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5 January 2005, 11:46 am

Strong Winds Continue But Leader Remains the Same

Australian Asian Pacific Hobie 16 Championship

Victoria

Wild weather continued its assault on the Hobie 16 sailors in the Australian Asian Pacific Championship. The Acting Premier of Victoria attended the racing today to see the Hobies out on the race course in wind that gusted up to 30 knots.

Racing was limited today to just two races because the Race Committee felt it unsafe to send the sailors back out on the water after lunch.

Overnight leader Tim SHUWALOW and Cam HOOPER did enough to maintain their lead though they had a bad day on the water with a fifth and an eighth. The big mover was Rob BRANCH and Barnaby HOUK who are now tied for second place with Darren SMITH and Natalie HILL.

Also moving up the leader board is newly crowned 2005 Hobie 18 World Champions Brad SUMNER and Belinda WALKOM.

Shane PETERSON and Shamus STEVENS won Race Three in the strong winds. Shane celebrated his first win at an Australian Championships in the Open competition. A former Youth Champion now racing in the big Open competition showing he is a future force in the world of hobie sailing.

Racing continues tomorrow and the some sailors are hoping for an easing of the strong winds that is causing many sailors to find aching muscles they did not know they had.

Latest Results

Pos	Helm	Crew	Points
1	Tim SHUWALOW	Cam HOOPER	8
2	Rob BRANCH	Barnaby HOUK	10
3	Darren SMITH	Natalie HILL	10
4	Brad SUMNER	Belinda WALKOM	12
5	Shane PETERSON	Shamus STEVENS	13