| MOOLOOLABA, AUSTRALIA-(24-7-2004) New Zealand America’s Cup deputy helmsman Cameron Appleton today showed he will be a force to reckoned with in the ACE Etchells World Championship 2004, due to start in nine days time at Mooloolaba on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Sailing Embers on the Mooloolaba course today, Appleton and his crew, Peter Merrington and Paul Gudmenson, notched up a first and a third on the first day of the final ACE Pre-Worlds regatta with impressive tactical sailing in the tricky 4-6 knot east-outh-easterly breeze.
A fleet of 42 boats is contesting the regatta, most of them among the 85 boat fleet entered for the Worlds, which start on Sunday week with an invitation race.
Also impressive today was Australian National champion Mark Bulka, from the Mornington, Victoria, fleet who had two fourth places to be second overall with Balanced A-Tack, ahead of another New Zealander, Brian Jones, who sailed Irish Crystal to a third and a ninth place.
Appleton won heat one from former Australian Olympic sailor Chris Pratt, from Adelaide, sailing Squid, third going to Irish Crystal.
It was a day of mixed fortunes and aggressive starts with one general recall and several individual recalls in the first heat, with principal race officer Arthur Hodge hoisting code flag Z to impose the one-minute rule after three general recalls for heat two.
After the fourth start, eight competitors were penalised 20% of placings, among them Dennis Conner (USA), Australians Ian Johnston and Michael Coxon and New Zealander Brian Jones.
Conner had placed fifth in heat one and crossed the line mid-fleet after his starting infringement.
Another prominent skipper to be penalised for a starting line infringement was Pittwater yachtsman Rob Brown, sailing Steam Packet V. Brown crossed the line in second place in heat one but was declared OCS (one course side). In the second heat he finished only 20th.
Australia’s number one Etchells helsmsman, winning America’s Cup skipper John Bertrand, had a mediocre first race, taking the right-hand side of the course, to finish 26th with Two Saints and a Magpie.
However, he came good with a fine win in heat two from young Mooloolaba helmsman Lucus Down, skippering Whooshka, third going to Cameron Appleton.
Etchells Australian Winter Champion Grant Wharington, sailing Satu II, retired early from both races today, obviously not enjoying the light and shifty winds.
Two races are scheduled for tomorrow, with registering and measurement for the Worlds starting next Thursday, 29 July.
Top Placings after two races:
Embers (Cameron Appleton, NZL) 1-3, 4 points
Balanced A-Tac (Mark Bulka, Vic) 4-4, 8
Irish Crystal (Brian Jones, NZL) 3-9, 12
Cobra IV (John Savage, Vic) 6-8, 14
The Bottle (Richard Coxon, NSW) 10-7, 17
Just a Dash (Phil Dash, NSW) 14-6, 20
New Wave (Robert Griffits< NZL) 11-10, 21
Wooshka (Lucas Down, Qld) 21-2, 23
Squid (Chris Pratt, SA) 2-23, 25
Upfront (Lindsay Kennedy, NZL) 9-16, 25.
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