SPORT - KRISTIC AND WILSON WIN NSW i14 STATE TITLES

Mark Kristic and crew Andrew Wilson won the NSW i14 State Championship 2009-10 sailed on Sydney Harbour last weekend.

Kristic and Wilson took the title with a near perfect score of five wins and one second placing.

The Victorian crew, who normally sail from Black Rock Yacht Club on Port Phillip Bay, made the trek to Sydney as part of their build-up to the i14 World Championship to be sailed on the Harbour next January.

The State Championship regatta was sailed in an area known as The Sound, which is between South, North and Middle Heads. This is the venue for the Worlds.

Dave Alexander and crew Cam McDonald of South Australia were a close second in the weekend regatta. They were the only boat to take a heat win from Kristic and Wilson on windy day one, when racing was held on a rain-swept harbour with 20 to 30kts of shifting, gusty southerly pumping across the racetrack.

Warren Sare and Niall Kinch won the final race yesterday in light moderate east-nor’easterly winds to finish third overall with Dave Hayter and Trent Neigbour fourth overall.

The regatta was hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club, Rose Bay, Sydney.

The International 14 is a two-person, high-performance development class with a history dating back more than 100 years. The class has always been progressive and is one of the thoroughbreds of dinghy/skiff sailing.

RESULTS

1-Kristic/Wilson (BRYC) 1,1,2,1,1,1,dnf (7pts);
2-Alexander/McDonald CYCSA) 2,2,1,4,2,5,2 (13);
3-Sare/Kinch (WSC) 4,3,3,2,4,2,1 (15);
4-Hayter/Neigbour (Adelaide) 3,7,dnf,3,3,3,3 (22);
5-Austin/Nicholson (SFS) 5,4,dnf,6,5,4,4 (28).

Photo: Kristic and Wilson race their way to victory.