Steve McDowell tops overall standings of 2012 OK Dinghy Hurricane Classic
After putting up an excellent sailing show at the Worser Bay in Wellington, Steve McDowell managed to hit the top spot in the overall standings of the 2012 New Zealand OK Dinghy Hurricane Classic.
The Worser Bay BC sailor showed a convincing sailing performance on the Worser Bay waters and compiled 13 points after racing in seven contests.
The weather conditions on the Worser waters kept fluctuating from the very first day of the regatta. The fleet was mostly surrounded by Northerly breeze gusting from lower 12 knots to higher 22 knots. The regatta started under sunny conditions and stronger
winds blowing up to 22 knots. Such conditions were quite tough for the fleet as they were troubled during early races.
Steve McDowell with the Sail Number 525 started the regatta pretty well and hit the leading spot after first two races.
However, he dropped down in the next three races and earned 6, 4, 3 to let O’Connell take the fleet lead. The last two races saw Dowell springing up again with some classy sailing spirit and he snatched the overall lead again with 13 points striking a bullet
and a second place.
The Worser Bay Boating Club Vice Commodore and the recent topper of New Zealand OK Tour rankings, Luke Colt O’Connell with Sail Number 522 led the fleet from Day 2 compiling a couple of bullets. Despite slipping in the last two races, O’Connell breezed into
a third and a fourth finish to grab the second position with 14 points at the end of the event.
Meanwhile, local club’s sailor, Paul Rhodes having Sail Number 517 was unable to sail up to the mark and finished on third podium place overall. He began the regatta pretty well with a bullet and a second finish on the first day. Rhodes remained constant
until the last racing day where he clinched a couple of lower podiums.
However, he was saved due to the discard race and managed to claim the third spot overall with 18 points in seven races.
Wakatere Boating Club’s C sailor, Ben Morrison finished on fourth overall with 23 points after adding two race victories and some low scores. Host club’s Matt Stechmann had a bad start but he girded up some courage and hit top podiums on the second day to
cling to fifth position overall compiling 24 points.
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