Roger That! Image copyright Teri Dodds/Audi Victoria Week.
by Vanessa Dudley
The Melges 24 Roger That holds a seven-point lead in the Bundaberg Rum National Sports Boat Series at Audi Victoria Week after taking two wins and a second in today’s light to moderate, gusty conditions.
Roger That’s scorecard could have been perfect, if the Sydney sports boat’s brand new little sister Scooter Central, a Melges 20 skippered by Heath Walters, had not surged home with good wind pressure on the final run of today’s last race to claim corrected time victory.
With Cameron Miles at the helm, and co-owners James Mayjor and John Bacon crewing along with Craig Pocklington, Roger That continued its strong form of the first day, while being pushed closely at times by the Victorian Thompson 7 Foam Fast.
Local skipper Cameron Rae’s Thompson 8 Laminar Flow took line honours in all three races, conducted by Royal Geelong Yacht Club on Corio Bay, and is lying second overall with today’s corrected time results of 2-3-3.
“It was a good day for us today,” said series leader Cameron Miles. “We’re very happy with how we’re going; and today we really got a handle on how to power the boat up upwind in the lighter conditions.
“The Melges is a good, physical boat to sail; you’ve got to hike them like a Laser and it’s a lot of fun.”
Foam Fast skipper Paul Heyes, who has retained third place overall with 4-2-4 placings today on corrected time, said “We spent the day locked together with the Melges [Roger That]; our boat speed was very close and our guys were good at picking the breeze, like they were.
“There were some big wind shifts and it was all about being in the pressure. Downwind you needed to be able to stay in the pressure lanes and decide whether to go high or low, and it was really only Cameron Rae, the Melges 24 [Roger That] and us who were able to do that.
“Other boats that sailed well today were a couple of Elliott 780s [Shaw Contracting and Massive Rush],” Heyes said.
“We’re really happy with how this new boat’s going; last year at this regatta we were struggling to beat the other Melges’, but so far this year we are ahead of all of them except Roger That, which is in its own league, so we think we’ve stepped up a notch.”
Audi Victoria Week
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