Feb 2 - Stening holds the lead - M30 Australian Championship PDF  | Print |  E-mail

Day two of racing at the M30 Australian Championship and the weather off Sydney Heads provided very testing conditions for the 10 boats competing in the three races that were completed.  The breeze fluctuated in strength and direction causing frustration for every crew.

Overnight point score leader Guy Stening’s Optimumm  won the fourth race of the series with the first race of day two taking over an hour and a half to complete in the very light east nor’ east breeze.

“We were lucky to see eight knots breeze strength on the instruments today.  The day started out with quite a lumpy sea but it settled down over the course of the day.  It was a long day and we still have one to go”, remarked Stening.

Sydneysider and M30 class newcomer John Formosa and his team on Yandoo took the second gun of the day.  Formosa, with nephew and 18 foot skiff sailor John Winning onboard as tactician, is sailing one the two new boats in the Sydney M30 fleet.  Formosa races regularly in the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron M30 division and this win is his first in an M30 class event. 

“It’s a great thrill to win; I wasn’t expecting to be there in the very tricky conditions.  I owe an awful lot to my crew who have put in a fantastic effort”, said a happy Formosa dockside.  Formosa’s 5,1,2 results today have moved him into third overall with second through to fifth places very close on points. 

Defending Australian Champion Bruce Eddington and his K2 crew won the third race of the day and their second for the regatta after the breeze had swung to the south.  Eddington is one of two Australian teams who will be racing in the M30 World Championship later this year in Newport, Rhode Island.

Victorian Rob Davis and Sydney’s Garry Hobson are competing in their first M30 class Australian Championship and both enjoying the close class racing provided by the M30 one design class. 

Racing will conclude tomorrow with the race course for the final day planned off Sydney Heads and the presentation of the 2008 M30 Australian Champions trophy will be held after racing at Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. 

Provisional Results Day 2:

Pl. Boat Skipper Yacht Club State Points
1 Optimumm G.Stening  RSYS NSW 11
2 GOA/PDL C.Tyquin  RQYS QLD 19
3 Yandoo J.Formosa  CYCA NSW 21
4 Awarua –Boat Mate C.Way  RPAYC NSW 22
5 K2 B.Eddington SYC VIC 24
6 Asterix C.Loel  RQYS QLD 42
7 Cleopatra R.Davis  SYC VIC 43
8 Don’t Tell Mumm G.Hobson  RSYS NSW 44
9 Synergy A.Douglas  RQYS QLD 49
10 Immigrant J.Paul  PCSC QLD 54

For more information please check the class website at www.mumm30.org or www.rsys.com.au contact Sam Crichton at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it   or ph +61 (0)407 63 64 16