The Next Challenge leading after day one Sydney 38 Nationals

Lou Abrahams ‘The Next Challenge’, boat of the day from the Sandringham Yacht Club, leads with only two points separating the first three boats in the 2012 Sydney 38 National Championships after a testing day one, hosted by The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

With the race committee waving the AP flag waiting for the rain to dissapear, the clouds to dissipate and the breeze to fill in, the first of two races finally got underway at 1425hrs on a fickle day on the course off the Palm Beach circle. Even then, a light 5-6 knot Easterly greeted the 15 strong fleet for the start.

The RPAYC’s Gavin Ward/ Chris Dawson dominated the first 4 nautical mile race, opting for a left hand lane off the start, laying the top mark with precision to lead by a considerable margin at the top, as they set their kite to consolidate their lead coming into the bottom gate. They were never headed with the breeze shifting to the North East for the final run home and won easily from a fast finishing Lou Abrahams, who challenged the other end of the course at the start whilst Rick Welch’s ‘The Bolter’, another RPAYC compatriot finishing a valiant third.

Race Two got underway not long after with the Nor’ Easter now established, but still only light, at 6 to 8 knots. Drama was building for the start, with a heavy pin end bias and boats scrambling to get inside the pin and not be OCS. A minor collision between pre-championship favourite Mark Griffith’s ‘Old School’ and ‘The Next Challenge’ on the line had the protest room open, with ‘Old School’ declared disqaulified for their start infringement and now having to fight back hard to be in contention for the national cnampionship.

‘Eye Candy’ managed to escape the carnage to sneak through to lead from the start. However, it was some well executed tactics, great crew work and a little bit of meditation from MHYC’s Gordon Ketelbey’s aboard ‘Zen’, runners up in last year’s nationals which saw them take victory in the second race with the CYCA's Quick brother's ‘Outlaw’ second and ‘The Next Challenge’ third.

With the final boat crossing the finish at 1735hrs, RO Ted Anderson called it a day and the boats filed their way back to the host club the RPAYC, to reflect, ponder and prepare for another day in the Sydney 38 Nationals.

The aim is to get racing underway at 1100hrs with a 10-15 knot South Easterly predicted.

Day One results can be viewed at Sydney38Results

- Damian Devine