2010 Internationals
Ian Marcovitch (NSW, Australia) is the new International Champion
New Zealand convincingly beats Australia for the Teams Trophy
Here's how New Zealand's Nik Radovanovic saw the racing.
Day 1 (Friday, 2nd April, 2010)
In race one, Marcovitch followed Percy round the top mark in the first race and managed to pass him on the reaches to take the lead at the bottom mark and defend to the finish. Meantime, Bell worked his way into third and held off current NZ Champion, Bob Preston.
Race two saw Marcovitch follow Wellington's Ryan Leatham round the top mark and once again he showed his class on the reaches. Bell also managed to pass Leatham as the breeze faded while Percy held on to fourth throughout.
Despite Marcovitch's wins, the New Zealand team has seven sailors in the top ten and is looking good at this early stage to take back the team title it lost last year at Koonawarra Bay (Australia). Six more races are scheduled over the Easter Weekend.
Day 2 (Saturday, 3rd April, 2010)
Mark Bell is the only other sailor to take a win and is still a threat to Marcovitch with three races remaining. Bell led race three from start to finish. Ryan Leatham was second, managing to fend off Bob Preston's challenge as the two swapped places during the race. Invitee, John Thomson, seven-time NZ Champion, held fourth place and is currently sixth overall.
Race four saw Marcovitch lead round the top mark for the first time and extend that lead throughout to win very comfortably ahead of Bell and Preston. Wellington's Scott Barker, who was second round the first mark, hung on for fourth.
Race five had Bell and Marcovitch leading round the top mark and joined by Hayden Percy, who led the second time round, as the breeze picked up. However, he failed to cover Marcovitch on the final beat and was pipped on the line, with a fast charging Bell claiming third and Preston fourth.
Nik Radovanovic
Day 3 (Sunday, 4th April, 2010)
Marcovitch has shown incredible consistency and boat speed, with five wins from seven races. In spite of this, he has only avoided sailing the last race after his main rival, Mark Bell, failed to finish in the top three for the first time in today's final race. Bell's fifth place in race seven means he could possibly end up equal on points with a win tomorrow but remain second on count back.
Race six saw likely Kiwi contenders, Hayden Percy, Bell and Bob Preston round the top mark first after picking their way well upwind. Marcovitch rounded the top mark in 13th place but showed his supremacy in these conditions by making up eight places the second time round the top mark and then pipping Bell at the finish. Percy was third and Scott Barker slipped past Preston to take fourth.
In race seven, it was another consistent Kiwi, Ryan Leatham, who rounded the top mark first ahead of Preston, followed by young talents, Victorian Luke Stout and New Plymouth's Jamie Hatch. Marcovitch, from 10th, again made big gains but not enough to catch Preston, who eventually managed to pass Leatham and claim a well deserved win to keep him in third place, ahead of Percy, in the overall standings.
Nik Radovanovic
Day 4 (Monday, 5th April, 2010)
Only one race was scheduled for day four of the Swire Shipping 2010 Paper Tiger Catamaran International Championships, in Napier.
Conditions were more challenging today, though still relatively light, as the breeze and sea varied markedly throughout the course and the race. Although Ian Marcovitch clinched the individual title in yesterday's last race, he and runner up, Mark Bell, were both out on the water today, taking 7th and 3rd respectively.
In the final overall standings, the ever competitive Bell ended up only two points behind Marcovitch after eight races, despite Marcovitch's 5 wins. Current NZ Champion, Bob Preston, had a discarded 10th placing today and held on to third place overall, as Hayden Percy could only manage a 12th and was leap-frogged by fellow young Kiwi, Ryan Leatham, who added another 2nd after a thrilling three way finish.
Race eight was Bryan Anderson's race, as the 2004 International Champion from Victoria took advantage of a reasonable breeze at the start to round the top mark first, followed by Leathams, Ryan and Denis. As the breeze started to die away and vary, Marcovitch and Bell started gaining and, with a longer race set, the fleet separated markedly. Eventually Bell, Anderson and Ryan Leatham were in a scrap for first, well ahead of Denis Leatham, Alex Craig, Peter Robins and Marcovitch, who were clear of the following pack in their own tussle for fourth. The top three exchanged the lead several times and the final beat to the finish made for a great way to end the competition.
Anderson held the advantage as they approached the line and Bell, who still had a chance to finish level on points with Marcovitch, threw a last gasp tack to find a way past Anderson, which gave Leatham the inch he needed to take second. Peter Robins won the battle for fourth.
The win slipped Anderson into the top ten behind multi-champ, Peter Anderson, but other than Marcovitch, the leader board was filled with Kiwis. Scott Barker was a comfortable sixth behind Percy, with John Thomson seventh, just a point ahead of local legend, Selwyn Pedersen.
Team Kiwi were comprehensive winners over Team Kangaroo. With New Zealand boats placing second through eighth, they convincingly won the teams event, with 544 points compared to Australia's 844. New Plymouth's Jamie Hatch is the 2010 International Junior Champion.
Napier Sailing Club was praised not only as a popular sailing venue but also for its support and administration during the event. Ian Marcovitch made particular mention of the quality of the race officials. Race Officer, Tim Sandall, and Club Manager, Lyle Tresadern, were singled out for their roles in what has been a very successful regatta.
Nik Radovanovic
^ Ian Marcovitch (NSW, Australia) the new 2010 International Champion. Marcovitch has an
unassailable lead with one race still to sail in the series.
Venue
Napier Sailing Club, East coast of North Island, New Zealand.
Dates
1st - 5th April 2010 (Easter)
Sponsors
The Paper Tiger Catamaran International Association and the organising committee are very pleased to announce that Swire Shipping is the major sponsor of the
2010 Swire Shipping Paper Tiger Catamaran International Championships
Results
Results have also been posted on the club website.
Event Website
All details about the event are available from the host club website.