The Workforce Marine Mumm 30 Australian Championship has been won by Victorian Bruce Eddington and his crew on Kato after three days of racing on the Palm Beach Circle off Barrenjoey Head this weekend. Conducted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club the eight boats sailed eight races to crown this year’s winner.
Sailing consistently well and with only one finish outside the top two places, Eddington successfully defended his Mumm 30 National Champion title to win back to back titles. Chris Way’s Way Cool Racing from Sydney secured second place with Stuart Bancroft’s London Calling, part of the New South Wales contingent, completing the podium places on a count back from Guy Holbert’s Rumbo.
“It’s been great to race against our one design class colleagues over the last three days and to be able to win back to back titles as well,” commented Eddington.
The fleet experienced a variety of conditions over the three days with Saturday presenting top breezes for the regatta of 18 knots. Friday had the fleet waiting under postponement until the breeze filled in from the nor’east at 15 knots providing the fleet with some great racing. Sunday’s racing started out in a light nor easter which eventually died and the fleet waited patiently for nearly two hours before the breeze swung to the south at 12 knots for the final race of the series to be sailed.
Day one of racing and from the start of the event Eddington made his intentions clear by winning the first of the eight races sailed. Tasmania’s Steve Harrison crossed the line in second with Port Stephens brothers Guy and Clarke Holbert finishing in third. Race two and Eddington repeated his previous result with Stuart Bancroft’s London Calling and Chris Way’s Way Cool Racing rounding out the top three. Eddington finished off the day as he started with the gun as he crossed in first with Bancroft and Way swapping finishing positions.
The second day of racing was nearly a mirror image for Eddington and his crew with two firsts and a second. Alex Douglas from Queensland and his crew on Synergy improved on their day one results to finish up with a third and two sixth places.
Sunday and the final two races tested everyone with the lightest race of the event mixing up the places after the course was shortened. Denis Thomas’s Awarua, named after the street he grew up in in New Zealand, moved from sixth to third for his best result in the event.
Enjoying the class one design racing there is a positive outlook for this strong international one design class within Australia and a lot more class racing to come. With 16 boats in Australia at the moment and the west coast boats enjoying racing at Geographe Bay Race Week in Western Australia, the class hopes to see even more states represented at class regattas in the future.
“To have boats from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania at this event has been great. Everyone has enjoyed the class racing and looks forward to more of it over the next twelve months,” commented title sponsor representative Stuart Broom.
The Mumm 30 Nationals are part of the planned 2006 -07 schedule of racing for the class with other one design class racing events planned over the next 12 months.
Workforce Marine Mumm 30 Australian Championship Final Results
| 1 | Kato | B.Eddington (VIC) | 8 |
| 2 | Way Cool Racing | C.Way (NSW) | 13 |
| 3 | London Calling | S.Bancroft (NSW) | 24 |
| 4 | Rumbo | G.Holbert (NSW) | 24 |
| 5 | Oedipus Complex | S.Harrison (TAS) | 38 |
| 6 | Synergy | A.Douglas (QLD) | 39 |
| 7 | Mumbles | C.Loel (QLD) | 42 |
| 8 | Awarua | D.Thomas (NSW) | 49 |
For more information please check the class website at www.mumm30.org or contact Sam Crichton at samcrichton@smartchat.net.au or ph +61 (0)407 63 64 16
