Day one of the Entire Port Philip Championship, the last regatta before the start of the Audi Etchells World Championship, has been won by New Zealander Alastair Gair.
The four-man Velsheda team are placed overall just one point ahead of current Australian national champion John Bertrand and his Triad team of Andrew Palfrey and Ben Ainslie. In third place is Sydney fleet member David Clark.
The 42-yacht international fleet raced two races today in 18 knots. Racing on the World Championship race course the fleet showed there are some nervous skippers among the fleet as three starters were black flagged including 2004 Etchells World Champion, Peter McNeill and Melbourne fleet captain, Jake Gunther. Gair took out line honours in this race ahead of Clark followed by Damien King of Melbourne and then Bertrand in fourth place.
In the second race the nerves seemed to have started to settle with a clean start and close racing giving Bertrand first place. In second was the Sydney team led by Jud Smith, who arrived over-night from America, followed by Gair in third.
Tomorrow is another two races before the fleet take a week to refine their boats, rigs, sails and themselves in preparation for the start of racing in the Audi Etchells World Championship on Sunday 8 March.
 Velsheda, in action_Std.jpg)
GAIR, Alastair
BERTRAND, John
MCCARTHY, Will
COOPER, Andrew
