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Evan
Walker (skipper), Peter Harris and Scott Babbage, teaming
together for the first time in Active Air-2UE, showed plenty
of skill and strength under pressure to score a narrow
victory in Race 5 of the Australian 18 Footer League’s Club
Championship on Sydney Harbour last Sunday. Walker, normally
the sheet hand on the skiff, replaced usual skipper John
Sweeny while Babbage moved from the Club Marine skiff for
the race.
Active
Air-2UE defeated Fiat (Michael Coxon) by just 3secs in a
thrilling finish with Rag & Famish Hotel (John Harris) a
further 4mins 56secs back in third place. Fiat’s second
placing in Sunday's race still enables the team to retain
the lead in the championship with only one more race to sail
– on 1 April. Fiat has 10 points in the series, followed by
Asko Appliances on 17, Rag & Famish Hotel 22, Omega Smeg 28,
Ssangyong Yandoo 31 and Gotta Love It 7 on 46.
The race
was sailed in a very light Easterly breeze which varied in
strength and direction throughout the day. Belle Property
(Joe Turner) won the race to the first windward mark with a
35secs advantage over Asko Appliances. Fiat had a disastrous
leg and was languishing in 14th place some three and a half
minutes from the lead. Belle was under enormous pressure on
the spinnaker run back to the start mark – via the wing mark
off Clarke Island.
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