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Latest News
Notice of Race for 2012 Australian Team Racing Championship released Yachting Australia has released the Notice of Race for the 2012 Australian Team Racing Championship, to be held at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron on April 14 and 15, 2012. The 2012 Australian Team Racing Championship Notice of Race and Entry has now been released. The event is open to teams from Member Yachting Associations (MYA’s) of Yachting Australia and two teams from New Zealand.
A team may consist of up to seven members and any combination of six team members may compete in any race.
Racing at the two day event will take place on Moreton Bay in the vincinity of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.
Teams will be competing for the ‘Australian Team Racing Championship’ perpetual trophy which will be awarded to the first placed Australian team.
More information is available in the Notice of Race which can be downloaded from the Yachting Australia event website by clicking here.
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Tess Lloyd’s condition continuing to improve in Brisbane Victorian 29er skipper Tess Lloyd is continuing to show very positive signs as she continues to recover from a head injury sustained during the final race of the Australian Youth Championships. Following the accident Tess was placed in an induced coma but is now fully awake and off the medication that was controlling the coma. Tess’ family and friends have reported that she is showing all of those ‘Tess’ traits that they would expect; a lovely smile, warm and friendly nature and a sense of humour.
Tess’ memory continues to improve, along with her speech, which is now generally very coherent. While some words don’t quite work yet, everyday means that there are fewer that don’t. Tess does continue to have some short-term memory issues.
Tess has been doing some physical testing – walking the line, balancing, throwing, catching and kicking a ball – without faltering according to dad Mark.
Tess has been a very hungry girl due to throat irritation but is now able to eat…although her craving for an “Urban Burger” remains unfulfilled!
The Lloyd family is currently of the view that while they could return to Melbourne shortly it is in Tess’ best interest, as she continues to recover, to take advantage of the very highly regarded rehabilitation facility at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. This will depend on getting access to this facility quickly. The Lloyd family would like to thank the excellent doctors, nurses and ambulance staff that have played such a big part in Tess’ recovery.
Over the last three weeks Tess has received an incredible amount of support from the sailing community across the globe, Melbourne yacht clubs, the Australian 29er fleet, her school and of course all of her family and friends.
Tess’ hospital room is filled with photos, balloons, flowers and posters, all of which have helped her tremendously during this difficult time.
These Yachting Australia updates on Tess’ progress will now be far less regular; a further update will be issued when a date for Tess’ return to Melbourne is known.
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Australian sailors win Gold and Silver medals on final day of Miami Sailing World Cup Australian sailors have won two medals on the final day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami, Florida, with Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page claiming Gold in the 470 class and Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty picking up Silver in the Women’s Match Racing. For Belcher and Page Saturday’s win was the first time that either of them had stood on the top step of the podium in Miami, in their fourth attempt together and numerous times individually. “It’s nice to finally get the win here, we’ve been second the last three years and I can tell you that one first is always better than three seconds,” said Belcher. The pair went into the final medal race 10 points clears of Dutch sailors Sven and Kalle Coster with the Australians guaranteed of at least a Silver medal. In very light conditions late in the day Belcher and Page did what was needed, keeping close to the Dutch to claim their first win of the 2011/2012 ISAF Sailing World Cup after finishing second at the opening round in Melbourne last November. “We were the last race of the day and the conditions were very variable, the breeze was down to between three and five knots so it was very close,” said Belcher. “Going into the race we knew that we couldn’t lose second so the plan was to stay close to the Dutch and towards the end of the race we were both right down the back of the pack. “The conditions were very difficult and we found that we had covered them more than we probably wanted and that they were in a position to lose the Silver medal, he said. “We showed a bit of respect to them and they got through to take second, we ended up crossing the line last but had done enough to win the Gold.” Belcher and Page won the Gold by six points following a consistent week where they finished in the top 10 in every race, including five wins. “We like coming here, the competition is always good and while the fleet size may have been down a little this year it was high end and our main competition were all here,” said Belcher. “It’s nice to start the season with a win and confirm our status in the fleet. We ticked a few things off here and now have a few more things to work on at home so that we go to Europe in a few months well prepared.” The Australian Women’s Match Racing Team crew of Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty lined up in their first ever ISAF Sailing World Cup Gold medal race together on Saturday, taking on former World Champion, Lucy Macgregor of Great Britain. The British came out of the blocks strongly, winning the opening two races before Price and crew bounced back to take the win in race three. In the variable conditions the British picked up their third win in the next race to take the title three wins to one, with the Australians bringing home the Silver medal. “We’re happy with our progress throughout the regatta however we are disappointed we came short of winning Gold, losing the final 3-1 against Lucy Macgregor of Great Britain,” said Whitty. “It was a hard fought final and we came back after being two-nil down but unfortunately they got the win in the fourth race.” “We have plenty more to improve on and are really looking forward to the coming months and working hard to reach our final goal,” she said. “Our support network and our coach have been a major help in constantly helping us achieve our goals as a team.” Brendan Casey went into the Finn class medal race sitting in third overall, within striking distance of second and with fourth close behind. Unfortunately for the Gold Coast based sailor the medal race didn’t quite go to plan, with Casey finishing eighth to be tied on points overall with third, but missing out on the medal on a count back. “It was a tough day at the office today and things didn’t go as well as hoped,” said Casey. “I had my opportunities out there, even down to the last run when there was a penalty given to the guy in second and the fleet compressed but it washed out that way. “I had a good start and good opportunities but maybe got a little greedy in the really light conditions,” he said. But that’s sailboat racing and when you don’t execute you don’t come away with the results you were after. “I learnt a lot in the last week, made tremendous leaps forward in my light wind and downwind sailing which I’ll take into next week’s Finn mid-winters in Fort Lauderdale,” said Casey. The next stop for the ISAF Sailing World Cup is in Palma, Spain, at the end of March. Full results can be found at: http://rmocr.ussailing.org. For more on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam. | |||||||||||
Gold medal for Fitzgibbon and Tesch at Sailing World Cup in Miami Paralympic sailors Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch have picked up Australia’s first medal at the ISAF Sailing World Cup round in Miami, Florida, winning Gold in the Skud 18 class. The pair started the day tied on points at the front of the fleet with the 2012 World Champions from Great Britain with two races left to run on Miami’s Biscayne Bay. Fitzgibbon and Tesch were fourth in the opening race of the day, one place behind the British crew of Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell, putting plenty of pressure on the final race. The Australians delivered, winning the race to take their second Rolex Miami OCR title by a single point. “It has been a week of us just chipping away, coming back, coming back, until we were third, second and then last night we got up to first, and today we were able to win in the last race,” said Fitzgibbon. “We were in second going into the final race and we had to beat the British team to win the regatta, I’m really happy about how it worked out.” In the Women’s Match Racing competition, which features all of the top crews preparing for London 2012 Olympic Games, Australians Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty have won their way through to the Gold medal race following a hard fought semifinal victory. In their semifinal, Price and crew came up against American skipper Sally Barkow, who had only lost one race during the series to that point. The Australians came back from a race down to win 3-1 in the best of five match-up and progress to Saturday’s final against Great Britain’s Lucy Macgregor. Having combined for the first time just six months ago, the final will be the first time that this Australian trio have contested the Gold medal final on the ISAF Sailing World Cup circuit and they’re looking forward to the challenge ahead. “We had a great day on the water today with a 3-1 win over American Sally Barkow,” said Whitty. “In the first race we had an issue with seaweed which was hard to overcome but we came back to win the next three very tight matches. “Tomorrow we’re up against Lucy Macgregor with the first crew to three wins getting the Gold medal,” she said. “Today we had some great racing and we’re looking forward to tomorrow’s final.” 470 sailors Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page had a perfect day on the water with two wins from two starts allowing them to extend their lead heading into Saturday’s 10-boat medal race. Belcher and Page will take a 10-point lead over the Dutch crew of Sven and Kalle Coster into the double point final race with the Australians assured of at least a Silver medal. “The last three years Mal and I have come here and taken away the Silver medal, tomorrow we’ll be looking for the win,” said Belcher. “Today we set out to have two good races and to finish up with two wins was great. “We’ve managed to put a few more points between us and the competition which is nice but as always we would have liked more,” he said. “The Dutch are a very experienced crew and we know that in the medal race anything can happen so we’ll just go out there and race our race and see what happens.” Brendan Casey heads into the Finn medal race third overall, just four points behind second following another strong day of racing. Casey won the opening race of the day and finished third in the final qualifying race to close the gap on Danish former World Champion Jonas Hogh Christensen in second. “Today was a really good day, we had good breeze, big courses again and some of the closest racing of the week,” said Casey. “In that last race four boats crossed the line almost simultaneously it was that close. “In race one there was nothing in it between Jonas and I the whole way around the track,” he said. “There was two boat lengths at the top mark, and I managed to get him on the last run and cross the line two boat lengths ahead. “With just four points between myself and Jonas the Silver medal is definitely achievable, it’s expected to be pretty light for the medal race so I’m sure it will be close again,” said Casey. Matt Bugg finished his week 10th overall in the 2.4mR class after a 13th and an 11th in the final two races. Bugg was in the mix in the highly competitive fleet all week, picking up five top 10 finishes, including a race win, from the 10 races. Full results and live tracking of the medal races can be found here: http://rmocr.ussailing.org. For more on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam. | |||||||||||
Aussie sailors celebrate Australia Day in style in Miami Australian sailors have celebrated Australia Day in style in Miami with race wins aplenty on day four of the ISAF Sailing World Cup’s North American leg.
The Australian Women’s Match Racing team crew of Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty won their way through to the semi-finals, Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page continue to the lead the 470s, Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch have taken the lead in the Skud 18s, Matt Bugg picked up his first win of the regatta in the 2.4mR and Brendan Casey holds down third in the Finns. Price and crew went into day four with one round robin race remaining, knowing that they had to get the win to secure themselves a position in the quarterfinals. The Australian trio got the job done in the morning with a win over their Argentinian opponents, setting up a quarterfinal against Russia’s Ekatrina Skudina. Price, Curtis and Whitty swept past the Russians with a three-nil win, and now will face American Sally Barkow in Friday’s semifinal. “We had one race early up this morning and got a win against the Argentinians which left us second overall in our group,” said Whitty. “Things went well in the quarterfinal and we managed to beat the Russians three-nil and make it through to the next stage. “We’re continuing to learn each day out on the water and are looking forward to tomorrow’s racing against American Sally Barkow and her crew,” she said. Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page take a four point lead into the final two 470 men’s fleet races following a sixth and a race win on Thursday. “Conditions were quite difficult again today, very variable and around 10 to 12 knots,” said Belcher. “We had a solid day which included a race win on Australia Day which is always nice. “In the first race we weren’t quite set up right, we were expecting the breeze to be stronger and had a heavy wind setting so got caught out a bit,” he said. “We changed the settings between races and immediately had more power and better speed. “We started the race well, covered the fleet and found ourselves out in front at the top mark,” said Belcher. “From then on we got some good lanes and were able to extend at the front.” In the Skud 18 fleet Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch had a perfect day on the water, with a pair of races wins giving them the lead on a count back over their British competition. The Australian pair has now won five of the eight races this regatta and with just two races remaining will be keen to finish the regatta strongly. Fitzgibbon and Tesch have had the winning feeling in Miami before, the crew won the 2011 event, their first ever regatta together. “It always feels better when you win on Australia Day,” said Tesch. “It was a bit windier than we thought it was going to be today but we’re continuing to learn as each race progresses. “Tomorrow we need to hold our place and continue to sail fast,” she said. Matt Bugg has moved himself up to eighth overall in the 2.4mR fleet following two strong race results on Miami’s Biscayne Bay. Bugg crossed the line seventh in race one before a great race win to round out the day. The 2.4mR fleet is incredibly competitive with the smallest of margins separating the boats and Paralympic and able-bodied sailors racing against each other. “Today for me was my best day so far with a seventh in the first race and a bullet in the second,” said Bugg. “I’ve been really happy with my boat speed over the last couple of days and today I felt that I sailed well too. “I got away cleanly off the start line and managed to tack in the right spots and stay in phase with the shifts,” he said. “We had great breeze today with around 16 knots on our course and I like it a it fresher so it really felt like my sort of day. “I’m really looking forward to the last day of the regatta, the fleet is really close in points between fifth and 10th so there’s heaps to play for,” he said. In the Finn fleet Brendan Casey continues to hold down his third position after the opening eight races with a third and a sixth on Thursday. With just two fleet races and the final 10-boat medal race remaining Casey is six points off second and one ahead of fourth. “After another two races on the Finn course today I’m still holding onto third,” said Casey. “The first race was really close and I couldn’t quite get past American Caleb Paine on the line. “I had a good start and got myself into a good position,” he said. “The top five guys were very close and I found myself in fifth, passing a few guys on the final downwind. “In race two we had a change of course and the right paid, with two of the Canadians leapfrogging the fleet and finishing first and second,” said Casey. “Overall it was a consistent day, I’m looking forward to the last two qualifying races before the medal race and fighting for a position on the podium.” Racing continues in Miami on Friday, with the Paralympic classes wrapping up their regatta, with the Olympic classes having their medal races on Sunday. Full results are available from http://rmocr.ussailing.org. For more on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam. | |||||||||||
Strong day racing for Australians at Miami Sailing World Cup round Australian sailors have enjoyed a strong day on the water at round two of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami, Florida. Day three highlights included 470 crew Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page extending their lead at the front of the fleet, Brendan Casey moving into third overall in the Finn class and Women’s Match Racers Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty putting themselves in the box-seat to qualify for the quarter-finals. Belcher and Page started the day two points ahead of Dutch pair of Sven and Kalle Coster with the Australian pair finishing Wednesday’s two races in seventh and a first to open up a five point lead. “Conditions were light again today, only getting into the low double digits, and continued to fade as the day went on,” said Page. “We were in the afternoon shift and I’d say we had the best breeze when we were tuning up before the start. “Once racing got underway we struggled a bit in race one, we couldn’t quite punch through the pack,” he said. “We were in the mix the while time but couldn’t quite capitalize. “Race two was a good one, we got a good start, got the first shift and took the lead three-quarters of the way up the first beat which made it a bit easier,” said Page. “Another four fleet races and the medal race still to go so there’s plenty left in this one.” In the Finn fleet Australia’s Brendan Casey has moved into third overall after a solid day of racing which included a race win, a fourth and a fifth. “It was a long day for the Finns with three races on massive courses but it was a positive one for me,” said Casey. “The first race was a solid start to finish win and I crossed the line about a minute ahead of second place. “I couldn’t quite back it up in race two and found myself out on the right when the breeze went left which left me eighth at the top mark but I managed to get a few back,” he said. “The last race was looking good and I was third at the last top mark but made a few tactical errors on the last run and a few guys got up the inside. “The racing is really tight here, the two guys ahead of me both finished in the top 10 at the recent World Championships and we’re having some close racing,” said Casey. “With three races today we had three different winners so it’s very close.” In the Women’s Match Racing competition Australian’s Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty have moved a step close to the quarterfinals with just one race remaining in the round robin. Price and crew are currently second in their group, siting on seven wins and three losses. “We had another solid day with two wins and just one loss against Lucy MacGregor of Great Britain,” said Whitty. “The race against Lucy was a solid one however she just managed to get us on the finish line. “We’ve still got one more race tomorrow, it’s very tight on the score board so we’ll have to wait and see but we’re really enjoying sailing here and looking forward to the next few days,” she said. Fellow Women’s Match Racers Nicky Souter, Jessica Eastwell and Katie Spithill have just missed out on a spot in the quarterfinals, finishing fifth in their group after six wins and five losses. “We sailed better today but unfortunately the first day’s results made it quite hard for us to come back and reach the quarterfinals,” said Souter. “We finished fifth in our group meaning we were the first ones not to make the quarters which is disappointing. “We knew that the format for this regatta was going to be cut throat and challenging and today we scored three wins and one loss,” she said. “We had some good races against quality teams and now we have a few weeks training here in Miami to work on a few small things then we head back home in mid-February.” In the 2.4mR class Matt Bugg is 10th overall, crossing the line fifth and seventh in the day’s two races. “Today was a better day for me with a fifth and a seventh,” said Bugg. “I had great starts and the nailed the first beat in both races. In the second race I cut it a bit close with a competitor and got hit by his mast and ended up having to do a penalty turn, he sailed off to win the race and I came seventh. “I was really happy with my boat speed today, both upwind and downwind, and am finally feeling that we’ve got my settings just right,” he said. “Today really was perfect sailing conditions, warm with good breeze and I’m looking forward to more of the same tomorrow.” Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch have held onto their second position in the Skud 18 fleet after another two races on Wednesday. The pair finished fourth in both of the day’s races to leave them just two points behind the leading British crew with four races left over the next two days. Racing continues in Miami on Thursday with the final medal races to be held on Saturday. Full results can be found at http://rmocr.ussailing.org. For more on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam. | |||||||||||
Belcher and Page take the lead on day two of ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami Australian sailors Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page have taken the lead in the 470 class on the second day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup round in Miami, Florida. Belcher and Page, the 2011 World Champions and current world number ones, started the day third overall, moving into the lead after a second, first and a sixth in Tuesday’s three races. Conditions were light again on Miami’s Biscayne Bay with the race committees working hard to try and bring racing back onto schedule after a lack of breeze limited racing on day one.
“Today was a good, respectable day,” said Page. “We had the best day of all the boats which allowed us to take the lead with two really solid races to start the day with a second and a first.
“In the third race we were in the pack and heading into the top mark on starboard when we had a collision with two boats coming in on port,” he said. “There was no damage but we managed to get tangled up which cost us a bit of time, we went from full speed to just sitting in the boat, once we got ourselves sorted out we fought back well and ended up with a sixth.”
The Australians have a two point lead over Dutch sailors Sven and Kalle Coster with their Argentinean competitors five points further back.
“Someone said to me today that we’ve only 40 per cent of the racing so far so there’s a long way to go in this one,” said Page. “We’re racing alright, a little shaky here and there but we’re having fun and enjoying ourselves out there.”
Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch had a great day on the water with two wins from two races lifting them to second overall.
The Bronze medalists from last week’s IFDS World Championships are now just a point behind the regatta leaders, Great Britain’s Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell.
Fitzgibbon and Tesch have now won three of the four races so far this regatta.
“Today was a really solid day for us, we won both races which was really good,” said Fitzgibbon. “They were both really solid wins in a perfect 10 knot of breeze and warm conditions.
“Tomorrow we’re going to keep remembering what we continue to learn and continue to perform on the water,” he said. The Australian Women’s Match Racing Team crew of Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty had a solid start to their regatta with five wins and two losses leaving them tied for second in Group B.
“We really enjoyed racing today in Miami with five wins and two losses,” said Whitty. “We ticked a number of boxes today so we’re looking forward to going racing again tomorrow, we’re scheduled to be out there at midday and it’s looking windier than today which should be good.
“We had strong wins against Claire Leroy of France and Rene Groeneveld of the Netherlands today, both those crews are ranked above us, it's always fun to get one over the higher ranked teams,” she said.
Brendan Casey continues to hold down fourth overall in the Finn fleet following two races on Tuesday.
Casey finished with a fifth and a third to be just three points off third and nine off the lead.
“It was another light day, under about eight knots for both races,” said Casey. “It was also a pretty challenging day, in race one I was up there and then got a yellow flag and finished up fifth and then in race two picked up a third.
“I’ve been consistently up there but couldn’t quite get to the pinnacle of the fleet today, Zach Railey had that covered with two wins,” he said. “I’m improving everyday and it’s been good training in the light conditions here in Miami which will set a good platform for later in the year.”
Matt Bugg is ninth overall in the 2.4mR fleet after the opening four races, with the Tasmanian sailor finishing the day with a 13th and an 11th.
Racing was again incredibly tight in the 2.4mR fleet with just seconds separating the top 13 in both races.
“Day two was a tough one for me,” said Bugg. “I got one very bad start in the first race and got spat out the back of the fleet and played catch up for the rest of the race finishing in 13th.
“The second race I started well but it was at the wrong end of the line and once again I played catch up for the rest of the race ending up 11th,” he said. “So after two days I've left myself with a lot of work to do and no more margin for error, this 2.4mR fleet is one of the closest fleets I've raced in.” Women’s Match Racers Nicky Souter, Jessica Eastwell and Katie Spithill return to action on Wednesday.
Full results can be found at: http://rmocr.ussailing.org
For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam.
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Major step forward for injured sailor Tess LloydInjured 29er skipper Tess Lloyd has taken a major step forward as she continues to recover from an accident on the final day of the 2012 Australian Youth Championships in Brisbane. In the last 24 hours Tess’ doctors were able to take her off the drugs that were controlling her induced coma. Tess is now fully awake, breathing on her own, alert and able to recognise family members and friends. Her motor skills appear to be good and she has been able to complete a number of tasks, including squeezing a tennis ball. Tess has been sitting up and spent time yesterday absorbing the many cards and messages she had received over the last two weeks.
As of yesterday, Tess has not used her voice and will be visited by experts in this area today.
For the time being Tess will remain at the Princess Alexandria Hospital in Brisbane until she is well enough to return home to Melbourne with her family.
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Light breeze slows down racing on day one of Sailing World Cup in Miami Light conditions have tested crews on the opening day of the Rolex Miami OCR in Florida, the second round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, with a number of Australian sailors beginning the regatta strongly. In the 470 fleet Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page finished third in the only 470 race completed on Monday, leaving the 2011 World Champions in the same position overall. “We had a late start today and unfortunately the breeze died right out, it was extremely light, only two or three knots at times and Mal wasn’t out on the trapeze,” said Belcher. “Saying that we had a solid start with a third place but there’s a long way to go in this one.
“There was a lot of weed on the racecourse which was playing havoc, I think we must have gotten the weed off the boat about 30 times during the race, but it was the same for everyone,” he said. “The conditions were quite shifty and there were some good guys who found themselves towards the back of the fleet so we were happy to get a solid result in early.
More breeze is expected on Tuesday with three races scheduled for the 470 class on Miami’s Biscayne Bay.
The Skud 18 fleet were able to complete two races with the Australian crew of Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch third overall. The pair headed into the regatta off the back of their Bronze medal winning performance at last week’s 2012 IFDS World Championships, also held in Florida.
Fitzgibbon and Tesch opened their account with a fifth before crossing the line first in race two to end the day three points off the leaders, World Champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell of Great Britain.
“In the first race we had an awesome start but got hooked on some weed and it was hard to come back from that, we ended up fifth,” said Fitzgibbon. “Things got better in the second race, we kept in the pressure and were happy with that and came away with a win.”
Brendan Casey ended the opening day fourth overall in the Finn class, with just one race possible in the dying breeze late on Monday afternoon.
“We only managed to get one race in today and I finished up fourth so it was a positive start to the regatta,” said Casey. “When we got started we had about six knots of breeze but by the end it had died right out to about two knots.
“I didn’t have the best start but when we got back into shore it turned out that seven boats were black flagged with a number of those either windward or leeward to me on the start line,” he said. “Even with a tough start I managed to round the top mark in fourth so it was a positive day.
“The plan for tomorrow is an earlier start with three races, there’s more breeze forecast and hopefully free pumping which will suit me,” he said.
Matt Bugg has made a solid start in the 2.4mR class and sits in sixth overall after the opening two races.
Last week Bugg was 11th overall at the 2012 IFDS World Championships and kicked off a new week of racing in Florida with a 12th and a fifth in the very competitive fleet.
“Today was a mixed day for me, in the first race I was a long way over at the start after having to crash tack on the start line to avoid a collision,” said Bugg. “This meant I finally started my race over a minute after the gun which left me with a lot of work to do and I had to take some risks but fortunately they worked out OK and I ended up 12th. So after rounding the first mark in the 20s I ended up with what may be a keeper.
“The second race I started well at the pin end of the line and made the most of the first left shift to round the first mark in fifth, then the wind went very soft and it became very difficult sailing conditions for a 2.4mR,” he said. “I lost a couple of places through bad sailing and getting out of phase with shifts but managed to gain them back on the last downwind to the finish, ending up in fifth.
“I'm currently in 6th position and I'm really hoping tomorrow that I can sail well and move up the leader board,” he said.
The Australian Women’s Match Racing Team crew of Nicky Souter, Jessica Eastwell and Katie Spithill had a mixed day, finishing with three wins and four losses from their opening seven races.
Souter, Eastwell and Spithill picked up wins against their Portuguese, German and Canadian opponents in the shifty conditions.
The Australian trio had losses against two of the American crews, along with their Finnish and Slovenian competitors with four more races scheduled to complete the round robin on Wednesday.
“It was a tough first day of the regatta,” said Souter. “We made a few silly mistakes around the racecourse which cost us a lot. We now have a fair bit of work to do on Wednesday and need to win all our remaining races to get through to the quarter-finals.
“The good news is that we have raced most of the higher ranked teams today but still it wasn’t the best start to the regatta when we finished on such a high at the World Championships in Perth,” she said.
Fellow Australians Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty begin their regatta on Tuesday.
Full results can be found at http://rmocr.ussailing.org/
For more on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam.
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