| Australia. Trilogy’s championship winning skipper joins AYS Team Raider for Adelaide to Port Lincoln |
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| Monday, 13 February 2006 | |
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Ian Grant: Ben Kelly showed the value of his experience in creating fast sail shapes when Keith Glover steered his trimaran Trilogy to a comfortable Australian championship win on Victoria’s Corio Bay. Kelly the principal sail-marker with Colin Metcher’s Horizon Sails loft on the Gold Coast has the hands on skill which not only plays a role in developing the sails on the loft floor but he is also on the deck to make sure they are sheeted correctly to create unmatched power sailing speed. Trilogy won the 2005 National series on Hervey Bay and backed this up with an impressive defence against a very high standard fleet including the Brisbane to Gladstone race record holder Martyn Riley and the experienced Victor Harbour trimaran skipper Rob Remilton. Riley and Remilton who have dominated championship racing in Victoria for a number of years were the pre title favourites but was no match for the Trilogy racing team. “There were only four of us in the crew and we had our hands full but managed to come up with the best result. Julian Bethwaite showed his class as the navigator and tactician allowing Keith (Glover) to steer for speed while Jamie Morris was a tower of strength assisting me with the spinnaker sets and sail trim”. Kelly said. Trilogy responded to her crew’s skill by limiting any chance for her 17 rivals representing South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland to mount a challenge. “We had good speed and this reflected in us loosing only 11 penalty points over the six races, sure the results were close but Trilogy always seemed to have the edge”. Kelly added. Kelly will change crew race shirts when he joins the Queensland catamaran AYS Raider for the 220 n/ml Adelaide to Port Lincoln race later this month. This will be the final warm up ocean race for the Joel Berg skippered AYS Team Raider before she defends her Australian Multihull Offshore Championship in Queensland waters in April. Berg who sails with his father Geoff and Brother Tim has signed on the specialist Gold Coast catamaran sailor Roger Overell to take the place of Kelly who will be unavailable for the championship series. Overell a regular crew member with Jamie Morris during his record number of Brisbane to Gladstone race line honours victories with Simply the Best will be searching for another fast and thrilling spinnaker sailing ride over the 308 n/ml Brisbane to Gladstone course. He knows what it is like to spend Good Friday in a wet suit while being tossed about on a spray drenched trampoline. “I guess it’s the thrill of the ride that keeps drawing you back to ignore the warm and dry comforts of home to go yacht racing. Hopefully it will be fast and furious which takes your mind away from the discomfort of racing in Queensland’s heat in a wet suit”. Overell said. AYS Team Raider is the outright favourite to defend her 2004 win in the biannual Australian championship however her crew will need to be on the pace to ward off the challenge from the speed sailing New South Wales entry Voodoo Spirit (Bob Hutchings) and the ever consistent Wilparina skippered by South Australian Rob Rimilton. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 13 February 2006 ) |
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