Estate Master Sailing

Estate Master skipper Martin Hill was especially proud of his crew on the final day of the 2008 Rolex Trophy One Design Series. With winds peaking at 28 knots and boat speeds around 17 knots, the Estate Master crew coordinated beautifully to take Boat of the Day honors.

Principal Race Officer Dennis Thompson was also pleased with the day’s racing. “Today we experienced some of the best Farr 40 racing I’ve seen in heavy breeze conditions,” said Thompson. “In the final race Kokomo and Estate Master were bow for bow as they planed to the finish.”

In the final tally, Kokomo, with guest skipper Matt Allen, took victory. Second and third place were decided on a count back as Estate Master and Guido Belgiorno Nettis’ Transfusion finished on equal points. Estate Master finished in second with Transfusion third.

Hill said “We learnt a few more little things in this regatta that we think will mean a lot thinking forward to the Worlds next year in Italy, so we’re really happy about that”.

Peter Andrews – Outimage

Today on Sydney Harbour, the Estate Master Sailing Team won their first Farr 40 regatta – the CYCA Farr 40 regatta – after, according to skipper Martin Hill, their 18th attempt!

They say try, try again and the team’s focus on the small things in their preparation certainly paid off.

After the first day, there was a three way tie between Guido Belgiorno Nettis’ Transfusion and Kokomo, with guest skipper Matt Allen. In a moderate SSE breeze, Kokomo took out the first race, followed by Estate Master, then Transfusion. This result, and the intricacies of the count-back system, meant that the EM team had to beat transfusion and have Kokomo finish 3rd to win the regatta.

EM tactician Nathan Outteridge managed to catch Kokomo by surprise in the pre-start and trap her out side the layline for the pin end of the start line before tacking back and slotting in under Transfusion for the start.

Trasnfusion lead around the first mark but then Nathan pounced again and forced Transfusion to gybe towards less wind. EM lead around the bottom mark and covered Transfusion closely.

Having won the last two regattas, Transfusion wasn’t about to give up and they fought back strongly during a ferocious gybing duel down the last run to be within half a boat length at the finish.

Skipper Hill said “I’m really proud of our team and how we’ve all gelled together. It’s taken 18 attempts, but we’re really happy to win one. Here’s to many more!”

- EM

Having gone into the last day of the Pittwater Farr 40 regatta on a three way tie for first place with Guido Belgiorno Nettis’ Transfusion and Lang Walker’s Kokomo, Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master finished up second overall after a 3, 5, 2 in the final three races.

Winner Belgiorno Nettis said ‘I think it’s the brotherly rivalry between our bowman Mitch White and Estate Master’s bowman Morgan White that has given us the same result as our last class event but that could all change next regatta’.

The first race of the day was started in a 10-12 knot NE breeze that gradually built in strength to 21 knots with the increasing swell making for some great surfing action.

Kokomo started the day splitting the three way tie by winning race seven and leading the nine boat fleet around the two lap windward leeward course. Transfusion took second while New Zealander Brett Neill’s White Cloud crossed the line three seconds astern of Transfusion.

Race eight and nine were Transfusion’s from start to finish with the team extending on the lead they established in both races. Gear failure and torn sails made for a difficult day on the race course for a couple of teams while the whole fleet had to dodge a pod of whales who came to see what was going on off Sydney’s Palm Beach.

Given the placings at the top of the last run Estate Master would have finished the regatta third overall. However, some great surfing, steering and trim by the crew saw them move up two places and finish the race second, breathing down Transfusion’s neck.

Estate Master powers into the windward mark

The top three places for this regatta are a exact replica of the top three places from the Pepper’s Anchorage Farr 40 regatta held two weeks ago and as a result Belgiorno Nettis is now leading the 2008-09 Australian Farr 40 circuit.

The Australian Farr 40 class would like to thank the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club for hosting the event and Denis Thompson and the race management team for some terrific racing.

The next event in the Australian Farr 40 schedule is the CYCA F40 Regatta on November 15-16 being hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Score Board

1. Transfusion, G. Belgiorno-Nettis, MHYC, 24
2. Estate Master, Martin & Lisa Hill, MHYC, 29
3. Kokomo, Lang Walker, RPAYC, 32
4. White Cloud, Brett Neill, RNZYS, 35
5. Sputnik, Ivan Wheen, RSYS, 44
6. Hooligan, Marcus Blackmore, RPAYC, 45
7. Wot For, Graeme Wood, CYCA, 62
8. Edake, Jeff Carter, MHYC, 66
9. Easy Tiger II, Chris Way, RPAYC, 68

- Sam Crichton with EM

The Estate Master Sailing Team enjoyed a great weekend of sailing at Port Stephens, finishing 2nd in the Peppers Anchorage Farr 40 regatta.

Skipper Martin Hill was particularly pleased to win two ‘boat of the day’ titles on the first and third days of the regatta. However, a sub-par day two, in which the team scored a 4, 5 and 7, kept the team just two points behind in the final tally from overall winner Transfusion and skipper Guido Belgiorno Nettis.

On the final day the battle lines were drawn early with two races remaining in the regatta – Transfusion was leading by 10 points from Estate Master and Hooligan both on 24 points.

With the water in the bay flat and the NE seabreeze building, the fleet were on their way in race eight on a three lap NE course. Lisa and Martin Hill’s Estate Master displayed some fantastic sailing skills as they led the fleet after a great start. Estate Master went on to win race eight and did a repeat performance in the last race of the regatta.

Hill said: “We’re really pleased with our result and for Guido who sailed a great regatta. It’s great to have Middle Harbour Yacht Club boats one and two in this event. It’s been great to have our Australian Sailing Team members back on board after Beijing, Malcolm Page trimming and we are seeing improvements happening all the time. We have ‘son in law elect’ (Michael Blackburn) on the main and Nathan Outteridge calling tactics and this was his first Farr 40 regatta in that position. He’s very precise on the start line calls.”

The next event in the Australian Farr 40 2008-09 circuit is the Pittwater F40 Regatta being hosted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club on October 24-26.

- Sam Crichton with EM

Pictured below is Estate Master in her cradle undergoing a few final touch-ups last week. She was put back in the water in time for the crew to enjoy 3 days of solid training on the weekend.

The boat is now beling delivered by water to Port Stephens for the Peppers Anchorage regatta, starting this Friday, 10 October.

The Australian Farr 40 2008-2009 season will open with the Peppers Anchorage Farr 40 Regatta. The line up will see the current Australian F40 Champions Kokomo racing with seven other teams on the picturesque waters off Nelson Bay from October 10th -12th.

Three of the teams racing, Estate Master, Hooligan and Kokomo participated in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship held in Miami USA in April.

Joining the Estate Master crew will be Olympians Malcolm Page (470 men’s gold medalist from Beijing), Nathan Outteridge (49er) and Michael Blackburn (Laser Radial coach).

In the Transfusion team there’ll be more Olympians with Tom Slingsby (Laser) and Andrew Palfrey (Star), acting as the Transfusion coach.

‘I’m really looking forward to getting back on the water and the extremely close racing in the Farr 40 class. There’s nothing better than racing and this will be my first time racing since the Beijing games and winning gold ‘, commented Page. He continued ‘ Getting the Estate Master team together and continuing the team spirit fostered by Lisa and Martin will help us as we look forward to the future of Estate Master racing both locally and on the International Farr 40 circuit’.

Chris Way is no stranger to One Design racing having won the Mumm 30 Australian Championship in 2004 and the Sydney 38 NSW State Championship in 2007. As a new owner of a Farr 40 with Ian Burns Way and his team on Easy Tiger II will be the new kids on the block when it comes to racing in the Farr 40.

‘We’re very excited to be joining the Farr 40 class and racing with the Australian fleet. We are keeping the same crew and tactician who have sailed the last 12 months with us on both the M30 and the Sydney 38. We’ve been out doing some training and enjoying the new boat and are looking forward to the first event at Port Stephens. I’ve raced against Martin (Estate Master) and Guido (Transfusion) in the Sydney 38 class and look forward to lining up with them and the other Farr 40 teams’, remarked Way.

Sponsoring the Port Stephens event will be long time class supporters and host resort Peppers Anchorage, Club Marine Insurance and Two Furlongs Wine from Mudgee.

- Sam Crichton and Estate Master Sailing

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Estate Master is a major supporter of a sailing team and here we are online! Links are at top to read about the team, boat and program. Come back for updates; we’ve collected some past news on the team below.

Gold Medalist and Estate Master trimmer Malcolm Page was a guest of honor at Middle Habour Yacht Club’s season opening day today. He was joined by most members of the Australian Olympic Sailing Team including his skipper Nathan Wilmot and fellow gold medalists Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson.

Club members and public welcomed the team with high-fives and handshakes before Commodore Martin Hill formally congratulated each member of the team.

Malcolm and Nathan used Middle Harbour Yacht Club as their Sydney training base. Said Malcolm ‘This is a very special welcome for us and I feel honoured to be able to share it with you’.

The Olympians mixed with club members and public and spent an hour signing autographs for fans, many of which were under 10 years old.

‘We hope this special opportunity sparks enthusiasm within the next generation to want to campaign for future Olympics’, said Michael Jones, AST and Olympic Team Director.

The team members will mingle with the public after their official welcome, sign posters and also put their names to the club Tacker’s Dinghies.

Media scrum as Men’s 470 – Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page (AUS) win the Gold – Day 10 Olympics – Quindao 2008

‘Nathan and I are looking forward to coming ‘home’ to Middle Harbour for the open day and to seeing everyone who has supported us along the way,’ said Men’s 470 Gold Medallist Malcolm Page.

‘It will be a really relaxed day and lots of fun and it’s a great way for people who are interested in getting involved in sailing to find out more about learning or joining a crew or joining the club.

‘All the Australian Sailing Team members got involved in sailing when they were very young, so we’re keen to show kids how much fun the sport can be.

‘It’s funny when I think back to my first memory of sailing, when I was plonked into a boat tied my grandparent’s wharf on the Lane Cove River and I cried my eyes out because I hated it, but by the time I was eight I was racing with my brothers and loving it. Who would have thought that kid would go on to win an Olympic Gold Medal!’

Middle Harbour Yacht Club Commodore and Patron of the Australian Sailing Team Martin Hill said the club would roll out the red carpet for the Olympic sailors’ homecoming.

‘Having waved them goodbye from our beaches and cheered them on watching their medal race on the big screen at the Club, it will be a privilege to see them back in home waters to christen our Junior Club Boats and display their medals,’ said the Commodore.

‘I know they will be an inspiration to our junior and not so junior members alike. Who knows, in one of those photos opportunities we may see Nathan and Malcolm shaking hands with a future Olympic Gold Medallist from the junior ranks of MHYC.’

‘We thank the whole Australian Sailing Team including Victor Kovalenko, the head coach for providing us with the role models for our sport – may the celebrations begin.’

Martin and Lisa Hill launched the ‘Estate Master Sailing Team’ with financial support for the development of youth sailing a key component of the overall concept.

Estate Master is supporting the CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy, a “centre of excellence headed by Jenni Bonnitcha” according to Martin Hill, via sponsorship of one of the fleet of 10 Elliott 6 sports boats.

As part of their plan, the Hills’ also support the Australian Sailing Team, in particular Michael Blackburn in his quest for Olympic Gold in the Laser dinghy and Malcolm Page who is aiming for Olympic Gold in the 470 class.

The Estate Master Sailing Team is also on a four year campaign in the Farr 40 class, “a highly respected and competitive international class of one design yachts.” says Martin. “Richard Perini and Matt and Lisa Allen have climbed this mountain before us and we salute their achievements. We too are thirsty to develop our skills in this class and to test them against the world’s best,” he adds. – Lisa Ratcliff and EM