Thursday 26 January
By Tracey Walters

The Festival of Sails and Corio Bay served up great conditions for day one of the 2012 Melges 24 Australian Championships; sunshine, up to 20 knots of wind and dolphins.  Sponsored by Parks Victoria, the support boat that normally patrols the bay crewed by Graeme Willson and Paddy Hernon couldn’t have been more accommodating.

Regatta favourites Warwick Rooklyn Bandit  lead after day one with two wins.  Heath Walters Arriba Arriba and Kevin Nixon Accru finished on equal points in second place, three points behind Bandit.

Racing was super close and staying in phase with wind shifts was the key to success today.

Twenty eight kg Logan Walters on the rail of  Anthony Passmore’s Planit  noticed a small tear in the kite in the second race which opened up and shredded in a 20 knot wind gust.

Heath Townsends Kaito broke a Brolga lower after rounding the top mark in the leading bunch in the second race.

Bandit won Boat of the Day in the results but the crew aboard Geoff Fogarty’s Amigos had an exceptional day of racing and were pleased with their position in the fleet.

Many of the crews kicked on at the yacht club after racing at the Australia Day celebrations which included live bands and Bundaberg Rum Sponsorship put on by Festival of Sails.  They will be dusting themselves off for day two and three heats tomorrow.

Tracey Walters

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Melges 24 Association of Australia