Elliott 7 - News |
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General News - March 2012Australian TitlesA great article on the Elliott 7 Australian Titles and Participation at Sail Port Stephens here. We are hoping to get 15 plus boats on the start line. The race course is fantastic and a wide range of affordable accommodation with lots for friends and families to do whilst we are out there. It is during the school holidays so it would be great for the families to get together and swap stories about how much they love their partners and the fact they are out sailing (Maybe not) . Entry and Accommodation deals at sailportstephens.com.au/ Matt Bonser has organised berthing at Soldiers Point Marina for the duration so that is where you should be looking for accommodation. Charter your boatI have also had expressions of interest from people who are keen to charter a boat so they can be part of the best one design sports boat racing in Australia. If you have a boat and are keen to see it on the water let me know. As a rough guide a 3 day regatta is worth from $1000 to $2000 depending on the quality of the boat (At $2000 you would have a top boat capable of winning) The other option is the charterer partially funding a new sail of a similar amount. It is how I got into the class so the Jury may still be out on the benefits of it. Send it to your CrewPlease forward this to your crews so they can see what is happening in the world of Elliott 7 I would also ask to direct your thoughts and prayers towards our class president Neil Primrose and his wife Diana. Neil is going through some tough times with a new round of treatment, his strength, stoicism and honesty is inspirational. However he is a tough old bugger and he will be mixing it up on the start at Port Stephens. Cheers, Jim Walsh Email:
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Newsletter-Early Summer-2011 |
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Newsletter-Spring-2011 |
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Elliott 7 Grand Prix Series kicks off for 2011/12 season |
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Heaven Can Wait Charity Yacht Race - One Lap Dash October 1st 2011The Heaven Can Wait, One Lap Dash along with the longer 24 hour race are organised by the Heaven Can Wait Yacht Club. The Venue is the Toronto Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto. They were conceived and promoted by Lake Macquarie resident, keen sailor and cancer survivor Shaun Lewicki as a major annual sailing event on the lake, to promote sailing on the lake and its environs and even more importantly to raise funds for cancer research. Fifty eight boats presented to the 11am start, of the 29 nautical mile One Lap Dash, in a better than expected 8-10 knot northerly. Vessel types ranged from moths, 505’s up to 52’ cruiser racers. From the start line Mike Green’s Elliott 7 Evergreen with her bright green square top main, providing plenty of power jumped to a handy first leg lead. Evergreen was closely followed by Matt Bonser in the E7 Nervous. Evergreen performed way above her weight in the prevailing conditions to the most southern point Mannering Park (some 11 miles from the start) where they were passed by a Melges 32 and only half a mile behind a Thompson 8. On the tour to the northern end of the lake – Mother Nature turned it on for all competitors with 180 degree wind change directions and varying velocity from 5 to 25 knots and let’s not forget about rain. Evergreen completed the course in 4 hours, 23 minutes and 17 seconds, only 18 minutes behind the Thompson 8 and 7 minutes behind the Melges 32. Nervous finished a credible 16 minutes later, beating many larger boats in the process. On handicap, Evergreen took the honours for the second year in a row and Nervous 8th out of the 25 division boats entered. All in all a great effort by these great little boats Mike Green On handicap the Division 1 winner was Mike Green’s Evergreen from Alyn Ovenden’s Adams Radford 52 Let’s Go, with Paul Sharp’s John Swarbrick design JS30 My Kindy third. 
'Evergreen' riding waves approaching the Wangi (Lake Macquarie) mark - Blake Middleton |
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View the 2011 Spring Newsletter here... |
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The following new ratings have been negotiated and apply for the 2011-12 seasono Class CBH with the 'pin' top mainsail remains 0.835 o Class CBH with the square top mainsail 0.840 o Class SMS with the square top mainsail 0.782 Any queries about ratings, contact the Class Measurer: Mike Green at |
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Strong interest grows -
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Evergreen 2nd SYDNEY Audi Regatta - 6 Mar 2011New square top main proves early success. Day 1 was sailed in the area bounded by Grotto Point, Store Beach and the Sydney Heads in 25 knots (1st beat of race 1) to a reasonably steady 16 to 20 knots for the remainder of the day. In race 2 Evergreen was 3rd boat home beating all 3 Thompson 7’s, the Magic 25 and a Young 780 home. They lead on count back at the end of day one with a 4, 1, 2 (7 points). Day 2 was sailed in difficult conditions. Right in the middle of Sydney heads in the slop between South and North Head, blowing upper end 10 knots, lower end 6 knots. Despite the difficult conditions the new main with its increased powered Evergreen to 2nd on points for the day (and the series) with a 4, 3, & 2 |
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CLASS SMS RATING APPROVED - 6 MAR 2011Its now easy to rate under class SMS. E7's have been awarded a 'class measurement' rating of 0.782 |
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New square top main fast - 6 Mar 2011Evergreen - Sydney Audi Regatta - Day 1 was sailed in the area bounded by Grotto Point, Store Beach and the Sydney Heads – in other words reasonably OPEN water. The breeze varied from 25 knots (1st beat of race 1) to a reasonably steady 16 to 20 knots for the remainder of the day. The auto gust response was exactly as expected, and if anything the weather helm was reduced. Off-wind I felt that acceleration onto the plane was greatly improved. In race 2 (steady 18 knots) we where 3rd boat home beating all 3 Thompson 7’s, the Magic 25 and a Young 780 home, and only 1 minute behind a Thompson 8 after 32 minutes of sailing. We lead on count back at the end of Day one with a 4, 1, 2 (7 points). Day Two was sailed in difficult conditions for a E7. Right in the middle of Sydney heads in the slop between South and North Head blowing upper end 10 knots, lower end 6 knots. This main, with its increased power far out performed the current class main, and certainly helped us in this mixed fleet. As difficult as it was [conditions] we still finished 2nd on points for the day (and the series) with a 4, 3, & 2. In closing the mainsail did everything I expected of it – and I intend to keep racing in SMS with it. Greenie. |
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City of Canberra Regatta - 13 Feb 2011E7s blitz the Canberra Regatta E7s blitzed the Sportsboat Division of the City of Canberra Regatta on 12, 13 Feb. E7s filled six of the first 7 places in the 10 boat fleet in mostly moderate conditions, spiced up by 20 knots for the passage race on Saturday evening and a challenging light final heat on the Sunday. Racing among the Elliotts was close and tactically demanding, with many opportunities; huge gains for those at the right place at the right time & corresponding losses for those that were not. The fleet tended to split into two close tussles with Evergreen, Humungus and P Plater hard to separate for the entire weekend. If either Evergreen or Humungus dropped their guard, P Plater and others were right there ready to pounce. Similarly, Escapade, In Spades and Huntress were locked in close contest for the entire event. Huntress and In Spades dead heated for 6th place and had to be separated by a count back. Mike Green in Evergreen (1,1,1,3) won the regatta with a commanding performance and as every year, thoroughly enjoyed the comradeship and enthusiasm of the national capital hosts. Angus Reid sailing Humungus (2,2,2,2) dusted off the cobwebs after a period off the water and came in second with a consistent line of seconds, but not without a regatta-long struggle. Jim Walsh took over the P Plater for the weekend for Aaron Terrey and shoed why they call him the “old fox” with a well deserved third (3,3,3,4) And that with a crew, who had never been together on the boat and had only met each other that morning, were happy with their results. Jim said the conversation on the boat was interesting with a crew that varied in ages ranging from teenager Tara all the way through to CYC Life Member, Graeme Giles, and kept skipper Jim Walsh on his metal. Evergreen proved hard to beat on Saturday as they took the bullet in all 3 races with Humungus and P Plater close behind. The regatta result remained in the balance till the Sunday race, when Humungus got the edge on Evergreen in the light going, but needed Evergreen to finish two boats behind them. Evergreen came back from the middle of the pack to finish right behind Humungus and win the regatta. While Peter Barter and his regular crew were away for the series, mellowed E7 sailors from yesteryear (David Smith and Tony Harman – Ex Under Pressure & Gone with the Wind, Howard Faulks – Ex Casper) stepped on board Escapade and finished 5th (4,4,5,5). The self-styled B Team thoroughly enjoyed themselves, reacquainted themselves with how much fun it is to race the E7 and were always consistent. Cam Tannock’s In Spades (5,5,8,7) revelled in the moderate breezes of the Saturday afternoon racing. Huntress (7,6,6,6) skippered by Simone Deane with an all girl crew was the steady improver of the second group and the girls had a ball together. The highlight of their regatta was boat-on-boat racing with Escapade and In Spades in the Saturday evening heat, with the lead between them changing many times – and getting the boat onto the plane with a shy kite in marginal planing conditions. Huntress jagged a great start in the final heat and was among the leaders for most of the race, before the arrival of new breeze left her on the wrong side of the course at the finish. |
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Jervis Bay Challenge: 6 - 7 Nov 2010E7s enjoyed a great weekend of racing in the Jervis Bay Challenge as part of their 2010-2011 Grand Prix Series – Event 2. The ‘Round the Bay’ Race on the Saturday, sailed in a light and fluky easterly, saw the usual battle between Matthew Owen, back on his former E 57 for the regatta, and Mike Green, (Evergreen). As ever, they traded comments and advice around the length of the course. Three seconds separated the two boats at the last mark, Green then exhibited the rashness of youth and gibed away, to what he thought to be new breeze. As always cream rose to the top and Owen (the current national champion) finish ahead after a fantastic days racing. Three quick, sharp ‘round the buoys’ heats for the E7s on Sunday were sailed in 15-20 knots. In some of the closest nail biting racing of the season the fleet finished within boat lengths each heat. The very best of close exciting racing! Neil Primrose showed that Huntress really ‘can’ match it with the best by being leading around the first lap and ending up with two thirds. Might have made it three, but for a fouled spinnaker drop in the fresh breeze. Final result 4th (3,5,3) Mike Green after bullets in the first two heats decided to entertain the fleet by performing a most intricate impersonation of a whale’s flipper slap by wiping out backwards while gibing on the full plane. Not content with that, he promptly had to perform a regulation circle after running over the last mark. Needless to say he was rewarded with a well-deserved last place in heat 3. Final result 2nd (1,1,5) Aaron Terrey and young folk in P Plater brushed off the early hangovers, first out on the water practicing, only to be too eager over the line 1st start. A great recovery and dig-dong battle for first at the final mark with Greenie demonstrated how competitive and close this class is. Final result 1st (2,3,1) Jim Walsh in Woof improved from race 1 (hangover again troops?) and battled in a brilliant final race with P Plater, trading tacks right the way around the short triangle windward leeward course. Final result 3rd (4,2,2) Peter Barter and the crew of Escapade had a very enjoyable regatta. Results not fantastic but the competition was very strong. Light winds on Saturday for the JB Challenge made it a long (6 hour) day on the water. Sunday was exhilarating with 3 back to back races in building breeze where they were a bit under ballasted with only 4 up. “We were strong upwind but got outfoxed on the downwind legs so more work to be done there.” Final result 5th (5,4,4) |
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National Titles