aussie nationals started

http://www.safetybeachsailingclub.com.au/results/division/classResults/result%20page.html

good test case for glenn's extreme ASG3 ...

So quick it OCS's

For the first time since a few years it looks like that Glenn Ashby is not going to win.
It would be interesting to know why.
The most likely suppositions are:
1) he suffered an injury or his boat suffered a failure or had an accident
2) his new boat (the ASG3) is not fast
3) he sailed with a new main which proved to be slow

4) He had a bad regatta (As he told me).

Has not spent a lot of time on ther boat in the last year. Don't take anything away from Stevie. He is #2 in the world, has won an A worlds before and has beaten Glenn in regattas before. I also believe Stevie has only lost 1 regatta since jumping on his Tool. Collet and Parker are far from punters also. Most of the top 10 would finish top 10 of a Worlds also.

Do you know if there were other ASG3 at the Aussie Nationals?
Did Glenn sail with a 100 cm head main?

Not sure as I only got down there on the last day as they were packing up due to our racing getting blown out.

Gashby was packing up 5 of his boats. I did see a few more ASG3's. Easy to spot with the centerboard case significantly further forward.... and the curved boards. Good chance the AC boys were on these boats.

Drummond placed 11th and Spithill 22th

Jimmie DNC first 2 races and had to carry 1 of them. Broken traveller on the first day.

Anything more as to what everyone was using? Platforms, Sails Boards, Masts, ETC, ETC.

Ok - here's a brief report on the regatta. It was an absolute privilege to sail with so many Olympians past and present, medal winners, World champions, National champions and five of the current Seppo Cup team. This would have to be national event with the deepest talent of all. Even the current World Champion came fourth!
Full results are here http://www.safetybeachsailingclub.com.au/results/division/classResults/result%20page.html
My overall impression was that the best sailors with the best preparation came to the fore. There were five or six ASG3's using Glenn's 1 metre head sails as well as the majority of the fleet using Geltek II's, AHPC Flyer I's and Tools. Masts were generally either Fibrefoam or Saarberg and sails Ashby or Brewin. Glenn appeared to not have been on A's enough this year to be as sharp as in the past and to have fine tuned his new rig that last little bit. Stevie Brewin has been sailing major regattas all year including the Europeans, and all the State Titles in Australia. He was really tuned up and has had a year tuning his 1 metre head sail. A contradiction to this theory was Brad Collett who had little sailing through the year and used a small head Shby sail on a borrowed Geltek II platform! Just a great sailor.
The next big event will be the Worlds in Italy in June and it looks like a strong contingent of Australians will be going - including the top 4 from this event. Hopefully now the GFC is in the past a few Americans will attend to get in the mainstream of world competition.
The gear used by the top 5 as best I can remember was:
Stevie Brewin - Tool platform, Saarberg mast, 1 metre head Brewin sail, straight canted boards
Brad Collett - Geltek II platform, Fibrefoam mast, Ashby small head sail, straight canted boards
Graham Parker - AHPC Flyer I, Ashby small head sail, Saarberg mast, straight boards
Glenn Ashby - ASG 3 platform, Ashby big head sail, Fibrefoam mast, curved boards
Dave Brewer - Geltek II platform, Fibrefoam mast, Ashby small head sail, straight canted boards.

Cheers
John Dowling