“We had a bad day – no good – not happy,” said Anna Sargenti on the Italian entry Black Jack. She referred to their 18th and 14th places today. Luigi Ravioli’s boat seems to be going backwards since scoring 2-2-2 results on the opening day of the regatta.

Following a number of protests yesterday, overall placings changed. In Race 8, second placed Wataru Sakamoto (Siesta, JPN) moved from second overall down to fourth, which moved Inmarsat (Ian Southworth, GBR) up into second place and Black Jack (Luigi Ravioli, ITA) moved to third – but after today, they are fifth.

The Brazilian crew, skippered by Mauricio Santa Cruz, is having a better time of it on the J24 course on Port Phillip. Following a fourth and a second place, they hold a five point lead over the Wataru Sakamoto skippered Siesta (JPN), with the Brits, skippered by Ian Southworth (Inmarsat) retaining third place.

However, a new player emerged today when the American crew on Brain Cramp, skippered by Mike Ingham pulled of the hat trick scoring two bullets, moving them up from seventh into fourth place.

Surprisingly, the best placed Australian crew is in sixth place. Doug McGain and his crew on Code Violation, finished their day with 22-6 results.

“It was very challenging out there today, similar to last Thursday at the Nationals. In the first race, the breeze could have gone either way – we couldn’t get our heads around it – couldn’t pick the shifts, but the second race went right for us. We found the pressure and managed to hang on for sixth,” McGain from Sydney said.

Asked was he surprised by the Aussie results, McGain said, “I guess I though the local guys would do a bit better, but not the rest. The international standard here is really up there – they are world class. I guess I though Sean Kirkjian (currently 10th) would be doing better.”

Kirkjian said he had set his boat up wrong. “We’ve re-set it now, so it feels better. Maybe I’m just having a bad week.” He went on to say: “Winds were up and down – they had 30 knots at the airport and nearly as much in Bass Strait – I thought that’s what we’d get, but we only got up to 18 in the first race, but only 9 or 10 in the second.”

However, it could have been worse – as it was on the Neville Wittey steered Starpac. Wittey was involved in another collision on the start line today, prompting Starpac’s owner, Terry Wise to comment, “he’s old and cranky and obviously blind – and all Terry got after the crash was “sorry” – I’m going to get off after this regatta and just be on the support boat - shame, because the boat itself is going fast.”

The 12 race series finishes at the host venue, Sandringham Yacht Club tomorrow. Officials plan holding the final two heats starting from 11.00am.

Other protests overnight resulted in disqualification for Grant Willmott (Crackerjack, AUS) and Stephen Girdis (Convicts Revenge, AUS) in Race 8. In Race 7, Neville Wittey (Starpac, AUS) was disqualified from Race 7, while Sueaki Murayama (Stella, JPN) was penalised in a Yellow Flag incident.

Sail Melbourne is made possible by the support of event sponsors: Sport & Recreation Victoria, Collex, Parks Victoria; associate sponsors Bayside City Council and Menere's BMW Brighton and support sponsors Ronstan International, Schenker Australia, City of Kingston and the City of Port Philip.

Source: Di Pearson