ADMIX B14 Worlds at Hobart, Tasmania - Overall

Going into the last day, there are three boats in the hunt for the World Championships, Sly Bone (Guy Bancroft/Nick Darlow), Pigs Arse (Nick Richardson/Alan Nicholas) and Seavolution (Mark Barnes/Pete Nicholson). However, if any of them misfire, there are another 3 ready to take the spoils.

After a delay to await the sea breeze, a building 12 knots, the three main protagonists, came out near the pin heading for the left corner. Sly Bone tacked first followed by Pigs Arse with Seavolution covering both. The Nude (Richie Reynolds/Lissa McMillan) hit the left corner and rounded in front of Seavolution, Sly Bone and Pigs Arse. The order remained as is until the leeward gate, where the race was abandoned due to a 50° wind shift as they arrived.

40 minutes later, and with a southerly 20 knots at the restart, the committee boat was the place to start. With many vying for position, it was Toxic (David Lorimer/Raf Heale) that got the best start followed by Seavolution holding out Sly Bone to leeward. Up the beat, Seavolution headed right but was overhauled by Last Gasp (Chris Bibby/Scott Cunningham), the front runners were flying up wind. At the windward mark it was Last Gasp by 100 m. from Seavolution, Toxic, Sly Bone and Pigs Arse. The order remained the same over the rest of the lap. Downwind, Seavolution took the chase to Last Gasp, but their superior weight allowed them to hang on at the leeward mark and over the next beat extend again to approximately 100 m. Down the last run in a building breeze and 1.5 – 2.0 m. seas, there were two options, one of caution or one of going out with all guns blazing. Last Gasp took the prior with helm sitting on the tramp and Seavolution the latter. On the way downhill, Seavolution went airborne 3 times in chasing down their adversary but it was not to be and they came second to Last Gasp, followed by Toxic, Sly Bone and Pigs Arse.

Going into the last race, the numbers were tighter. Sly Bone 22, Seavolution 27 and Pigs Arse 27.

Off the start in a solid breeze, the last manic race of the tight World Championships was to be a case of snakes and ladders. Most headed to the supposed favoured right led by Sly Bone, Last Gasp and Seavolution, but it was the left that was to pay. Pigs Arse roared in leading, both on the water and on points with the others chasing hard. At the leeward gate, Pigs Arse piled it in and with that, potential chance of winning the Championships.

Up the next beat, Last Gasp and Toxic led followed by the pack. Turning to go downwind, the seas had built and the sleigh ride became even more extreme. Last Gasp piled it in on the second gybe, so releasing Toxic to take up the lead. Over the final lap, several boats were in the hunt and the big three, were still in the mix. With little being held back and high risk tactics being used for the final downwind leg on lap 3, Sly Bone decided to not go with kite but Seavolution and Pigs Arse with nothing to lose, went full on as did several others. Most hit the tide whether with kite or not but Toxic held on to win. Coming down to finish, Seavolution gybed full on and looked good for second but the universal joint on the starboard tiller extension failed and they broached. Pigs Arse gybed shortly thereafter onto port and in avoiding another boat hit the tide. With the two main protagonists now out of contention, Sly Bone two sailed to the finish in second followed by Team Gill (Nick Craig/Matt Johnson), Hunt Leather (Sophie Hunt/Andrew Payne) and Last Gasp.

So it was to be that Sly Bone wrestled the Ashes and World Championships from Team GBR, with Seavolution claiming second on countback from Pigs Arse.

A well run event both ashore and afloat in testing conditions with many stories of full on sailing on the first and last days. With the next World Championships in Europe in 2010, will the next one exceed the 51 boat record entry seen in Hobart and will Europe retake the Ashes?.

Overall Results: (10 races, 2 discards)