2010 Contender Australia Champion (Pre-World), Matt Mulder (AUS). Image copyright Suellen Hurling.
by Rob Kothe
In 1967 the first prototype was called Dorothy. The second in 1968, was named Skippy after a bright young Australian TV star kangaroo. Skippy was a sporty little trapeze dinghy from the design pad of Australian skiff sailor Bob Miller/Ben Lexcen, later the America's Cup designer of note. It was finally renamed the Contender.
Miller won the trials for a new Olympic dinghy with Skippy and although Olympic politics kept the Australian design off the Olympic podium, 2,500 boats later its popularity continues.
Now just before the 40th Contender World Championships to be sailed on Waterloo Bay in Brisbane from Friday 8th until Tuesday 12th of January, it seems that there could be more than one Skippy ready to win again.
Matt Mulder, the Organiser of the 2010 World Championships, this afternoon became the newest Australian sailing champion, winning the Contender Pre-Worlds (the Australian Championships) with a race to spare and he and a mob of thirty Australian Contender sailors today served notice they could be a winning force in the 60 boat Contender World Championships fleet.
Mulder led the series after three races, winning all three in heavy conditions on the Moreton Bay course and today in lighter 7-10 knot conditions, he held on for a fourth place in the fourth race of the series to take an unbeatable grip on the Pre-Worlds. Three other Australians finished ahead of him; two locals Steven Grimes and Geoff Fisher and the Australian Class President Chris Sutherland.
In the fifth race there were five general recalls before Mulder put his Organisers hat on, declared it his worst race drop and sailed back to the Club to arrange the Presentation evening.
Mornington (Victoria) sailor Jono Neate won the race from current Contender World champion Andrea Bonezzi and Geoff Fisher.
Mulder is the 2010 Australian Champion and is now one of the favourites for the World Championship. Neate and Bonezzi tied for points, with Neate winning second place on the podium on a count back.
Mulder's local knowledge provided a considerable advantage in this regatta and he was smiling on the rigging lawn this afternoon. 'I've been determined to well at this event ... been putting a lot of energy into organising it so I can hardly believe my luck so far, but there is a long way to go.'
'Local knowledge is a big factor. Over the first two days the tide coming out of Lota Creek meant the right paid but with the light seabreeze, the left was best.'
The overall favourite for this 40th Championships, seven times world champion Andrea Bonezzi feels Mulder has much more than local knowledge, he certainly has the talent it takes to win the Worlds.
'Matt has not had the time on the International circuit that many of us have, but I saw just how naturally talented he was in his only ever international Contender World Championships in Austria in 1993.
'A week ago, before coming up to Queensland, I had figured that Victorian Jono Neate would be the biggest Australian threat. The way Matt has been sailing, my thinking has required revision.'
Chris Sunderland the Australian Class President said 'It was notable that the locals really know their way around in the tides; Matt, Geoff Fisher and Steven Grimes, we all have to learn from them.'
Jono Neate commented 'Good to be up there, looking forward to a great World Championships. One thing is for sure who ever wins this 40th World title will have sailed well and I am hoping that sailor will be an Aussie.'
Skippy rules!
2010 Contender Pre-Worlds (Australian Championships) .Series Results [Open] up to Race 5 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties From Sail No Boat Name Skipper Series Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 QAUS AUS2408 Chewbacca Matt Mulder 7 [55.00S] 4 1 1 1
2 1.0S VAUS AUS2323 AUS2323 Jono Neate 11 1 [7.00] 4 3 3
3 ITA ITA11 Ronstan Andrea Bonezzi 11 2 [27.00] 2 5 2
4 UK GBR2420 Carrie2 Simon Mussell 15 [55.00B] 6 3 2 4
5 2.0S QAUS AUS2468 Bella Anna Geoff Fisher 21 3 2 [10.00] 8 8
6 GER GER551 Schroeder Christoph Homeier 21 6 [15.00] 6 4 5
7 QAUS AUS2179 AUS2179 Steven Grimes 22 5 1 9 7 [9.00]
8 QAUS AUS1753 Stacey Phillip Evans 30 [16.00] 12 5 6 7
9 WAUS AUS2443 AUS2443 Chris Sutherland 32 9 3 14 [15.00] 6
10 UK 2421 No Name Gary Langdon 37 [55.00B] 8 7 11 11
11 VAUS AUS2204 Erica's Diamond Chris Peile 41 7 5 [55.00F] 10 19
12 GER GER1421 Kabbelwasser Dirk Mueller 53 [55.00B] 9 12 14 18
13 VAUS AUS2136 Ro Shambo Grant Robinson 58 [55.00B] 23 11 12 12
14 NAUS AUS2375 Butterfly Sandwich Brett Holly 61 [55.00B] 34 8 9 10
15 14.0S NED NED232 Ristretto Mark Thorborg 71 14 19 18 20 [51.00F]
16 WAUS AUS2411 Cruising Ross Brennan 71 17 16 22 16 [51.00F]
17 8.0S GER GER531 Fajrant Joachim Harpprecht 73 8 11 29 [29.00] 25
18 NAUS 2238 Neopnee Alan Griffith 73 25 [36.00] 16 17 15
19 DEN DEN1628 DEN1628 Lars Bo Rasmussen 76 12 20 24 [31.00] 20
20 WAUS AUS2164 Juche' Richard Shallcross 81 28 [30.00] 19 21 13
21 UK GBR2407 RB Sport&Travel Richard Buttner 88 24 [35.00] 27 23 14
22 UK GBR2314 Foxy Lady Rodger White 89 10 13 34 32 [51.00S]
23 DEN DEN2425 Jolly Jumper Henning Wermuth 92 18 [31.00] 26 24 24
24 NAUS AUS2174 The Big Kahuna David Leask 94 27 [51.00] 25 25 17
25 ITA ITA20 c'e le secche Antonio Martini 98 21 28 [36.00] 28 21
26 ITA ITA40 Stealth Luca Bonezzi 101 [55.00B] 17 15 18 51.00S
27 UK GBR2318 U-Beaut Alan Mollatt 105 20 24 [38.00] 35 26
28 11.0S CAN 2398 HoneyBun Neil Smith 109 11 37 28 33 [51.00F]
29 WAUS 2105 Mojo Greg Barrington 109 30 43 17 19 [51.00F]
30 QAUS AUS1540 AUS1540 Roger Grimes 111 23 29 32 27 [51.00F]
31 QAUS AUS1244 Random Scott Bowman 116 19 [40.00] 33 37 27
32 ITA ITA315 Gnuzzender Antonio Lambertini 122 4 10 57.00C [57.00C] 51.00S
33 GER GER1789 Flyer Alexander Groehlich 123 55.00D 42 13 13 [51.00F]
34 QAUS AUS1364 Blubber Boy Trevor Monaghan 126 22 33 20 [54.00F] 51.00F
35 GER GER2400 Herz aus Gold Ann Seidel 130 26 25 39 40 [57.00C]
36 21.0S QAUS 2281 Don t Know Scott McInerney 135 [55.00B] 41 21 22 51.00F
37 QAUS AUS2169 Carbon Credit Stephen Toms 135 33 [44.00] 41 39 22
38 QAUS 225 Sticky Side Up James Dahl 137 55.00D 18 [55.00S] 41 23
39 UK GBR694 Rock n Rolla Chris Boshier 139 13 21 [55.00S] 54.00F 51.00S
40 QAUS 166 Gavin Dan Haydon 141 29 [46.00] 42 42 28
41 NAUS 2338 Spider Pig Peter Murphy 143 [55.00B] 54 35 38 16
42 ITA ITA111 Valiant Emilio Betta 146 55.00B 14 [55.00F] 26 51.00F
43 VAUS AUS2296 Maho Matthew Kee 148 32 50 30 36 [51.00F]
44 UK GBR2152 One Jump Ahead Mike Denham 154 55.00B 22 23 54.00S [57.00C]
45 QAUS AUS1326 BabyBoomerOnBoard Jan Mulder 157 [55.00S] 45 31 30 51.00F
46 FRA ITA316 MagicBoxSailingTeam Matteo Brescia 158 15 38 [55.00S] 54.00F 51.00F
47 UK GBR2310 Mzungu Tony White 179 57.00C [57.00C] 37 34 51.00F
48 QAUS AUS1306 Got Wood Chris Somers 186 55.00B 26 [55.00F] 54.00F 51.00F
49 VAUS AUS232 Gogolomobile Sean Managh 188 34 49 [55.00S] 54.00S 51.00F
50 31.0S CAN CAN80 Sweet Pea Stephanie Mah 192 31 52 55.00S 54.00F [57.00C]
51 UK GBR2406 Mako Ed Presley 192 55.00B 32 [55.00S] 54.00S 51.00S
52 QAUS AUS217 Colly Wobble Tony Debney 193 35 53 [55.00S] 54.00F 51.00F
53 QAUS 1329 Frantic@SupaIGA John McLean 194 55.00D 48 40 [54.00F] 51.00F
54 ITA ITA15 Calaf II Luca Gusmeroli 208 55.00S 39 57.00C 57.00C [57.00C]
55 QAUS AUS830 Get Me A Bucket Rod Hieatt 211 55.00S 47 55.00S 54.00S [57.00C]
56 UK GBR505 Sherbet David Henshall 226 57.00C 57.00C 55.00F 57.00C [57.00C]
Contender Worlds 2010
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