High Octane One Designs » Mark Foy Trophy http://www.ho1designs.com/ Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:07:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Day IV of Mark Foy Trophy Race http://www.ho1designs.com/ /2009/07/03/day-iv-of-mark-foy-trophy-race/ http://www.ho1designs.com/ /2009/07/03/day-iv-of-mark-foy-trophy-race/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:03:01 +0000 admin http://www.ho1designs.com/?p=419 photography: Christophe Favreau

photography: Christophe Favreau

Day 4 of the Mark Foy championship started after a 1 hour delay under overcast skies and building wind.  A small amount of rain was a fair price to pay for 15 knots of westerly wind.

After two tries race 5 got away on a boat favoured line.  Good starts were rewarded as a backing wind brought the boats from the left side of the course to the windward mark in front.  Archie Massey, steering Asko led round with a commanding lead, although later to find out he was OCS.  Behind him a battle between Grant Rollerson(AUS) on Slam, Rob Greenhalgh(GBR) on Benny and Howie Hamlin(USA) on Macquarie took shape.  With the wind at 15 knots, the skiffs were off downwind faster than the wind making short work of the course.  Jarrod Simpson(GBR) on TMF and John Winning(AUS) on Yandoo gave chase but were unable to close the distance.  The oscillating breeze created many passing lanes and place changes for the middle of the fleet, but at the front it was all about experience.  Slam came home in front to secure their 4th victory in 5 tries.  Macquarie led home Benny making the top of the championship leaderboard a clear battle between them.

After waiting for a storm cloud to blow through, race 6 got off to a false start in 16 to 18 knots of breeze. Hoping to get the aggressive fleet under control, the Carnac race committee brought out the dreaded black flag.  While the approach to the line was more subdued, down at the pin end a crash was taking place.  Overnight leaders Slam tacked onto port into Yandoo, who were forced into TMF.  Slam capsized to windward while yandoo’s pole went through TMF’s jib, breaking in the process.  Slam, once upright, with TMF and Yandoo out of action, retired from the race.  Meanwhile, back on the course Mason Woodworth(GBR) on Investec had stepped out to the right side of the course and found a favourable shift with Trevor Barnabas(AUS) on Road Service and John Whitty(AUS), coming in from the left after a great start.   Road Service and Panaosonic just led Investec around the top mark with a hard charging Benny and Asko just behind.  While sailing in the with this pack from the left, there was more drama on Appliances Online where a broken forestay sent their rig crashing down. Quick action by Rob Greenhalgh avoided a more serious collision while the stationary pirate ship made an obstacle for the boats behind.

Photography: Christophe Favreau

Photography: Christophe Favreau

Down the run Greenhalgh made his move on Investec jumping up to third just before the leeward gate.  The lead boats split with Road Service and Investec going out left and Panasonic, Benny and Asko headed right.  At the top mark, Road service held a clear lead while Benny and Investec moved up to second and third.  A spinnaker sheet failure at the hoist saw Panasonic slip further allowing Asko up to fourth.  With the breeze clocking well right, the lead four opted for the right side.  Up the final beat, Roadservice tacked left early and with the wind shifting further left, Benny made their final move into the lead.  Across the line at 17+ knots it was Rob Greenhalgh stamping his authority on this championship with his second race win.  Road service followed with Investec holding off Asko to finish a welcome day of windier conditions.

With two days left to go and with at least 3 races scheduled, consistent top 5 finishes leave Rob Greenhalgh in commanding lead with Archie Massey and Howie Hamlin as the closest competitors.  But once 9 races are completed the second discard comes into play and Grant Rollerson currently forced to count an OCS will move right back into the frame.  As today shows, anything can happen and the racing is always exciting!  Plenty of action left so stay tuned!

Report: Mason Woodworth

]]> http://www.ho1designs.com/ /2009/07/03/day-iv-of-mark-foy-trophy-race/feed/ 0 No wind on first day of Mark Foy Trophy Race http://www.ho1designs.com/ /2009/06/28/no-wind-on-first-day/ http://www.ho1designs.com/ /2009/06/28/no-wind-on-first-day/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:09:59 +0000 admin http://www.ho1designs.com/?p=398 _18F7894Strong heat and no wind on the packed parking of the Yacht Club de Carnac for this first day of competition. The 30 crews didn’t have the opportunity to confront one another in the bay of Quiberon and it’s really a pity! The teams brought together for this new competition which is to promote the 18 foot skiffs around the world is indeed rather exceptional. Among the helmsmen, there are no less than 4 winners of the JJ Giltinan International Championship, ran each mid-February in the bay of Sydney and considered as the equivalent of the world championship for this sport and nearly as much among the crewmen.
The Australian Trevor Barnabas, the most titled of them, has brought together with his family team two generations of champions on 24Hr Road Service. It’s his son Trent “the weapon” Barnabas, current titleholder, who is the front crewman. Daniel Philips completes this formidable crew. On the side of the Australians, among the five other boats another family is to be pointed out: the Winnings. John, the father (Yandoo), tireless veteran and generous sponsor of this amateur class and John junior (Appliancesonline), the son who has won several races during the last “JJ”, will be for sure two serious candidate for victory. If the winds are light, we should keep an eye on Grant Rollerson (Slam) and its team (Mike Coxon, double winner of the JJ on Fiat in 2006 and 2007). The three proud New Zealand crews who have come to Carnac should also give the Europeans a hard time.
Hopefully, the large number of boats from the English class have good arguments such as Robert Greenhalgh (Benny), only just disembarked from the VOR 70 Puma in the Volvo Ocean Race and winner in 2004 of the JJ. He has taken the most of this day to refine some very thin settings he has the knack of finding. The crew of Pindar, skipped by Andy Richards, actual European champions, those from Pica (Jamie Mears), Ronstan (Iain Turnbull), Investec Private Bank (Mason Woodworth), TMF Group (Jarrod Simpson) but also Gill/Wild Graphics (Ed Brown) are capable of winning a race and should be taken into account. The American Howard Hamlin (Macquarie), double holder of the precious trophy, coming at the last moment to defend the colours of the Stars and Stripes and the Danish Flemming Clausen, hardwearing competitor capable with his solid crew of astounding speeds as soon as the wind raises.
2 Hungarian teams, 3 French, 3 German and a Swiss complete the list which promises tight starts and very very hot buoy crossings! GPS have been embarked on the boats for a live broadcasting of the race on the website of the organizing club : www.yccarnac.com. Organized from the 28th June to the 4th July, this confrontation should find tomorrow enough wind to offer a real and virtual impressive show!

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