Royal Akarana Yacht Club
	Dulux Aquanamel      Flying Fifteen World Championship

The Royal Akarana Yacht Club in Auckland, New Zealand hosted the 15^th Flying Fifteen World Championships over the period of 4^th to the 18^th of March 2005. The event consisted of a four day pre-world and New Zealand National Championships regatta that was followed by two registration days and then the World Championships contested over the final seven days of the event.
The Flying Fifteen Class also recognise both Silver and Classic fleet sub divisions. These fleets enjoyed sailing as part of the main fleet during the pre-world regatta, and were provided with a racecourse and race management team of their own for the International Silver and Classic Regatta, which was held over the same period as the World Championships.

Over ninety boats from ten nations turned up for this combination of events that has once again proved to be very successful. Royal Akarana Yacht Club provided excellent facilities and many willing helpers to ensure that launching, recovery and towing to the race area, when the wind was too light to sail, was conducted in an efficient and friendly manner as possible.

The pre-world event was an opportunity for all boats to feel out their opposition and test out the fine tune of their boats for the main event to follow. Despite this testing ground nature of the initial regatta, competition was fierce with boats from all nations showing the capability to win. After four fine days of sailing, it was the Australian Crew of Grant Alderson and Dean McAullay, sailing a Sailpower Marine constructed boat that consolidated their position at the head of the leader board. Their 9^th place in the final race was enough to secure the overall win and the New Zealand National Championship title. Alan Bax and Paul Busby (GBR) in an Ovington Mk 10 finished second, Steve Goacher and Phil Evans (GBR) in an Ovington Mk9 finished third while Dave McKee and Chris Hewkin (GBR) again in an Ovington Mk10 finished fourth. These four crews all sailed an extremely consistent series and were now perceived as the favourites to win the coveted world title.
After a two day break for World Championship registration, which most pre-registered competitors used to sample the many tourist delights of the North Island, the championships began in earnest. The world championship fleet now consisted of 70 boats that qualified for the event through domestic and pre-worlds qualification series.

Day 1, Race 1, March 12^th 2005
Wind Conditions: North East 070 degrees, average of 5 -10 knots
The first race of the Dulux Aquanamel Flying Fifteen World Championships got underway on Saturday afternoon in a light northeasterly breeze. The fleet finally got started on a windward, leeward, triangle, triangle, finish course configuration after two general recalls and a third start under the Z Flag at 1.55pm. An individual recall didn’t concern the majority of the fleet, which was lead by Charles Apthorp and Alan Green (GBR3591) at the first mark. Many place changes were seen throughout the fleet during the first downwind leg with the boats that sailed to the patches of pressure making the major gains. At the second windward leg Apthorp and Green maintained their lead with Darren Martin and Simon Murray (IRL3621) in second place, and Ashley Smith and Kim Thumpkin (AUS3718) in third. At the third windward mark rounding Apthorp and Green still lead, followed by Martin and Murray who had sailed a consistent race to hold second place. Nick and Janet Jerwood (AUS3743) had worked themselves into third position in the strengthening breeze. These positions were maintained to the finish despite a valiant attempt by the Irish pair to upset the leaders. Apthorp and Green took line honours and an early regatta point’s table lead.

Day 2, Race 2, March 13^th 2005
Wind Conditions: North West 340 degrees, average of 8 -10 knots
Races two and three were scheduled for Sunday 13^th March. The fleet began to leave the shore at approximately 9.00am for a course positioned to the East of Browns Island, some 1 and a half hours away under tow. Light winds played havoc for the race committee who were unable to set a suitable course until late afternoon. The fleet finally had a start for race two at 4.40pm as a light but steady sea breeze filled in. After one general recall the fleet started cleanly on a relatively short windward, leeward, triangle, finish course in an average 8-10 knots of wind. Australians Graeme Lillingston and Edmond Repsevicius (AUS3670) displayed remarkable technique on the shifts up the first windward leg to take a substantial lead at the windward mark. Two British boats sailed by Alan Bax and Paul Busby (GBR3786) and Greg Wells and David Tulloch (GBR3776) sailed in a determined fashion to gain on the Australian pair but could not break them down before the finish line. Lillingston and Repsevicius took the race win placing them fourth on the leader board after two races. Bax and Busby secured second place in the race to lie in second position overall on the points table, while Wells and Tulloch took third place and seventh overall position. Apthorp and Green and the Jerwoods worked hard for their 5^th and 7^th places which left them in 1^st and 3^rd places overall.

Day 3, Race 3, March 14^th 2005
Wind Conditions: North Easterly 070 degrees, average of 10-14 knots
A change of schedule to allow two races on Day 3 looked good on paper but the frustrating weather pattern continued with the wind failing to fill in until late in the afternoon. Only one race could therefore be completed. However, when the wind arrived it did so in a steady and reassuringly sudden manner that enabled the race committee to quickly configure the course for a windward leeward, triangle, windward to finish course configuration. After two general recalls the fleet got away from the start line that proved to be starboard bias. Boats at that end of the line made the windward mark in fine form with past multiple world champion Steve Goacher and Phil Evans (GBR3721) revelling in the conditions and leading the race. This pair were followed around the mark by New Zealanders Guy Dawson and Michael Morris (NZL3089) and then the Jerwoods (AUS3743) followed by the pack. The three leaders chose different sides of the downwind leg, which proved decisive. The Jerwoods looked good on the left hand side of the run, picking up the extra pressure on that side of the course to sail into the lead. Goacher and Evans pressed hard on the second windward leg but could not regain the lead. The Jerwoods extended the gap on Goacher and Evans after the second windward mark while Martin and Murray (IRL3621) took third place and started to press for second. These positions were maintained to the finish giving the Jerwoods the overall lead from Bax and Busby who posted another good result with Martin and Murray taking third overall.

Day 5, Race 4, March 16^th 2005
Wind Conditions: Very light variable winds, late northeasterly sea breeze (040 degrees)
The fair weather continued in Auckland and was perhaps better suited to tanning than sailing. Following a reserve day on Tuesday stronger winds were hoped for on Day 5, but it did not eventuate. The AP flag was raised at the yacht club and crews waited on shore until after 12.00am before launching and sailing to the racecourse between Rangitoto Island and St Heliers Beach. The breeze then stabilised long enough by 2.45pm for the race committee to set a windward, leeward, triangle, windward finish course for the first race of the day. The fleet got away to a clean start at the first attempt and the light breeze favoured those that chose the right had side of the course. Apthorp and Green made this choice early and took the benefit to lead at the first mark. On the second windward leg the left paid handsomely and this time Ron Packer and Peter Mudford (AUS3619) and Lillingston and Repsevicius (AUS3670) made substantial gains to take second and third places while Apthorp started the leg by going right but then went hard left to cover the move from Packer and Lillingston. In doing so Apthorp held onto a slender lead. Half way through the race the breeze started to drop out until it eventually becalmed the fleet which was spread out over the first and second reaches of the triangle. The vigilant that noticed the breeze filling in from far a field in the west and moved in that direction were to make huge gains on this final leg to the shortened course finish at the leeward mark. Apthorp and Green held on to take the race from Packer and Mudford followed by Martin and Murray, but Lillingston and Repsevicius were not so fortunate, dropping from a solid second place on the final leg to 9th at the finish. More unfortunate still were the pairing of Bax and Busby (GBR3786) who finished in the 40’s and dropped off the leader board. After four races of the seven race series Nick and Janet Jerwood (AUS3743) led the points table, Apthorp and Green (GBR3591) were second, and the Irish pair of Martin and Murray (IRL3621) were third.

Day 6, Race 5 and 6, March 17^th 2005
Wind Conditions: 7-8 knot average from 180 degrees rising to 15 knots from 250 degrees by the start of Race 6
Race 5 started on schedule at 12.05pm in a light and shifty breeze with significant gusts from the west. After a general recall on the first attempt and an individual recall on the second attempt the fleet began the first beat of the windward, leeward, triangle, windward finish course. The first and second legs of the race again saw significant position changes as the gusts and associated lulls moved across the course. The fleet hugged the western side of the course both upwind and down wind to make the best of the westerly breeze that was beginning to prevail over the original southerly. The race committee did a fantastic job to re-orientate the course to keep the racing as fair as possible in these conditions following some large and persistent wind shifts. Steve Goacher and Phil Evans (GBR3721) found the conditions to their liking and took their first win of the regatta. They were followed by the very consistent Nick and Janet Jerwood (AUS3743) in second place, and New Zealanders Murray Gilbert and Jonathon Burgess (NZL3534) in third.

The race committee set a longer course for race 6 in an increasing wind strength of 13 – 15 knots from 250 degrees. The fleet all got away cleanly at the first attempt to start the windward, leeward, triangle, windward, leeward finish course. At the wing mark rounding, Kiwi’s Aaron Goodmanson and Alister Rowlands (NZL3739) had a lead over Australians Grant Alderson and Dean McAullay (AUS3833) by 50 seconds. At the last rounding of the bottom mark Goodmanson and Rowlands had extended their lead over Alderson and McAullay to 60 seconds. Goodmanson and Rowlands went on to take their first win of the regatta and a third position overall on the leader board with one race to complete the seven race series. Second place in race 6 went to Alderson and McAullay, while Ronald Packer and Peter Mudford (AUS3619) took third place. It was the turn of Martin and Murray to have a bad day in the office and their 31^st and 29^th ended their hopes of overall success.

Nick and Janet Jerwood now led overall by just two points going into the last day of racing. Charles Apthorp and Alan Green maintained their second overall placing and with only one more race to sail neither of these two boats could be overtaken in the overall standings by any of the other boats. Kiwi’s Goodmanson and Rowlands moved into third place on the leader board.

Day 7, Race 7, March 18^th 2005
Wind Conditions: 12 - 15 knots from SW
The accumulated points scores and discards meant that Apthorp and Green had to finish in 9^th place or better and beat the Jerwoods by two places if they were to win. The duel began with 2 minutes to go to the start of the seventh and final race under the watchful eye of two international jury boats that had clearly worked out the probable scenario for this race. Pre-start manoeuvres resulted in both contenders starting from the middle of the line with the Jerwoods to windward but behind Apthorp and Green. The line had been port end bias enabling ten to fifteen boats to cross ahead of the two who continued out to the left hand side of the first leg on Starboard tack. The Jerwoods took advantage of a shift half way up the course and by the time the two had reached the port tack lay line the Jerwoods were in a position to tack under the lee bow of Apthorp and Green forcing them further out to the left and beyond the lay line. From this position Apthorp and Green had no option but to sail into the windward mark under the influence of the disturbed air stream from the Jerwood's boat who were doing their utmost to slow the British boats progress to the mark. The pair arrived at the windward mark in the mid thirties and after Apthorp and Green hit the mark whilst evading attempts by the Jerwoods to prevent them from rounding it, Apthorp and Green began the second leg by sailing a penalty turn and falling further back in the fleet. Apthorp and Green sailed a startling final half of the race to overtake the Jerwoods and climb the fleet to eventually finish 17^th, but this was not enough and the Jerwoods retained their overall lead and took the title without having to finish the final race. The first Australians since 1986 and only the second husband and wife combination to win the Flying Fifteen World Championships. Further up the fleet Aaron Goodmanson and Alister Rowlands (NZL3739) again showed off their speed in the stronger breeze to take the race and secure their third place overall. Graeme Lillingston and Ed Repsevicius (AUS3670) finished the race in second place to move from 9^th to 4^th overall and end a great series of regattas for the Australians and their Sailpower built boats.

Report by Nick Jerwood
 

2005 World Champions - Nick and Janet Jerwood - Photo by Claire Porter

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Final Results

Sailed: 7  Discards: 1

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Final Results

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