Australien

I survived the January sales by digitally watching the Australian Nationals and the Miami Moth event. The Australian Nationals especially seemed from another planet, (Australien geddit?) where rain, cold and massive waves sorted the hommes from the garçons. Most of the time we sail in flatish waters, with only the UK Nationals, and now the Australian ones being an exception, and the results of last week prove that these days preparation must be event specific if you are to do any good. Anyway well done Rob Gough for taking the event.

In Miami it was different, with a relaxez -vous race style sailed in light winds and blue skies. Anthony Kouton using the new Mach2 front foil seemed to be first up, closely followed by Brad Funk.

I write this at 0800 this Sunday morning. It's cold outside at about 4 degrees, and the harbour weather station is saying 20 knots. It's an easterly wind so just getting off the beach could be a problem, especially at my height. Still, its a good time to sail in Chichester harbour, made more bearable by the heated floor in the changing rooms!

This week I was at the Fiat dealer Conference with Abarth. The new cars look fabulous! Anyway better go, if I hang around here too long, I'll find a reason to stay inside..

Australian Moth National championships - Halfway stage

Another cruncher today as two more races were completed. Tasmanian Rob Gough's excellent boat handling means he's on top as the competitors go into the lay day. Although the wind wasnt strong apparently the waves made even windward work exceptionally difficult. Scott Babbage in "7" won the first race today and now sits 3 points off the lead. Nathan Outteridge is still third but expect a big comeback as the winds are forecast to drop on Thursday and Friday.

Here's a video from day 1. Highlights? Scott exceptional "save" at the windward mark and Nathan's dodgy hat...

Detailed results here..

Australian Moth National Championships

images courtesy of Lochy Byrne

The Australian Moth Championships are currently underway at Morningtown Bay Yacht Club on Victoria's spectacular Morningtown Peninsula, situated on Port Phillip Bay.

Early reports are of massive waves running 70 degrees to the wind. Yesterday was windy and today was lighter, but the waves still remain and after 4 races Rob Gough is leading from Scott Babbage and current World Champion Nathan Outteridge. Andrew McDougall is in a hugely impressive 4th place with Peter Burling 5th.

Nathan said "Been pretty windy here here and massive waves, Amac is fast and we are all trying to to get his secrets as always.."

Sound the Klaxon! Peter Burling takes a dive

Here are the results after today.

1	6	AUS8	Altitude	Rob Gough	RYCTasmania	1.0S	10.0	1.0	3.0	1.0	5.0
2	7	AUS3	7	Scott Babbage	Woollahra SC		10.0	2.0	4.0	3.0	1.0
3	42	AUS1	WMD	Nathan Outteridge	RSIS, WSC		12.0	3.0	2.0	4.0	3.0
4	2	AUS3900	NoNa	Andrew McDougall	Black Rock YC		21.0	5.0	6.0	2.0	8.0
5	41	NZL4	1	Peter Burling	Tarranga		22.0	7.0	1.0	5.0	9.0
6	1	AUS2	Zhik Moth	Joe Turner	Woollahra SC		25.0	4.0	5.0	10.0	6.0
7	24	AUS3719	The Box	Phillip Kurts	Woollahra SC		26.0	6.0	8.0	8.0	4.0
8	36	AUS3776	Flying Hellfish	Joshusa McKnight	Woollahra SC		27.0	9.0	9.0	7.0	2.0
9	9	GRB3769	Flying Banana	Andrew Budgen	England		38.0	11.0	7.0	9.0	11.0
10	15	AUS3685	Racer X Marine	Leigh Dunstan	Mornington YC	7.0S	49.0	19.0	12.0	11.0	7.0
11	18	AUS3903	XTC	James Owen-Smith	Daveys Bay YC		49.0	8.0	15.0	14.0	12.0
12	5	AUS3636	20 Good Reasons	Steven Sherring	Southport YC		53.0	12.0	10.0	13.0	18.0
13	14	AUS3832	Stonecutter	Les Thorpe	BYRA		58.0	10.0	11.0	16.0	21.0
14	22	AUS3631	RAG Racing	Julian Salter	Tasmania	6.0S	60.0	27.0	13.0	6.0	14.0
15	11	AUS3775	Big Night Last Night	Samatha England	Mornington YC		60.0	13.0	22.0	12.0	13.0
16	10	AUS3717	Dripping Carbon	Jack Sherring	Southport YC		63.0	20.0	18.0	15.0	10.0
17	4	AUS3783	Peanuts Dream	Warren Sare	Woollahra SC		70.0	15.0	17.0	18.0	20.0
18	3	37	NHS Plaster & Timber	Matt Crockett	LMYC		74.0	17.0	14.0	21.0	22.0
19	38	AUS3641	Bismark	Peter Valpiani	Woollahra SC		76.0	16.0	19.0	17.0	24.0
20	21	SWE3786	Sweeden Racing	Nils Akervall	Sweeden		86.0	23.0	24.0	24.0	15.0
21	25	AUS3878	Stray Returns	Andrew Cuddihy	Woollahra SC		94.0	21.0	21.0	22.0	30.0
22	32	33	Ace	James Dorron	Manly 16ft SC		100.0	14.0	43.0C	20.0	23.0
23	19	AUS3823	MK Building Group	Richard Jackson	Mt.Martha YC		104.0	18.0	27.0	43.0C	16.0
24	13	AUS3781	Impact	Will Logan	RYCTasmania		115.0	28.0	25.0	19.0	43.0C
25	35	9336	Leeroy Jenkins	Mark Hughes	Southport YC		120.0	32.0	30.0	25.0	33.0
26	17	IRL3771	Balin Dubh	Micheal O'Sea	Woollahra SC		122.0	25.0	26.0	43.0C	28.0
27	16	AUS3655	Ourboros	Alan Goddard	Balmoral SC		124.0	26.0	23.0	43.0C	32.0
28	28	AUS3865	Sea Steeze	Kyle Ross	McCrae YC		125.0	29.0	28.0	43.0C	25.0
29	39	AUS3676	Mark 6 Mini	Eelco Boers	WSVONS		128.0	22.0	20.0	43.0C	43.0C
30	29	AUS3574	Karma	Phil Stevenson	St George SC		136.0	43.0C	43.0C	23.0	27.0
31	40	AUS3807	K-San	Ryan Kelly	Wallaroo SC		139.0	24.0	29.0	43.0C	43.0C
32	31	AUS3359	Chatterbox	Stuart Ormond	Black Rock YC		143.0	43.0C	43.0C	26.0	31.0
33	30	AUS3780	Natsu	Kohei Kajimoto	Black Rock YC		145.0	43.0C	16.0	43.0C	43.0C
34	12	AUS3731	Mach 2	Lochlin Byrne	Black Rock YC	17.0S	146.0	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C	17.0
35	20	AUS3770	Ladybird	Emma Spiers	Woollahra SC		146.0	31.0	43.0C	43.0C	29.0
36	37	AUS3904	East Coast Marine	Scott Beeby	NCYC		148.0	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C	19.0
37	27	AUS3767	Midnight Foiler	Simon Liddington	Woollahra SC		155.0	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C	26.0
38	33	9364	Silver Shadow	Nick Billett	RQueenslandYS		159.0	30.0	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C
39	34	9256	Smith	Ian Sim	SC2		172.0	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C
39	26	AUS3638	Crumpet	David Martin	Woollahra SC		172.0	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C
39	8	AUS3634	Sailing Bits.com	David Robinson	Woollahra SC		172.0	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C
39	23	NONUM3	NoNf	Jame Mackenzie	SC1		172.0	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C	43.0C