Australian Nats 2015: Day 2

Report by Bob Griffits. Results after 6 races http://results.lcsc.org.au/aclass/2015/SGrp2.htm
All Images © JULIE HARTWIG - http://www.juliehartwigphotography.ifp3.com
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Day 2: Australian A Class Catamaran Championships.

Day 2 dawned with overcast skies and wind squalls. Rigging the boats was an intermittent affair as competitors had to periodically raced for cover to shelter from a succession of tropical downpours.
Fortunately by the time of the 10:00 am start, the rain clouds were spent, and the wind had settled, in the range of 16 to 20 knots from the east, where it remained for the duration of the three races.
Conditions meant that it was a really fun day to be sailing an A Class Cat, although the wind strength meant the inevitable capsizes and gear failures, and it did prove to also be a contest of stamina.
The standout performer of the day was Stephen Brayshaw ( not Bradshaw that I occasionally misspelt yesterday) , who won two of the races.
Brad Collett won the other race, and and after another consistent day of sailing, Brad still heads the leader board.
( Some equipment corrections also at this point- Brayshaw is sailing a DNA with DNA designed and built Z centreboards, and Brad Collett is sailing an Exploder with Exploder "flat bottom J boards" that he retrospectively fitted to his boat).
Race 4 was won be Stephen BraYshaw, followed by Brad Collett, Steve Brewin,Hamish Sinclair, and Adam Beattie rounding out the top five.

Race 5 was won by Collett followed by Brewin, , Graeme Parker, Sinclair, and Brayshaw.

The wind was still holding up well for Race 6. Stephen Brayshaw triumphed once again, to win from Brewin, Collett, Parker , and Brewer.

We are now half way through our proposed 12 race series. The progressive scores are as follows ( with no drops yet in place) :
1st Brad Collett
2nd Stephen Brayshaw.
3rd Hamish Sinclair.
4th David Brewer
5th Steve Brewin.

The fleet appeared to be much more closely bunched up today on the higher wind strengths, with all boats able to sail near the design speed limit of boats. However those whom have mastered foiling are able to break through the displacement limit, and establish new speed limits. We should really start to record the performance data of the fastest foiling boats, and compare it with straight foil and C foil boats.

Tomorrow ( Wednesday Jan 7th ) will be a lay day, and the final six races will be held on Thursday and Friday.

Bob Griffits.