Lissiman and 'hot' crew trade blows with Bertrand, Ainslie and Palfrey

8:36 PM Mon 12 Jan 2009 GMT

'Finish of Race 1 - Commonwealth Bank 2009 Etchells Australian Championship' Steve Hall

Royal SA Yacht Squadron is proving a superb venue for the Commonwealth Bank 2009 Australian Etchells Championships. A real 'ding dong' battle is emerging between some of Australia's and New Zealand finest crews.

Today crews faced a south to south-westerly sea breeze between 7 to 12 knots for both race 1 and 2, with a change of tide during race 1 with a strong flooding tide for race 2.

Yanadoo XX finishing - Commonwealth Bank 2009 Etchells Australian Championship - Steve Hall

Race 1 commenced with a 'black' flag after two general recalls.

With little advantage on either side of the beat, local contender Liza Reynolds - Barracuda, made a flying pin end start "though we couldn't follow through as we were unsettled by the general recalls " Barracuda was quickly rolled by the much faster and higher pointing Avalon of Peter McNeill.

The fleet split on the first beat with 10 boats favouring a lay line approach from the shallow Largs Bay left hand side of the course.

At the top mark Kirwan Robb's - Pedro led the fleet followed by Jeanne-Claude Strong's - Yandoo XX then Skipp Lissiman's Bandwagon with John Bertrand - Triad a few places astern, however after a 'snap' kite launch by Ben Ainslie on foredeck and Andrew Palfrey in Triad's pit, several places were immediately made up.

Skip Lissiman’s Bandwagon - Commonwealth Bank 2009 Etchells Australian Championship - Steve Hall

The next time the fleet approached the top mark Bertrand emerged with a clear lead over Robb, with Lissiman following.

Sir James Hardy onboard Foolhardy gained many places on the beat only to lose five places being forced to tack by the boats on the starboard lay line.

At the gun Bertrand led Robb with Lissiman third.

The second race of the day, started with the fleet split for the first beat and at the top mark Lissiman emerged in complete control being followed by Mark Bulka - Critical Balance then Mark Bradford - Roni and Bertrand.

The wind swung to favour the right hand side, the side with more adverse current. Chaos ensued at the top mark with the current pushing boats below the turning mark.

Shortly afterwards Wayne Knill's - Medium-Rare was forced to retire 'holed', with Chris Hampton's - Tango retiring with 'bow' damage.

With the tide in full flood and advantaging the Largs Bay shore, a 'conga' line of Etchells drag raced on the lay line to the finish, with Lissiman crossing first followed by Bulka and Bradford. However Lissiamn result was subject to protest and the revised results late in the evening showed him with a DSQ.

Bertrand, Ainslie and Palrey’s Triad being chased by Una Mass - Commonwealth Bank 2009 Etchells Australian Championship - Steve Hall

Ben Ainslie, crew of Triad said " a good start to the series", asked about the second race he said "a boat handling mistake at the bottom mark cost us, plus we didn't go deep enough left and it went light right at the end and we got taken"

Tyson Lamond, crew of Bandwagon said he was stoked "second day sailing in my home town, very easy with a team that sails so well together" continuing "I call them the best in the west"

Jeanne-Claude Strong from Yanadoo XX has decided firm measures are necessary for her crew "they need a flogging after forgetting the timing for second race!"

Provisional results have been published with a number of protests now being heard. (with Lissiman being DSQ'd in Race 2

Racing continues tomorrow with a change in wind direction and a furnace like 41c to test the crews

Race 2 (12/01/2009) PROVISIONAL RESULTS

Updated: 12/01/2009 23:04:18

***Elapsed Time results***
Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Bow no	Skipper	CREW	CREW.	Crew3	From	Score
1	AUS891	BANDWAGON (M)	17	Skip Lissiman	Andy Fethers	Keith Swinton	Tyson Lamond	RPYC	1.0
2	AUS1338	CRITICAL BALANCE	44	Mark Bulka	James Ryssenbeek	Steve Young		RBYC	2.0
3	AUS870	RONI	48	Mark Bradford	Peter Merrington	Anthony Nositer		RQYS	3.0
4	950	VELSHEDA	38	Alastair Gair	Dave Ridley	Rhys Johnston	Derek Scott	GHEF	4.0
5	AUS1270	LA VIE DANSANTE	30	Chris Pratt	Simon Estella	Caillin Howard		RSYSRSAYSMYCCYCSA	5.0
6	AUS1374	STEAMPACKET 7 (M)	21	Rob Brown	Bruce Wookey	Garry Gudmunson		RPAYC	6.0
7	AUS1383	TRIAD (M)	40	John Bertrand	Andrew Palfrey	Ben Ainslie		RBYC	7.0
8	AUS1346	AVALON	27	Peter McNeill	Michael Bellingham	James Mayjor		LMYC	8.0
9	AUS1317	UNA MAS (M)	25	Mark Dagge	Matthew Hansen	Josh Willis		RQYS	9.0
10	NZL1314	ADDICTION (M)	33	Lindsay Kennedy	Mark Kennedy	Magnus Doole		GHYC	10.0
11	AUS1160	LIQUIDITY	14	Dirk Van Der Struyf	Nigel Nattrass	Adam Martin		RFBYC	11.0
12	AUS1129	MURPHYS LAW (M)	52	Geoff Boettcher	Tim Cowen	Jason Clark		RSAYS	12.0
13	AUS1318	BANANAS IN PYJAMAS	22	Ian Johnson	Tim Ede	Mark Tonner-Joyce		RBYC	13.0
14	AUS1367	CHILL PILL (M)	19	Rob Bird	Graeme Johnson	Nic Gray		RFBYC	14.0
15	AUS1288	MAGIC BUZZ (M)	49	Steve Gunther	Adrian Hayes	Brad Jones		RBYC	15.0
16	AUS1244	DR. EVIL (M)	20	Jake Gunther	Tony Mc Phail	Russel Tyson		RBYC	16.0
17	AUS1276	OVER ENGINEERED	23	Garrath James	Andrew Colliver	Blair Coventry		BYS	17.0
18	AUS736	WOOD DUCK (M)	42	Shane Deusson	Stephen Dunn	Myles Kohler		RSAYS	18.0
19	AUS1131	THE MOE SZYSLAK EXPE	31	Brendan Garner	Tim Clark	Michael ScHilt		RGYC	19.0
20	AUS1136	DAYLIGHT COME (M)	29	Alastair McMichael	Andrew McAullay	Richard Edinger		RPYC	20.0
21	AUS892	SECOND WIND	16	Jeff Rose	Craig McCullam	Cam Gribble		METUNG	21.0
22	AUS883	TUSK	24	Gary Smith	Michail McAullay	Brett Shoebridge		RPYC	22.0
23	AUS1366	PEDRO	15	Kirwan Robb	Jamie Thompson	Breeahn McCraken	Rodney Muller	RBYC	23.0
24	AUS1321	CHOICES (M,GM)	46	Ian Dixon	Mark O Brien	Nick Paterson		RSAYS	24.0
25	AUS1117	7PS (M)	53	Ian Anderson	Stuart Emery	Malcolm Pearson	Ashleigh Emery	PFS	25.0
26	AUS832	BAD SQUIRREL (M, GM)	51	Andrew Short	Phil Webb	Brett Yardley		RFBYC/RSAYS	26.0
27	AUS1360	ETCH (M,GM)	37	Jan Muysken	Ian Audsley	Peter Alexander		RSYS	27.0
28	AUS1141	MENS SHIRTS (M)	34	Peter Stubbings	Ann Stubbings	Ross Melville		RBYC	28.0
29	AUS868	YANDOO XX (M)	45	Jeanne-Claude Strong	Neville Wittey	Will Canty	Kieran Searle	RSYS	29.0
30	AUS714	FRENCH STICK (M)	35	Andrew Waterman	Andrew Ellison	Robert Howatt		RSAYS	30.0
31	AUS1272	FOOLHARDY (M, GM)	54	James Hardy	Tom Hardy	Alan Bessell		RSYS	31.0
32	AUS1218	SUPERHEAT (M, GM)	12	David Henshall	Steve Jenkins	Dean Furniss		RSAYS	32.0
33	AUS1158	NEW WAVE	43	Peter La Fontaine	Peter Cox	Sam Dryden		RGYC	33.0
34	AUS1258	RUBY	18	Jason Ward	Damien McCaughey	Tim Cawley		RSAYS	34.0
35	AUS1311	MYSTERY TAXI	10	Paul Henshall	Bruce Henshall	Jeremy Tustin		RSAYS	35.0
36	AUS951	FISH FACTORY (M, GM)	47	Michael Bradley	Guy Maegraith	Malcolm Larsen-Smith		RSAYS	36.0
37	AUS775	BANZAI (M, GM)	32	Robert Holyoak	Bruce Roberts	Robin Braendler		RSAYS	37.0
38	AUS215	BARRACUDA	36	Liza Reynolds	Chris Heritage	Aaron Heritage		RSAYS	38.0
39	AUS1291	THE DON (M)	50	Don Wilson	Eric Findlay	Dave Allinson		GSC	39.0
40	AUS833	MAXEN WLEDIG (M, GM)	11	Donald Halley	Dennis Fearnley	Richard Hunter		RSAYS	40.0
41	AUS609	GOMAS (M, GM)	28	Richard Colebatch	David Biven	Ian Andrews		RSAYS	41.0
DNF	AUS1223	TANGO (M)	41	Chris Hampton	Tim Godbert	Tom Connell		RBYC	45.0
DSQ	AUS1022	SCREAMING PLUM (M)	26	Doug Kerr	Greg Kerr	Luke Paterson		RFBYC	45.0
RDG	AUS608	MEDIUM RARE	39	Wayne Knill	Russell Jones	Noel Paterson		RSAYS	45.0

Sponsors have been quick to jump aboard, recognising the contribution sailing makes to the local community and keen to associate with a healthy outdoor sport. Sponsors include; The Commonwealth Bank, MUSTO, Club Marine Insurance, Coopers Brewery, Jacobs Creek Wines, Kaesler Wines and Aircommand Australia and the Royal SA Yacht Squadron.

Daily race updates and news including video clips will be posted on the website during the Championship, the website includes full details of the event, including Notice of Race (NOR) and a local guide Daily race updates and news including video clips will be posted on the website during the Championship, the website includes full details of the event, including Notice of Race (NOR) and a local guide www.09etchellsaustchamps.org.au

by Steve Hall

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