Contender Pre-Worlds: The Fab Five?

Contenders viewed from an Etchells. Image copyright Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.

by Rob Kothe

Queensland Contender Class President Matt Mulder has not been the perfect host in the first two days of the Contender Pre-Worlds. The 40th Contender World Championship event organiser has not been standing back as a good host, instead he's elbowed everyone aside and grabbed all the 'lollies', winning the first three races.

Yesterday's sharp chop over the shallow water had the Contender sailors sucking in their breath or at least the free beer, on the green lawns of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron after race one in the Pre-World series as they discussed Mulder's first up win in the strong conditions.

Relief today for the sailors with softer conditions on Brisbane's Waterloo Bay course, with the average wind speed hardly over 15 knots and the water flatter.

In race two of the Pre-World series Mulder won again. Britain's Simon Mussell was the first of the guests today, ahead of Australian Jono Neate, Germany's Christoph Homier and seven times world champion Andrea Bonezzi.

In race three in the series, Mulder was third to the top mark but sailed through his rivals on the downwinds to finish ahead of Bonezzi, Mussell and Neate.

The big Queenslander said 'I have been lucky to get space near the committee boat, because I've been heading right off the line with the current working well. The conditions have suited me, but off the breeze my new North's CM5 has been particularly fast. Once the weather softens the European will come to fore'

Simon Mussell is second overall. 'I am pleased to be in the mix, but the bad news ... these are my conditions. I am using an old sail in the Pre-Worlds and I've been concentrating on learning how to sail the short chop.'

'Matt has been very quick down wind; he just consistently sails through us, but we shall see how he goes when it's light. Of course Andrea (Bonezzi) is ready to pounce, he is just a great sailor and Jono Neate is going well considering he likes lighter weather.

'Of us all though, I really think Christoph Homeier should be the most pleased. He is a top class light weather sailor and to be fifth after three heavy races shows he will be very hard to beat in this World Championship.'

There are another 55 boats on the water, but already its seems this group could be the 'Fab Five' going into the 40th Contender World Championship.

There are two more races in the Pre-Worlds, which will finish tomorrow. The 40th World Championships will start on Friday 8th January and sail until the 12th in a nine race series.

Pre-Worlds 2010 Contender Australian Championship scores after three races

Series Results [Open] up to Race 3 (Drops = 0)
Place Ties From Sail No Boat Name Skipper Sers Score Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 QAUS AUS2408 Chewbacca Matt Mulder 3 1 1 1
2 2.0S ITA ITA11 Ronstan Andrea Bonezzi 9 2 5 2
3 UK GBR2420 Carrie2 Simon Mussell 9 3 2 4
4 VAUS AUS2323 AUS2323 Jono Neate 10 4 3 3
5 GER GER551 Schroeder Christoph Homeier 15 6 4 5
6 QAUS AUS1753 Stacey Phillip Evans 18 5 6 7
7 QAUS AUS2179 AUS2179 Steven Grimes 25 9 7 9
8 QAUS AUS2468 Bella Anna Geoff Fisher 26 10 8 8
9 NAUS AUS2375 Butterfly Sandwich Brett Holly 27 8 9 10
10 UK 2421 No Name Gary Langdon 29 7 11 11
11 6.0S WAUS AUS2443 AUS2443 Chris Sutherland 35 14 15 6
12 VAUS AUS2136 Ro Shambo Grant Robinson 35 11 12 12
13 GER GER1421 Kabbelwasser Dirk Mueller 44 12 14 18
14 NAUS 2238 Neopnee Alan Griffith 48 16 17 15
15 WAUS AUS2164 Juche' Richard Shallcross 53 19 21 13
16 UK GBR2407 RB Sport&Travel Richard Buttner 64 27 23 14
17 NAUS AUS2174 The Big Kahuna David Leask 67 25 25 17
18 DEN DEN2425 Jolly Jumper Henning Wermuth 74 26 24 24
19 DEN DEN1628 DEN1628 Lars Bo Rasmussen 75 24 31 20
20 GER GER1789 Flyer Alexander Groehlich 77 13 13 51.00F
21 GER GER531 Fajrant Joachim Harpprecht 83 29 29 25
22 10.0S VAUS AUS2204 Erica's Diamond Chris Peile 84 55.00F 10 19
23 ITA ITA40 Stealth Luca Bonezzi 84 15 18 51.00S
24 ITA ITA20 c'e le secche Antonio Martini 85 36 28 21
25 WAUS 2105 Mojo Greg Barrington 87 17 19 51.00F
26 22.0S WAUS AUS2411 Cruising Ross Brennan 89 22 16 51.00F
27 16.0S NAUS 2338 Spider Pig Peter Murphy 89 35 38 16
28 NED NED232 Ristretto Mark Thorborg 89 18 20 51.00F
29 QAUS 2281 Don t Know Scott McInerney 94 21 22 51.00F
30 QAUS AUS1244 Random Scott Bowman 97 33 37 27
31 UK GBR2318 U-Beaut Alan Mollatt 98 37 35 26
32 QAUS AUS2169 Carbon Credit Stephen Toms 101 40 39 22
33 QAUS AUS1540 AUS1540 Roger Grimes 110 32 27 51.00F
34 QAUS 166 Gavin Dan Haydon 111 41 42 28
35 28.0S CAN 2398 HoneyBun Neil Smith 112 28 33 51.00F
36 QAUS AUS1326 BabyBoomerOnBoard Jan Mulder 112 31 30 51.00F
37 30.0S VAUS AUS2296 Maho Matthew Kee 117 30 36 51.00F
38 UK GBR2314 Foxy Lady Rodger White 117 34 32 51.00S
39 QAUS 225 Sticky Side Up James Dahl 119 55.00S 41 23
40 QAUS AUS1364 Blubber Boy Trevor Monaghan 125 20 54.00F 51.00F
41 ITA ITA111 Valiant Emilio Betta 132 55.00F 26 51.00F
42 UK GBR2152 One Jump Ahead Mike Denham 134 23 54.00S 57.00C
43 GER GER2400 Herz aus Gold Ann Seidel 135 38 40 57.00C
44 UK GBR2310 Mzungu Tony White 140 55.00F 34 51.00F
45 QAUS 1329 Frantic@SupaIGA John McLean 144 39 54.00F 51.00F
46 QAUS AUS1306 Got Wood Chris Somers 160 55.00F 54.00F 51.00F
46 VAUS AUS232 Gogolomobile Sean Managh 160 55.00S 54.00S 51.00F
46 FRA ITA316 MagicBoxSailingTeam Matteo Brescia 160 55.00S 54.00F 51.00F
46 UK GBR2406 Mako Ed Presley 160 55.00S 54.00S 51.00S
46 UK GBR694 Rock n Rolla Chris Boshier 160 55.00S 54.00F 51.00S
46 QAUS AUS217 Colly Wobble Tony Debney 160 55.00S 54.00F 51.00F
52 ITA ITA315 Gnuzzender Antonio Lambertini 165 57.00C 57.00C 51.00S
53 CAN CAN80 Sweet Pea Stephanie Mah 166 55.00S 54.00F 57.00C
53 QAUS AUS830 Get Me A Bucket Rod Hieatt 166 55.00S 54.00S 57.00C
55 UK GBR505 Sherbet David Henshall 169 55.00F 57.00C 57.00C
56 ITA ITA15 Calaf II Luca Gusmeroli 171 57.00C 57.00C 57.00C

Contender Worlds 2010