Reports Day 5

HOGS BREATH Hobie Cat Nationals WA - January 2 - January 7, 2006

Nedlands Yacht Club - The Esplanade, Nedlands - Perth WA
 

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TIGHT FINISH TO NATIONAL REGATTA

The final day of the 2006 Hogs Breath Café Hobie Cat Nationals being held at the Nedlands Yacht Club on the Swan River in Perth has produced one of the closet finishes to an National regatta for a number of years.

Sailed in a light west south west wind, former World Champion Steve Fields and Peter Dubbelaar won all three heats sailed today to win the Hobie Tiger class by the narrowest of margins and overcome young Victorian team Lachlan Gibson and Josh Furgill who came into the final day of sailing with a one point lead. Gibson and Furgill surrendered their lead after heat one of the day with a fifth place. They were able to recover with two second places but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to overtake the experienced team of Fields and Dubbelaar. Another Victorian team Michael Burdack and Craig Greenaway sailed consistently today to wrap up third place.

Ron McDonald from Victoria secured the National title in the Hobie 17 class with a win in the first heat of the day. West Australian Barry Sanders completed two wins today to secure second place overall from another WA sailor Livius Payne.

Local sailors Darren Smith and Natalie Hill claimed their second National title today by winning the first heat of the day in the Hobie 16 class. New South Wales team Mick Butler and Sue Etherington held onto second place overall with three top ten places today. Hobie 18 world champions Brad Sumner and Belinda Walkom finished the regatta strongly with a win in heat two of the day to secure third place overall. West Australian Cam Owen and Susan Ghent capped a great regatta with a first place in the final heat of the regatta.

Full details and final results are available on the event website www.hobiecat.asn.au/nationals2006 .