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11:21 AM Sun 25 Jan 2009 GMT
 | | 'ALEGRIA - Skandia Geelong Week 2009'
Andrea Francolini / Skandia
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In an ironic twist of fate, the 2007 and 2008 Audi IRC Australian champions and winners of Audi cars are challenging for the Division 2 win and are in the running to win the first round of 2009 Audi Championship at Skandia Geelong Week today.
Rod Jones (Alegria, Qld) who won the inaugural Audi IRC Championship, currently leads Peter Hill's Ruth Magic, steered by 2008 Championship winner, Peter Sorensen.
There is only three points difference in the scores and as Jones pointed out this afternoon, 'when a race-drop comes into play tomorrow with our final race, it could tip the balance either way.'
Under pressure from Ruth Magic, whose crew includes Nathan Wilmot, Australian gold medallist at the Beijing Olympics, Alegria racked up a pair of second places, while her nemesis scored a fifth and a win and are only three points of the lead.
Jones knows he and his crew on their Archambault 40 have to beat the Beneteau 45 tomorrow to win Division 2. 'It will be an interesting day. The weather reports say it will be fairly light winds, so if that's the case, we'll have a good chance.
'We will obviously have to stay close to them, stay attached, so they don't get away from us. If the breeze is soft, we should be able to beat them. They're a bit heavier (in the hull) and they are set up more for heavier winds,' he said.
Jones went on the remark: 'It's been a really exciting series - there's a bit more depth in the division this year that has made for great racing.'
Ruth Magic was always expected to be a strong rival and she has been. Third placed Reverie (Alan Woodward) has managed to hold onto third place overall from yesterday with a seventh and a third place.
In Division 3, due to some changes of sail numbers and other confusion, the tables have been turned and the yacht Surprise (David Ellis) with two wins today is in the lead ahead of Peter Jackson's Stitched Up (Vic) and Grant Hailes' Arabelle (MYC).
A glitch in the scoring system which had Upbeat leading the series until today, has moved Peter Dunne's boat down into fifth place.
Audi Series Div 2 Hosted By Royal Geelong Yacht Club PROVISIONAL RESULTS Series Results [IRC] up to Race 5 (Drops = 0)| Place | Ties | Sail No | Boat Name | Skipper | From | Design | Sers Score | Race 5 | Race 4 | Race 3 | Race 2 | Race 1 | | 1 | | Q345 | ALEGRIA | Rod Jones | RQYS | Archambault A40rc | 13.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 2.00 | 3.00 | | 2 | | 6443 | RUTH MAGIC | Peter Hill33a | MHYC | beneteau 45 | 16.00 | 1.00 | 5.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 8.00 | | 3 | | B26 | REVERIE | Alan Woodward | RBYC | Beneteau FIRST 45 | 20.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | | 4 | | YC5974 | TRUE NORTH | Andrew Saies | CYCSA | Beneteau 40.7 | 24.00 | 5.00 | 6.00 | 6.00 | 6.00 | 1.00 | | 5 | | B2 | JUST A MINOR HICKUP | Peter Coleman | RBYC | Hick 39 R/C | 31.00 | 6.00 | 9.00 | 5.00 | 9.00 | 2.00 | | 6 | | R1121 | EXECUTIVE DECISION | Grant Botica | RYCV | Adams 10 | 35.00 | 4.00 | 11.00 | 10.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | | 7 | | B63 | SCHUSS | Denis McConnell | RBYC | Beneteau First 45 | 40.00 | 12.00 | 15.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 | | 8 | | SM35 | ABSOLUT | Terry Hall | SYC | Archambault 35 | 47.00 | 8.00 | 13.00 | 7.00 | 8.00 | 11.00 | | 9 | | AUS150 | SYNERGY | Alex Douglas | RQYS | MUMM30 | 51.00 | 11.00 | 1.00 | 19.00 | 11.00 | 9.00 | | 10 | | H6336 | THE BOOKMAKER | Andrew Slagmolen | HBYC | Nortshore NSX36 | 56.00 | 14.00 | 8.00 | 9.00 | 15.00 | 10.00 | | 11 | | AUS3093 | ASTERIX | Colin Loel | RQYS | Mumm30 | 58.00 | 7.00 | 3.00 | 18.00 | 12.00 | 18.00 | | 12 | | SM424 | BARNSTORMER | Brian Barnes | SYC | Bavaria Match 42 | 62.00 | 13.00 | 17.00 | 8.00 | 18.00 | 6.00 | | 13 | | R336 | SWORDFISH TROMBONE | Tim Olding | RYCV | MBD 36 | 64.00 | 10.00 | 14.00 | 11.00 | 13.00 | 16.00 | | 14 | | SM3639 | WIND SPEED | Les Browne | SYC | Sydney 36CR | 68.00 | 21.00F | 12.00 | 13.00 | 7.00 | 15.00 | | 15 | 4.0S | AUS6151 | CLEOPATRA | Robert Davis | SYC | MUMM 30 | 72.00 | 15.00 | 4.00 | 17.00 | 19.00 | 17.00 | | 16 | | S14 | GIENAH | Rod Miller | RMYS | Seaquest RP36 | 72.00 | 9.00 | 18.00 | 15.00 | 16.00 | 14.00 | | 17 | | M9000 | GEOMATIC JOKER | Grant Chipperfield | MYC | Lyons/Jarkan 39 | 83.00 | 17.00 | 20.00 | 16.00 | 17.00 | 13.00 | | 18 | | SM5985 | INSX | Robert Sill | SYC | NSX 38 | 84.00 | 21.00F | 19.00 | 12.00 | 10.00 | 22.00C | | 19 | | TYC7771 | BLUE SKY | R And K Fisher | TYC | Beneteau 40.7 | 90.00 | 16.00 | 10.00 | 20.00 | 22.00C | 22.00C | | 20 | 12.0S | SA308 | SIX FISH | Caillin Howard | RSAYS | MUMM 30 | 92.00 | 22.00C | 22.00C | 22.00F | 14.00 | 12.00 | | 21 | | H8118 | MERLION | Eddie Mackevicius | HBYC | Beneteau 40.7 | 92.00 | 18.00 | 16.00 | 14.00 | 22.00C | 22.00C |
| (Ties: S=Score R=Race B= Bettered. Penalties: A=ARB B=BFD C=DNC D=DNE E=ESP F=DNF G=RDG L=Late Entrant M=DGM N=ENP O=OCS P=Protest Q=DSQ R=RAF S=DNS U=DUT V=AVG X=EXC Z=ZFP Y=SCP #=NoData [x.y]=Discarded) |
by Di Pearson / Skandia media
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