| FRAMANTLE, AUSTRALIA-(12-12-2002) It is 19:15 as I start writing this report; It has been a very long day. We launched before noon for a 13:00 start and two races. Race 5 was abandoned on the second reach after a large backing shift on the second beat, and then a reset jibe mark that was still not far enough to the left created a first reach that was a two sail leg just three or four degrees below close hauled, as the wind continued to shift and a second reach where no one jibed at the jibe mark.
There were lots of clouds, the wind shifted around to the left, but it was not a Fremantle Doctor breeze.
Race 5 was restarted around 15:30. Early gaters were looking good early in the first beat as the breeze went left, but then the big shift was to the right, and Howard Hamlin/Mike Martin, who apparently missed the gate and ducked everyone while going right, went through the gate when they could, tacked back to the right, and had a significant lead at the weather mark. Thoralf Greger/Angela Stenger (racing GBR 8705) were second at the weather mark. Hamlin/Martin (USA-Team Tuesday) went on to win. Danny Thompson/Andy Zinn (USA-Team Tuesday) rounded the first windward mark in the mid teens, set the kite and jibed early catching the boats that went to the right (looking downwind), rounded the second weather mark fifth and were able to pull through to finish second. Tom Swift/Holger Jess (GER) were 3rd, Krister Bergstrom/Thomas Moss (SWE) passed seven boats on the last beat to pull into 4th for the race. Michael Navarro/Simon Wilder (AUS) were 5th, and Greger/Stenger 6th.
This race ended after 16:00, but the race officer was determined to get a second race in so as not to be two races behind on the schedule. A tired fleet prepared for another gate start in a dying breeze, with a sloppy washing machine chop. The Race Committee set a rather shorter course. Though the breeze again went right on the first beat, the early gaters seemed to be in a little more pressure and several of the early gaters came out of the left in very good shape. Early gaters Chris and Darren Nicholson (AUS) came out of the right and led the race start to finish. Howard Hamlin/Mike Martin (USA-Team Tuesday) rounded the first mark fourth, but were able to pull through to second by the finish. Pip and I rounded about sixth, after surviving a jam up just in front of us in the gate start and heading left. Thompson/Zinn (USA-Team Tuesday) rounded just behind Pip and I in about sixth or seventh, as we tacked to starboard underneath them, rolled us on the way to the offset mark
Ian Barker/Dan Cripps did not get into the top five in either race, and this has reshuffled the overall standings, with Thompson/Zinn leading with 18 points (after drop), Hamlin/Martin second with 19 points, and Bergstrom/Moss third with 21 points. Beeckman/Benjamin are 4th with 33 points and Barker/Cripps 5th with 36 points. Payne/Masterman are 6th with 40 points.
As per the change to schedule posted by the PRO, there are two races scheduled for tomorrow. If all nine races are sailed there will be two throwouts.
Complete results will be at http://www.505.com.au/results.htm soon.
Photos taken earlier can be seen at
http://www.aussiesinaction.com.au/events/event21/event21.htm
Alexander `Ali` Meller
President, International 505 Class Yacht Racing Association
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