2012 International Fireball World Championship

[MLovett]

2 – 7 January 2012

International Fireball World Championship

Hosted by Mandurah Offshore Fishing & Sailing Club

Brits and Aussies battle it out on the opening day

The Fireball class enjoys its 50th anniversary this year and 65 boats from 7 countries took to the waters of Comet Bay in Mandurah, Western Australia for the opening day of the 2012 International Fireball Worlds. Two races were held under partly cloudy skies but ideal 10 – 16 knot breezes, building later in the afternoon with gusts to 18 knots.
The PRO set two races using the now familiar Triangle/Sausage/Triangle courses, enjoyed by the class as it provides some exhilarating reaches. As the kiwis say, ‘The sheep were almost out of the paddock’ a few white tops and a small swell gave competitors plenty to test them.

Race 1 begun on time at 1300 hrs local with a clean start in around 12 knots from the S/SE. Tom Gillard and Sam Brearey (GBR) led round the windward mark ahead of two Adelaide boats, Greg Allison and Richard Watson.(AUS) and new Australian National Champions, John Heywood and Brett Littledike. The Brits managed to hold off the challenge of the chasing Australians flying down the tight reaches but the battle for second and third remained all the way to the final reach to the turning mark for the finish.

Tom Gillard and Sam Brearey took the gun from Tom Gordon and Jack Fletcher (AUS) who sailed through the top half of the fleet with good boat speed. Third on the podium was Dave Wade and Tim Saxton of Great Britain, who also gained places on the reaches.

There was a short wait between races to reset the course due to a slight shift and increase in wind pressure. The breeze had notched up a few knots with some gusts making the downwind gybes quite taxing for the lower half of the fleet, resulting in a number of retirements from race two of the day.

Another clean start saw John Heywood and Brett Littledike leading the chasing Adelaide gaggle of Greg Allison and Richard Watson, and fellow club members, Nathan Stockley and Dave Kemp. The Australian champions gained on every leg showing superior boat speed to open up at least a 200m lead by the last wing mark. The chase for second however was all on for the two Aussie boats, neck and neck all the way down the final reach.

John Heywood and Brett Littledike showed a clean pair of heals scoring their first bullet of the 2012 Worlds and on the final hitch to the finish, Greg Allison and Richard Watson prevailed from club chums, Robert Inns and Joel Coultas. The British pair of Tom Gillard and Sam Brearey climbed to fourth to finish day one with a three point lead in the championship.

“Once we were clear ahead we were able to comfortably extend.” remarked Heywood in the boat park

“We had good boat speed in those wind strengths. The first race was a bit shifty but in the second we managed to find the marks well and just extended.” he added

Heywood/Littledike and Inns/Coultas share 8pts with Britain’s Dave Wade and Tim Saxton on 9pts. British and Australian boats make up the top 9 places overall, Martin Korbovy and Pavel Winkler from the Czech Republic lie in 10th. Meanwhile the new International Fireball Week champions, Chips Howarth and Vyv Townend of Great Britain had a mediocre start to their Worlds, (by their standards!) scoring a sixth and ninth to sit in 8th place overall.
The fleet were welcomed ashore to a superb smorgasbord of local seafood provided by Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club, (oh and free beer!!). Racing resumes at 1300 hrs local time tomorrow (Tuesday) with an advanced forecast of good south easterly breezes of 15 – 20 knots.

Provisional Results after 2 races:
1 GBR 15041 Tom Gillard/Sam Brearey: 1,4; 5pts
2 AUS 14786 John Heywood/Brett Littledike; 7,1; 8pts
3 AUS 15025 Robert Inns/Joel Coultas; 5,3; 8pts
4 GBR 15045 Dave Wade/Tim Saxton; 3,6; 9pts
5 AUS 15032 Greg Allison/Richard Watson; 8,2; 10pts


For full results visit: www.fireballaustralia.org
Photo credits: Tom Gruitt; for more images visit: www.fotoboat.com
International Fireball Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.p...00003128184053
By Johno Fullerton (International Fireball Class)
Image1: GBR 15014 Gillard/Brearey
Image 2: AUS 15032 Allison/Watson
Image 3: In the Hook, MOFSC

[MLovett]

2 – 7 January 2012

International Fireball World Championship

Hosted by Mandurah Offshore Fishing & Sailing Club

Champagne Sailing on Day Two of Fireball Worlds

A stunning days racing on day two of the International Fireball Worlds sailed in Comet Bay, Mandurah under clear blue skies with just a hint of wispy alto cirrus and gusty south-easterly offshore winds. Some tired sailors came ashore with big smiles on their faces after ideal Fireball sailing conditions including some exhilarating reaches. A number of competitors remarked that this was the fastest speeds they had achieved in their boats.

With a bullet and a second, South Australians, Robin Inns and Joel Coultas take a two point lead in the regatta over Brits, Tom Gillard and Sam Brearey with two more Adelaide teams just five points adrift.

The opening race of the day was delayed a short time whilst the breeze settled. The average wind speed was not too strong but it was shifting by up to 30 degrees, making the PRO’s job quite demanding. One false start as the majority of the pack ganged up on the pin end of the line which was a shame for current 470 Olympic Gold medallist local, Tessa Parkinson as she flew out of the starting blocks on port tack.

The second start was clean under black flag and the fleet of 65 Fireballs headed upwind deep into Comet Bay towards the beach. First round the windward mark was Western Australian, Americas Cup and past Fireball master, Gordon Lucas and his crew Jake Flintoff, closely followed by the Brit pack including regatta leader Tom Gillard and Sam Brearey. But after the wing mark gybe, two South Australian boats, Robin Inns and Joel Coultas and Greg Allison and Richard Watson, absolutely flew downwind to power into the lead.
Inns/Coultas and Allison/Watson got engaged in a dogfight up the next beat but it was Inns/Coultas who rounded clear ahead with the British pair, Gillard and Brearey in close pursuit. John Heywood and Brett Littledike had also worked up through the fleet to get in sight of a podium finish. The final reach got quite fresh, providing a few spills but Inns steered ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ to take the gun ahead of Gillard/Brearey in ‘North Meets South’ and ‘Renegade’ of Heywood/Littledike third.

Robin Inns said modestly in the bar later, “We got a bit lucky, we read the shifts well but they were big! The guys in front of us got caught by a big gust which backed their jib and dropped them in the drink!”

There was a short delay to adjust the course but the conditions remained similar apart from the gusts just got stronger! The second race of the day was a clean start with a new leader at the top mark. British boat ‘Southpaws’ sailed by Derian and Andy Scott sailed a solid first beat to round just ahead of fellow Brits, Martin Lewis and Richard Byrne.

Two ultra fast reaches later and the flying Brits Lewis/Byrne has stormed into a good lead followed by the consistent Aussies, Inns and Coultas. By the last windward mark rounding Lewis and Byrne sailing ‘Mutleys Revenge’ were lapping back markers and opening up a 100m lead. Good boat handling downwind secured them a deserved victory over the new regatta leaders Inns and Coultas. Multiple Fireball World champions Chips Howard and Vyv Townend finished their day with the final step on the podium for race four.

The Fireball class awards handicap prizes each day and today’s winners were: Race 3, Jim Hughes and James Belton from South Australia, and Race 4, Derian and Andy Scott of Great Britain.

Surprisingly more of the fleet finished both races today proving that lessons are learnt at all levels which is a great sign for a healthy class like the Fireball. The fleet came ashore to more free beer and ‘snags in buns’ supplied by the host club Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club.

Forecast for tomorrow: Slightly less breeze, 12 – 15 knots from the East and a chance of a thunderstorm.

Provisional Results after 4 races:
1 AUS 15025 Robin Inns/Joel Coultas 5,3,1,2 11pts
2 GBR 15041 Tom Gillard/Sam Coultas 1,4,2,6 13pts
3 AUS 14786 John Heywood/Brett Littledike 7,1,3,7 18pts
4 AUS 15032 Greg Allison/Richard Watson 8,2,4,4 18pts
5 GBR 15045 Dave Wade/Tim Saxton 3,6,11,5 25pts

: www.fireballaustralia.org