Flying Fifteen Puerto Pollensa 

Day 5

Fifteen Worlds go down to the wire

The Flying Fifteen World championships are set to have the closest finish since Dublin in 2003 with three crews in clear contention after to days racing; early leaders Mike Hart and Tim Hall just hanging on to a slender 2 point lead from Steve Goacher & Phil Evans (GBR) and the Jerwood’s (AUS) on 17 points, after today’s racing in the bay of Pollensa.

With the prevailing wind established by mid morning from the south, as per the pre worlds, the race officer was eager to get race 5 away before the southerly breeze died away; many felt that the left side of the course would pay on the first beat as the sea breeze was showing a tendency to influence the gradient breeze during the week.

However Goacher & Evans, having re gained their traditional uncanny ability to sniff out the best Breeze, came off the line at the committee boat end and shortly tacked on to port (heading right) with the leading bunch including the South Africans And Irish heading to the western shore, the fleet became split between the left and right of the course with Goacher / Evans having called it right closely followed by Apthorp / Ricard who also came up the western shore.

Event leaders Hart & Hall having suffered gear failure at the windward mark were forced to make temporary repairs down the run which cost them many places.

Goacher / Evans a middle course down the run with Apthorp / Ricard choosing gybe off to the western shore which paid off and they rounded the leeward mark first closely followed by Goacher & Evans who hitched up to gain clear air and take substantial lead on the second beat. The Jerwood’s moving into second place, this leg saw the wind being to die away however, but the prevailing breeze still showing that the right side continued to pay dividends.

With positions staying much the same Steve Goacher and Phil Evans (GBR) took the gun by a whisker from Nick & Janet Jerwood (AUS) after a close fought final leg flowed by the Irish and Howard Green & Ian Preston (GBR) who made up the leading group.

The fleet followed on command, as the wind died and swung to the north the race officer was lucky to get the race in; with Hart & Hall finishing down the fleet in 16th this leaves the championship wide open with two races to scheduled for Friday.

This evening the Australian contingent gave a tantalising glimpse of what is in store for the next World Championship which will be the burgee of Royal Yacht Club of Victoria in Melbourne.

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