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Savvy Navvy 2024

2021-22 Red Pumps 16ft Skiff Australian Championships in Belmont Bay - Day 5

by Mark Rothfield 7 Jan 2022 14:10 UTC 1-8 January 2022

A long-awaited and much-wanted Red Pumps 16ft Skiff Australian Championship was in the spinnaker bag today for Nathan Wilmot, Brett Davis and Malcolm Page aboard Ronstan... right up until their spinnaker cruelly disintegrated 300 metres from the final downwind mark, taking their hopes of an early celebration with it.

The Manly 16s crew had gained the lead after seeing off their primary threat, Daniel Turner's Moonen Yachts, and were engaged in a two-boat duel with clubmate IMEI. The gear failure opened a passing lane that IMEI quickly capitalised on.

With IMEI snatching the victory from Ronstan, displacing Moonen by a solitary point for second overall, it means the title is up for grabs tomorrow for any of the three boats. Mathematically there may be other possibilities but it's unlikely, and in a sense it's fitting that such a high quality and hotly contested regatta should come down to the wire.

Ironically, Ronstan was poised for its first race win after eight attempts this series - they've reached the top through sheer, unwavering consistency, never falling outside the top five.

"We were having probably our best race of the regatta as we've finally learned how to sail with our smaller rig," Wilmot said. "Then, all of a sudden, a little rip turned into a full blown-out spinnaker and we lost first place.

"We could've had an early shower and a few beers to celebrate but now we have to sail again tomorrow. We'll go out and give it all we've got.

"I've done the past three nationals and sailed these boats for a long time. I haven't won a national title yet, so I know how hard it is. Maybe tomorrow we'll be celebrating."

IMEI skipper David Gilmour felt they'd done well to stay in touch with Ronstan during the race.

"We led early then were passed by several boats going downwind. We pushed away again on the second leg and it then became a two-boat race with us and Ronstan.

"They had the gear failure but we were close enough to take advantage of it. That's part of sailing but I feel for those guys because they sailed a very good race."

In IMEI and Moonen's favour if a countback's required is the fact they've both won prior races. Either way, Manly will likely score the trifecta after Belmont took the quinella in the last national title.

Best of the local skiffs, in sixth place overall currently, is Insight Building Services. It finished fourth today and is ruing missed opportunities

"We've been reflecting on the fact that we're the leading Belmont boat," crewman Andrew Stone said. "We've had an inconsistent regatta but looking back at the racing, we're really happy with how things are going from a club perspective.

"We were buried back in 17th place early today but we pushed the boat through to fourth and we've learned a lot as a team.

"Our game plan for tomorrow is to go for it. We're right on the heels of Fluid, with Outteridge and the boys, so it would be really sweet to beat them."

Fluid's all-star SailGP team showed their tactical strength today by finishing third, but they're paying the penalty for earlier race scores of a 7 and 6. A top-5 overall was their pre-regatta ambition, which they can potentially achieve.

The crew of East Coast Marine were tipped as contenders but haven't peaked at the right time. Today they pulled out the big rig, despite the marginal wind conditions of 15-18 knots, and came tenth.

"We just thought we'd sail free and easy and stick with what we know. We came back into the race as it wore on," said sheethand Joel Castle, who is also the brother-in-law of Tom Slingsby.

On Slingsby: "He sets the benchmark fairly high but it has been great sailing with Tom. We're close mates but we don't get too many chances to be on the racecourse at the same time."

In other results, young Manly sailors Max Downey and Thomas Mountstephens aboard Cheeky have taken an unassailable lead in the 13ft Skiff national championship with a perfect scorecard.

North-east winds are predicted to continue for the final day's racing tomorrow, gusting to 20 knots.

See full results here. More information on the event website.

Results after Day 5: (two discards)

PosBoat NameSkipperCrewCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8Pts
1RonstanNathan WilmotBrett DavisMalcolm PageMan2[4]424[5]3217
2IMEIDavid GilmourTrent BarnabasRob NapperMan[12]3[11]6134118
3Moonen YachtsDaniel TurnerAngus WilliamsMatt StentaMan156[8][11]11519
4Brydens LawyersLee KnaptonPeter MackieRicky BridgeStG72[12]4247[11]26
5Fluid BuildingNathan OutteridgeTom SlingsbyIain JensonMan5[11]175[17]6327
6Insight Building SerRod CarterAdam GilsonAndrew StoneBel4[16]31142[24]428
7Domino'sMichael QuirkDallas DawsonThomas StensonBel61210[15][13]12738
8Contender SailclothWill HowardRichard HowardCorey HamiltonBel[10]6[14]9672939
9Sail RacingFelix GrechPaul DarmaninTom PotterMan[11]97[15]965642
10Newcastle FinancialBen BrunigesJustin SharrockDave HickeyBel87[18]5[47O]108846
11East Coast Marine &Tom DawsonJamie WoodsJoel CastleBel[16]85143[15]111051
12SKE ElectricalScott BabbageScott BeebyJoel SkeltonBel3128318[47S][47C]1357
13Money LinksAdam PiperTroy DobinsonMark WillisBel[23]1315137129[18]69
14LancelinBrendan CrispFynn SprottTom CunichMan[29]1013118[22]192182
15Red Pumps RedGerard SmithKeagan YorkKirk MitchellMan141710[19]171410[19]82
16Eric's StorageHarry LawsonNathan EdwardsAlex LeslieMH19[47F]16121311[47C]1586
17Knighton GroupKris FayMax PaulSimon HoffmanBel13[24][25]21199141490
18Red PumpsBruce SavageGreg WindustJay HarrisMan151819[25][28]8161692
19ToogaraJosh TaskerSam MonkhouseFinn RodowiczStG1814171810[27]15[20]92
20JamescoBen BradleyJames TurnerAlex MarinelliStG1715[23]161616[47F]1292
21Sutech Building ConsMichael KoernerJosh PontonJames Lawira‑FernandMan20199[28]122118[47C]99
22Pepsi MaxRoss StutchburyBen PilleyShane BurkeBel[26]202017[26]191324113
23NHS Building SupplieMatt CrockettRobert FlanaganGlen DawsonBel2125[27][47F]20202117124
24Tooheys Extra DryMatthew MeaneyHugo HamiltonFelix PrinceBel22212420[29][28]1723127
25VaikobiFelix DaverioMichael ChildsJames SleeMan27[28]2122232420[47C]137
26Bella GroupGeorgia SteensonMichael HochguertelRory MurtaghBel24[27][32]2725252227150
27CMG Property MaintenMichael VincentCameron WalkerTaylor HodgkinsonMH3122[33]2324[47C]2626152
28Capital Brewing CoJessica IlesAndrew IlesRiley PikeMan282622[47F]3526[47F]22159
29EdendaWill BeckAndrew StephensonPeter McLeodDrum30[32]312427[47F]2328163
30XXXX GoldNeale JonesLuke DunneMike OvenstoneBel32[33]28263318[47F]29166
31SheadMarilyn SorensenSteve StentaMichael JenkinsMH[47F]3126[35]32232531168
32SchweppesBailey JamesJamie DobinsonRob JamesBel2530393134[47C][47C]25184
33ADCO ConstructionsLachlan SteelBen KirkbyJerome WattsStG3329292921[47C][47C]47C188
34KonamiBethany SherryJason ThompsonShane SlatteryBel[47F]23303022[47S]47C47S199
35FireballJames DowneyJames PinningtonSam SkeenMan3439373238[47C][47C]30210
36Employment HeroAndrew DivolaAlastair HunterGeorge ThompsonMan3537343736[47C][47C]32211
37AristocratKimberly BakerJackson BakerJon SearlesBel37343533[47F][47F]47C34220
38PTHayden HansenNathan GuliksenMark MurrayGos[47F]38383431[47C]47C35223
39KammakazieRichard WilliamsPhil JenkinsIan WoodMH363536[47F][47C]47F47C33234
40One Too ManyStephen ChapmanPaul HarrisonGreg SteensonBel[47F]36403630[47C]47C47C236
41CunninghamsNick ConnorZac BarnabasDaniel NugentMan9[47C][47C]47C47C47C47C47C244
42White TigerMichael CarterCraig DoranDavid RusselMan3840413939[47S][47C]47C244
43WeathertexJess RiversWill RiversRyan WattGos[47F]41[47O]403747C47C47F259
44Inspectrite AustraliDavid TaylorJosh HenshawWilliam HorinBel[47F][47F]42384047C47C47C261
45Iron JackGriffin SutersGeoff AkhurstSophia UgarteBel[47S][47F]47C47F47F47C47C36271
46Brian Hilton Motor GBrent ConnorSam GrikLincoln SeniorGos[47C][47C]47C47C47C47C47C47C282

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