5 | 47 |
10 | East Coast Marine & | Tom Dawson | Jamie Woods | Joel Castle | Bel | [16] | 8 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 56 |
11 | Newcastle Financial | Ben Bruniges | Justin Sharrock | Dave Hickey | Bel | 8 | 7 | 18 | 5 | [47O] | 10 | 8 | 56 |
12 | Money Links | Adam Piper | Troy Dobinson | Mark Willis | Bel | [23] | 13 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 69 |
13 | Red Pumps Red | Gerard Smith | Keagan York | Kirk Mitchell | Man | 14 | 17 | 10 | [19] | 17 | 14 | 10 | 82 |
14 | Lancelin | Brendan Crisp | Fynn Sprott | Tom Cunich | Man | [29] | 10 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 22 | 19 | 83 |
15 | SKE Electrical | Scott Babbage | Scott Beeby | Joel Skelton | Bel | 3 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 18 | [47S] | 47C | 91 |
16 | Toogara | Josh Tasker | Sam Monkhouse | Finn Rodowicz | StG | 18 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 10 | [27] | 15 | 92 |
17 | Sutech Building Cons | Michael Koerner | Josh Ponton | James Lawira‑Fernand | Man | 20 | 19 | 9 | [28] | 12 | 21 | 18 | 99 |
18 | Knighton Group | Kris Fay | Max Paul | Simon Hoffman | Bel | 13 | 24 | [25] | 21 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 100 |
19 | Red Pumps | Bruce Savage | Greg Windust | Jay Harris | Man | 15 | 18 | 19 | 25 | [28] | 8 | 16 | 101 |
20 | Jamesco | Ben Bradley | James Turner | Alex Marinelli | StG | 17 | 15 | 23 | 16 | 16 | 16 | [47F] | 103 |
21 | Pepsi Max | Ross Stutchbury | Ben Pilley | Shane Burke | Bel | [26] | 20 | 20 | 17 | 26 | 19 | 13 | 115 |
22 | Eric's Storage | Harry Lawson | Nathan Edwards | Alex Leslie | MH | 19 | [47F] | 16 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 47C | 118 |
23 | Tooheys Extra Dry | Matthew Meaney | Hugo Hamilton | Felix Prince | Bel | 22 | 21 | 24 | 20 | [29] | 28 | 17 | 132 |
24 | NHS Building Supplie | Matt Crockett | Robert Flanagan | Glen Dawson | Bel | 21 | 25 | 27 | [47F] | 20 | 20 | 21 | 134 |
25 | Vaikobi | Felix Daverio | Michael Childs | James Slee | Man | 27 | [28] | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 137 |
26 | Bella Group | Georgia Steenson | Michael Hochguertel | Rory Murtagh | Bel | 24 | 27 | [32] | 27 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 150 |
27 | CMG Property Mainten | Michael Vincent | Cameron Walker | Taylor Hodgkinson | MH | 31 | 22 | 33 | 23 | 24 | [47C] | 26 | 159 |
28 | Edenda | Will Beck | Andrew Stephenson | Peter McLeod | Drum | 30 | 32 | 31 | 24 | 27 | [47F] | 23 | 167 |
29 | XXXX Gold | Neale Jones | Luke Dunne | Mike Ovenstone | Bel | 32 | 33 | 28 | 26 | 33 | 18 | [47F] | 170 |
30 | Shead | Marilyn Sorensen | Steve Stenta | Michael Jenkins | MH | [47F] | 31 | 26 | 35 | 32 | 23 | 25 | 172 |
31 | Capital Brewing Co | Jessica Iles | Andrew Iles | Riley Pike | Man | 28 | 26 | 22 | [47F] | 35 | 26 | 47F | 184 |
32 | ADCO Constructions | Lachlan Steel | Ben Kirkby | Jerome Watts | StG | 33 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 21 | [47C] | 47C | 188 |
33 | Konami | Bethany Sherry | Jason Thompson | Shane Slattery | Bel | [47F] | 23 | 30 | 30 | 22 | 47S | 47C | 199 |
34 | Schweppes | Bailey James | Jamie Dobinson | Rob James | Bel | 25 | 30 | 39 | 31 | 34 | [47C] | 47C | 206 |
35 | Employment Hero | Andrew Divola | Alastair Hunter | George Thompson | Man | 35 | 37 | 34 | 37 | 36 | [47C] | 47C | 226 |
36 | Fireball | James Downey | James Pinnington | Sam Skeen | Man | 34 | 39 | 37 | 32 | 38 | [47C] | 47C | 227 |
37 | Aristocrat | Kimberly Baker | Jackson Baker | Jon Searles | Bel | 37 | 34 | 35 | 33 | [47F] | 47F | 47C | 233 |
38 | PT | Hayden Hansen | Nathan Guliksen | Mark Murray | Gos | [47F] | 38 | 38 | 34 | 31 | 47C | 47C | 235 |
39 | One Too Many | Stephen Chapman | Paul Harrison | Greg Steenson | Bel | [47F] | 36 | 40 | 36 | 30 | 47C | 47C | 236 |
40 | Cunninghams | Nick Connor | Zac Barnabas | Daniel Nugent | Man | 9 | [47C] | 47C | 47C | 47C | 47C | 47C | 244 |
41 | White Tiger | Michael Carter | Craig Doran | David Russel | Man | 38 | 40 | 41 | 39 | 39 | [47S] | 47C | 244 |
42 | Kammakazie | Richard Williams | Phil Jenkins | Ian Wood | MH | 36 | 35 | 36 | [47F] | 47C | 47F | 47C | 248 |
43 | Weathertex | Jess Rivers | Will Rivers | Ryan Watt | Gos | [47F] | 41 | 47O | 40 | 37 | 47C | 47C | 259 |
44 | Inspectrite Australi | David Taylor | Josh Henshaw | William Horin | Bel | [47F] | 47F | 42 | 38 | 40 | 47C | 47C | 261 |
45 | Iron Jack | Griffin Suters | Geoff Akhurst | Sophia Ugarte | Bel | [47S] | 47F | 47C | 47F | 47F | 47C | 47C | 282 |
45 | Brian Hilton Motor G | Brent Connor | Sam Grik | Lincoln Senior | Gos | [47C] | 47C | 47C | 47C | 47C | 47C | 47C | 282 |
See full results here. More information on the event website.