Cinquante surfs home in the final race this afternoon. Image copyright Teri Dodds/Audi Victoria Week.
by Vanessa Dudley
The skipper and crew of defending champion Cinquante went out on Corio Bay today determined to hang on to their narrow points lead in the Morris Finance Sydney 38 One Design Series at Audi Victoria Week.
“We were three points up on Another Challenge this morning and we needed to go out and do the right thing, keep our nose clean and not make any stuff-ups,” said Cinquante’s skipper Ian Murray after returning to Royal Geelong Yacht Club marina this afternoon.
“We had a long wait for breeze, but when it did come in, it built to 20 knots and was fairly constant; a lot better than the past two days.
“We sailed fairly conservatively and stayed in front of Another Challenge; we were third and they were fourth or fifth.”
“It has been very close racing, all of the boats have been within a few hundred metres of each other on the runs.”
In fact the racing in the ten-boat one-design keelboat fleet was so close that Another Challenge crossed the finish line today in a dead heat for fourth with Audacious. Although this was not enough to lift Another Challenge to the top of the overall pointscore, it did secure second overall for skipper Chris Lewin and his young team from Royal Brighton YC, just half a point clear of Challenge, the Sandringham YC entry skippered by 82-year old yachting legend Lou Abrahams and helmed during this series by Scott Walton.
Winning skipper Ian Murray praised his crew, including tactician Tim Davis and his stand-in for today, Brent Frankcombe. “Tim had to fly to Singapore last night, but Brent finished racing yesterday in the Moth class series, so he came along today and did a great job.”
Murray, whose company Morris Finance is the series sponsor, has owned the Sydney 38 Cinquante for five years and said, “It’s a good boat and we always keep our equipment and sails up to scratch. That way you don’t have breakages and it can also give you a small edge with speed, which makes a big difference when the racing is so close.”
Fourth overall was the Sandringham YC Sydney 38 Sierra Chainsaw (Mel Mollison), followed by Audacious (Greg Clinnick).
Audi Victoria Week
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