Seawind Formula 18 Worlds at Queensland, Australia

Seawind Formula 18 Worlds at Queensland, Australia - Overall

by Rob Kothe 25 Feb 2007 08:51 GMT 17-25 February 2007

Gael Josse and Maeyke Tadema on the final day of the Seawind Formula 18 worlds © Andrea Francolini

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Down to the wire

It was tight at the top as the final day of racing commenced at the Seawind F18 World Championship, being sailed in the waters off Rydges Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon Queensland.

The outcome of the three races being sailed today would decide the new F18 World Champion. Going into the final day, there was just a single point between the triple World Champions Mitch Booth and the double World Champion Darren Bundock. The 2007 Seawind F18 World Championship was down to the wire.

Yet another beautiful day, the sun was bright and the sky blue, the breeze about 14-16 knots.

Race 13:

Thirteen seems to have been unlucky for the race officials - two general recalls at the start of Race 13. There was a strong possibility that the fleet could be Black Flagged.

In the first two starts Bundock and Ashby and Booth and Nieuwenhuis both started on the pin, covering each other.

After the third General Recall Bundock and Ashby started on the pin end, covered by Booth and Nieuwenhuis one up. Bundock and Ashby had been getting the best of the false starts in the tussle with Booth and Nieuwenhuis.

A big squall appeared over North Keppel Island, which 'sucked air' for quite a while, and the left hand side of the course was favoured.

The Black Flag appeared. There was a clean start and as expected with a Black Flag raised, the fleet 'hung back'. Booth and Nieuwenhuis had the pin from Bundock and Ashby, who were back in the second row, but sailed up almost on the shoulder of Booth and Nieuwenhuis.

The rain squall hit the fleet, Booth and Nieuwenhuis and Bundock and Ashby both going for height. Bundock was three boat lengths behind Booth and trying hard to sail through him.

Around the first mark it was Besson and Jarlegan (FRA) ahead of Mourniac and Citeau (FRA). Booth and Nieuwenhuis were third, about a boat length back. Styles and Peel were fourth, then Brouwer, sailing with her replacement crew of van Leeuwen, was sixth. Bundock and Ashby were back in ninth.

At the next mark, Booth and Nieuwenhuis had taken the lead, rivals Bundock and Ashby were back in seventh. There was a gap to Besson and Jarlegan who were second, then Mourniac and Citeau a boat length back in third. Styles and Peel held onto fourth, with Heemskerk and Rasley fifth, Brouwer and van Leeuwen sixth.

Booth went left and Bundock went right, the big question was ... which side of the course would pay?

The answer, for these two teams at least, was the left....just.

Booth and Nieuwenhuis rounded the mark in third place and Bundock and Ashby did not improve on seventh place. Besson and Jarlegan made up ground and rounded in first place, then Styles and Peel made up two places to round in second, with Booth and Nieuwenhuis dropping back to third.

Coming down the run, both Booth and Bundock went right. Out on the left Besson and Jarlegan banged the corner hard and crossed the line first from Booth, who made up one place from the last mark to second. Styles and Peel fell back to third, with Mourniac and Citeau in fourth. Bundock and Ashby finished fifth. This is their worst result so far and should be their drop.

Brett Hord and Michael Forbes (11) retired from the race with a broken dolphin striker.

Race 14:

Race 14 started in 14-16 knots of breeze.

Coming up from the start, the left hand side of the course paid. Booth was on the port lay line approaching the mark in first place, Bundock back in third.

Rounding the mark first was Booth and Nieuwenhuis from Besson and Jarlegan, with Styles and Peel very close behind, then Bundock and Ashby, Mourniac and Citeau, Souben and Bontemps, with the Greenhalgh brothers in seventh.

Booth and Nieuwenhuis held the lead rounding the next mark, with Bundock and Ashby making up a place to be second, but still a fair distance behind the leaders. Then Styles and Peel, from Besson and Jarlegan, Mourniac and Citeau in fifth.

At the next mark, the top three places remained the same, with Bundock and Ashby making up ground on Booth and Nieuwenhuis. Booth underlayed the mark and had to put in an extra tack, Bundock took advantage and closed the gap.

Going down the run, Bundock and Ashby gybed early, Booth and Nieuwenhuis were slow to cover.

In the end, Bundock and Ashby could not make up enough ground and Booth and Nieuwenhuis crossed ahead of the Australians, Styles and peel finishing in third. Then Besson and Jarlegan, with Souben and Bontemps with the French team of Mourniac and Citeau in sixth.

Race 15:

A possible scenario for Bundock going into race 15, was for him to take Booth off the course so that Booth scored five or worse. Booth would then lose his five discard. But if Booth got a clean start, then it was game over.

So, it all came down to the last race!

Race 15 - Bundock had started on the Committee Boat end, trying to drag Booth with him when the officials signalled a General Recall.

Racing finally got underway - a clean start this time.

Booth ran down the line towards the pin, but Bundock caught him and at the start forced him low and starboard. Booth was pinned, Bundock was sailing Booth off the course and towards the rear of the fleet.

The aim of the exercise for Bundock was to make Booth sail his drop, and so far it was working.

It was exciting racing, the big crowd really engrossed in the on water battle unfolding before them.

Styles and Peel (GBR) and Besson and Jarlegan (FRA) were also having a great tussle, with both teams placing in the top three in the day's races.

At the first mark, it was Hugh Styles and Tom Peel from Jean-Christophe Mourniac and Franck Citeau, with Mark Laruffa and Ricky Heasman sailing well to hold third.

Styles and Peel held onto the lead at the next mark, from Mourniac and Citeau, with Brouwer and van Leeuwen moving up.

Bundock and Ashby headed back to the beach, they did not finishing the race. With discards, Bundock and Ashby have taken the championship by one point from Booth and Nieuwenhuis.

At the finish Styles and Peel crossed first, from Mourniac and Citeau with Peter and Robert Greenhalgh finishing in third.

Race 15:

In the end, Bundock and Ashby won the regatta from Booth and Nieuwenhuis, with Billy Besson and Arnaud Jarlegan in third.

Overall Results: (15 races, 2 discards)

Pos	Helm	Crew	Sail No	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	Pts
1	Darren Bundock	Glenn Ashby	AUS7	1	1	2	2	1	2	2	3	2	1	1	2	5	2	78	22
2	Mitch Booth	Pim Nieuwenhuis	NED8	2	5	1	1	2	1	4	1	1	3	3	1	2	1	18	23
3	Billy Besson	Arnaud Jarlegan	FRA658	4	13	7	5	5	5	1	2	4	2	5	4	1	4	4	46
4	Hugh Styles	Tom Peel	GBR007	78	10	4	6	6	3	5	6	6	4	2	5	3	3	1	54
5	Mischa Heemskerk	Cristopher Rasley	NED007	8	2	3	4	78	6	3	4	5	6	4	3	7	10	9	64
6	Jean-Christophe Mourniac	Franck Citeau	FRA1	3	7	10	3	10	4	7	10	78	17	7	9	4	6	2	82
7	Carolijn Brouwer	Jeroen Van leeuwen	BEL7	7	8	6	9	3	10	78	9	8	8	13	10	6	7	5	96
8	Steve Brewin	Andrew Williams	AUS7	6	4	9	8	4	8	8	28	10	5	12	6	15	12	16	107
9	Fernando Echavarri	Anton Paz Blanco	ESP2207	5	3	5	17	8	18	11	16	3	11	20	16	8	14	6	123
10	Brad Collett	Taylor Booth	AUS18	78	19	78	7	11	15	6	5	9	10	8	8	11	9	12	130
11	Robert Greenhalgh	Peter Greenhalgh	GBR120	9	15	78	10	7	7	16	11	26	9	10	13	13	8	3	131
12	Matthieu Souben	Gurvan Bontemps	FRA125	16	16	8	12	19	13	10	13	16	7	9	7	10	5	11	137
13	Robbie Daniel	Hunter Stunzi	USA121	24	20	18	15	12	9	9	7	7	42	11	17	12	11	78	172
14	Gunnar Larsen	Sascha Larsen	NED1111	9	12	22	13	22	12	12	12	14	13	25	11	78	20	19	191
15	Mark Laruffa	Ricky Heasman	AUS1981	12	78	12	14	9	14	5	18	22	39	26	12	9	78	8	200
16	Neville Thompson	Shamus Stevens	AUS1989	11	6	17	39	29	19	14	19	13	12	16	15	21	21	78	213
17	Matt Hanan	Michael Cook	AUS41	78	14	27	16	21	17	13	15	20	15	14	78	18	13	13	216
18	Eelco Boers	Tjidde Boers	NED34	13	21	19	19	18	20	26	32	15	22	6	14	35	17	7	217
19	Greg Goodall	Brett Goodall	AUS102	17	27	28	18	14	11	18	27	78	16	37	26	17	15	10	244
20	Thibault Vauchel	Bourgnon Yvan	FRA8	78	11	24	11	20	22	30	8	11	14	35	39	19	78	14	258
21	Warren Guinea	Jason Bennett	AUS618	78	22	13	21	30	16	17	21	18	25	21	78	23	22	17	266
22	David Elliott	David Merrett	AUS96	19	18	78	23	13	27	27	42	12	35	18	18	16	34	41	301
23	Robbie Lovig	Lachlan Gibson	AUS1892	18	25	15	55	15	21	19	26	27	23	48	30	25	25	33	302
24	Leo Farrow	Jonnie Hutchcroft	GBR118	23	23	23	22	33	38	15	31	23	19	31	31	24	18	21	304
25	Luke McMullen	Adam Beattie	AUS594	27	49	31	20	24	26	25	17	17	28	19	28	22	33	20	304
26	Oliver McKeon	Simon McKeon	AUS46	78	33	14	41	50	35	36	14	19	20	17	21	29	16	27	322
27	Matthew Punch	Jack Benson	AUS026	26	51	78	42	39	23	20	24	24	24	36	27	32	19	15	351
28	Patrick Demesmaeker	Olivier Gagliani	BEL1	32	32	29	26	26	33	28	34	25	36	29	20	30	35	78	379
29	Ben Kelly	Tim Berg	AUS503	42	29	33	24	40	37	22	29	33	33	24	24	36	30	25	379
30	Oscar Zeekant	Pieter Oskam	NED2	28	78	11	25	31	30	21	22	51	27	15	33	14	78	78	386
31	Mal Gray	Dan Sims	AUS1813	20	45	35	29	38	42	35	30	28	21	32	51	26	27	36	399
32	Malcolm Richardson	Gordon Beath	AUS619	22	39	36	36	23	31	34	43	30	31	23	37	38	29	29	399
33	Shane Peterson	Jerome Binder	AUS1956	30	34	26	27	56	46	37	36	52	26	34	25	31	24	23	399
34	Martin Chadder	Sam Chadder	GBR119	34	44	39	28	41	32	24	25	37	38	44	50	34	23	22	421
35	John Casey	Kenny Pierce	USA55	78	26	25	37	25	44	32	57	78	29	27	22	43	39	28	434
36	Peter Vink	Carrie Howe	NED552	78	78	20	78	16	25	23	62	78	32	22	19	28	28	26	457
37	Andrew Holden	Jake Mortensen	AUS140	78	24	16	31	42	36	33	40	34	45	49	32	39	46	78	467
38	Chris Boag	Brendan Brown	AUS104	39	43	45	44	44	43	41	23	32	34	39	43	33	38	32	484
39	Robert Stewart	Kenneth Hibbert	AUS617	78	28	34	32	43	52	31	54	29	49	40	35	40	31	43	487
40	Stefan Dubbeldasm	Bastiaan Tentij	NED247	35	38	38	43	45	63	48	38	57	47	33	38	52	26	24	505
41	Andrew MacPherson	Greg Lynch	AUS300	29	78	78	30	34	45	39	33	38	30	38	23	20	78	78	515
42	Kez Stevens	Greg Wyers	AUS101	25	30	43	46	28	41	29	44	31	41	78	42	50	78	78	528
43	Jurjen Wouda	Richard Modder	NED1464	31	50	37	47	48	60	42	48	56	56	47	36	45	37	46	570
44	Billy Sykes	Tim Slatter	AUS06	40	53	51	40	37	47	45	56	42	51	42	56	58	41	31	576
45	Jake Lurati	Chase Lurati	AUS1888	48	56	48	49	49	59	46	45	46	44	43	46	41	36	37	578
46	Alfonso Gutierrez	Andrew Taylor	CHI1671	49	35	30	38	35	64	78	78	39	78	54	29	48	45	40	584
47	Don Dull	Kegan Dull	AUS616	14	9	21	35	78	28	30.8	30.8	30.8	78	78	78	78	78	78	589.4
48	Stephen Medwell	Brent Vaughan	AUS1160	33	78	41	33	32	58	53	78	40	52	55	48	54	49	42	590
49	Gary Gornall	Ryan Duffield	AUS641	46	57	40	48	46	51	50	46	41	48	50	41	55	47	44	598
50	Sam Newton	Nick Tayler	GBR1568	50	59	44	53	51	50	52	35	36	46	46	78	47	78	39	608
51	Olli Jason	Pat Gilles	USA122	47	36	78	78	78	34	38	20	21	37	28	40	78	78	78	613
52	Michael Guinea	David Jorgensen	AUS314	41	48	50	45	47	56	55	59	45	57	52	47	53	42	35	616
53	Chris O'Shannessy	Anthony Smith	AUS1824	37	46	46	50	57	53	49	53	55	58	53	58	44	43	38	624
54	Bernardo Benitez Cabrera	Miguel Perez Quintana	ESP9	78	37	49	78	78	40	78	39	35	18	30	78	27	40	78	627
55	Ysbrand ten Houte de Lange	Roland van Joolen	NED110	37	78	78	34	36	39	40	47	58	53	61	59	37	78	78	657
56	Trevor Brown	Adrian Douglas	AUS1984	78	42	54	52	58	68	54	61	43	63	58	45	56	48	47	681
57	Richard Brewin	Dave Hart	AUS60	44	52	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	40	41	34	42	32	30	705
58	Diederik Forma	Mark van Gelderen	NED2162	78	55	78	59	53	49	51	41	50	55	45	44	49	78	78	707
59	Fr?d?rique Pfeiffer	Fran?oise Dettling	FRA2034	78	60	42	58	78	54	56	52	49	78	56	57	51	50	45	708
60	Andre Vincent	Bernier Geoffroy	BEL124	51	58	78	78	54	62	78	64	48	50	62	60	46	44	34	711
61	Billy Nissen	Dean Nissen	AUS150	43	47	53	61	60	61	57	63	59	64	60	55	61	53	50	720
62	Wayne Pobjoy	Paul Freeman	AUS1887	52	54	55	57	59	65	78	60	53	60	57	53	60	51	49	720
63	Gael Josse	Maeyke Tadema	FRA1772	78	62	47	60	55	67	58	58	54	61	59	54	59	52	48	727
64	Brett Hord	Micheal Forbes	AUS103	45	78	78	54	52	57	59	51	47	54	52	52	78	78	78	757
65	Michael Cahill	Bill Holton	AUS1430	36	41	52	51	78	48	43	37	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	776
66	Luke Yeates	Mark Angell	GBR2195	21	31	78	78	78	29	44	55	78	59	78	78	78	78	78	785
67	Chris Caldecoat	Matt Felton	AUS0034	15	40	78	78	17	24	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	798
68	Thomas Groen	Cor Baltus	NED593	38	61	78	78	78	55	47	50	78	62	78	49	57	78	78	809
69	Martin Fischer	Stephane Henry	FRA123	78	17	32	56	27	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	834
70	Peter Fuller	Bruce Middleton	AUS196	78	78	78	78	78	69	78	49	44	43	51	61	78	78	78	863
71	Dylan Drummond	Andy Campbell	AUS1980	78	78	78	78	78	66	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	1002
72	Russ McDonald	TBA	AUS1692	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	1014
72	Leigh Polden	Andrew Finch	AUS654	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	1014
72	Tim Makepeace	Bob Porter	AUS47	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	1014
72	Mark Dyble	Stephen Dyble	AUS1856	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	1014
72	Brian Whitborn	Paul Beazley	AUS107	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	1014
72	Natalie Rogers	Grant Rogers	AUS1985	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	78	1014

The International Jury of Hal Wagstaff (NZL), Bevan Wolley (NZL), Tetsu Muramatsu (JPN), Paul Pascoe (AUS) and Don Findlay (GBR) were kept busy during the championship, with 23 protests being heard, fifteen hours of hearings plus hours of administration time at the race office.

Quotes:

Darren Bundock was smiling. 'It's been fantastic racing against Mitch (Booth), when he is hot he is hot, and it's been a fantastic battle this week.

'It came down the last race, if we had the opportunity; the plan was to drive him down the fleet, as we had a better pair of discards. Luckily we chased Mitch down to the pin and we were able to start above him and press him down and then we covered him on the tacks. We rounded the first mark fourth last and Mitch was never going to get back to third in the fleet from there, so we had mission accomplished.

'It's great to win our third F18 Worlds, my 10th Worlds Championship; we've had a tremendous year. We have two weeks before the European Tornado season starts now, its going to be a giant year with the Olympics 18 months away.'

Mitch Booth. 'Darren and Glenn sailed really well. We are just happy that we can mix it up with these guys, they are a seasoned team, they are two times F18 World Champions, Tornado World Champions, A Class Champions, ISAF World Champions....and it seems they've won just about everything they've sailed in the last 12 months.

'We had a costly incident in the first race today. We were comfortably leading when we touched the mark in the first race and had to do a 360, that cost us two places, we fought back but it cost us the win. Then in the final and deciding race, they had a one place better discard; they did a good job match racing us out of that last race.

'We are a new combination, we have a lot of training to do and we'll be keen to have another crack at them.'

Pim Nieuwenhuis, Booth's crew agreed. 'It was good racing, they sailed us alway to the corner. We are disappointed but Darren and Glenn were better than us.'

Paul Effeny, Commodore of Keppel Bay Sailing Club and Principal Race officer for these championships said, 'The windy start to the Championship was tough. The weather has been glorious the last few days, the sailors have been pushing hard on the starts, so that's had us on our toes, but it's been a great week. I am very proud of our great team of volunteers.'

Mark Laruffa, the Event Coordinator, was all smiles. 'Darren's on top of the world right now and Mitch gave it to him, right to the last, and a great effort. We had 15 races, it was windy, but after all, we sail F18's to go fast and we sure did!

'For me, sailing was not too successful, had flashes of my old self but event organising and then racing at our best is just too demanding.

'The best part of today for me was down on the beach; I was talking to a Dutch sailor and asked him what he thought of the regatta. He smiled at me and said 'Not bad.'

I said 'Not Bad!' Was it better than France? He said..'oh yes!' Was it better than Holland?, 'oh yes!' Was it better than Italy? 'Oh yes!' So this has been the best of the last four Worlds? 'Easily' said the Dutchman.

'Well that is good enough for me' said Laruffa.

Its now time to celebrate, another very successful championship has concluded and tonight a gala celebration dinner and prize giving will be held in the Palms Conference Centre, at Rydges Capricorn Resort.

Each night during the week, various activities have been planned and enjoyed and last night's Beach Party rocked on well into the night.

Its been a great Championship, with a nail biting finish and tonight's activities will be the icing on the cake.

Greenhalghs take 11th place aboard Basilica at the F18 Worlds and finish final day on a high

The Basilica sponsored F18 team of Robert and Peter Greenhalgh ended their 2007 F18 Worlds campaign in an impressive 11th place overall today after an exciting final day of racing at the Rydges Capricorn Resort off Yeppoon in Queensland, Australia. Set against a blue sky with a breeze of 14 – 16 knots, the final three races of the Championship saw the brothers finish 13th, 8th and 3rd respectively.

With a number of top ten finishes under their belt and a final race finish of 3rd place, the brothers ended what was their first time competitively racing their Capricorn Catamaran on high. The week’s racing began with stormy conditions over the Capricorn Resort, which added to the challenge for the brothers. As the week wore on, the weather improved and the Greenhalghs began to get to grips with their Capricorn Catamaran and find the speed they were looking for.

Competition was tough, with over 80 boats and some of the most experienced catamaran sailors in the business taking part. The final day of racing began with only one point between double World Champion, Darren Bundock and triple World Champion Mitch Booth, leading to an exciting finale which saw Bundock and team mate Glenn Ashby take the title.