Gill - News : Article

Gill Race Team - New World Champions!
18 January 2010
Gill Race Team pair Archie Massey and Dan Wilsdon convincingly won the CST Composites International I14 Class World Championship 2010 and the 2010 Australian Championship in Sydney.
The event was challenged from the Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club on the waters of picturesque Sydney Harbour.

Speaking to Gill about the location, Massey says "Manly proved to be a great venue. So many people commented on how much better the sailing was because we had to tack up the cliff line, adding a new dimension to the I14 Worlds. The last few worlds have involved one tack beats to the corners on open water courses. Also the 'skiffie', Manly Skiff Club, is such a perfect location to just hang out at the bar"

The win is the second in a row for Massey after winning the previous title in Germany in 2008. This year he teamed up with Wilsdon, living in Sydney and part of our Gill Race Team, the pair had been training hard for this event. "We sailed a few days a week in the 14 for the last couple of months before the worlds. I think it was key to get used to the Sydney chop in the 14 as it is a real boat stopper for such a short light boat."
109 boats competed in the event, the guys commented that getting off the line and through the pack was the greatest challenge, but they certainly showed they had the boat speed and teamwork to win.

About their thoughts on the other competitors prior to the event, Archie and Dan had identified Rob Greenhaulgh, winner in 2003 and Roger Gilbert as two of the strongest challengers. "Rob as always proved very quick but was unfortunate that his spinnaker pole elected to break at this worlds. Roger Gilbert is very new to 14's, was improving all week and still came 2nd" says Massey.
Gill Australia commented that the guys won with a race to spare and asked what their strategy was like to finish off the event, "On the last day we were able to watch the racing from the side of a RIB with beer in hand. I would have been keen to race, but we made a decision not to risk anything. The previous day we knew that we needed less than 8 points in two races to win, so we set off with a very conservative strategy to grind out two top 5's. The first we came unstuck in a raft up at the top mark and the last race we got clear early on and went on to win."

So where to from here? The guys are also a strong team on an 18 Footer along with their sheet hand Cameron McDonald and will now be concentrating on that campaign in the lead up to the JJ Giltinan World Trophy in February this year. Massey comments on the 18 Footer "The 14's and 18's are different beasts and the dynamic is different as I mainly talk with the middle man for tactics and Dan still prefers bow. Once a bowman always a bowman, until they retire. If I could persuade him to move then I think there would be more synergy between the boats."
When Archie was asked how he felt about winning the I14 Worlds and their future plans for the 14, "This event felt more real than the last. There were more competitors, the venue was trickier and some of the top 14's made a return for this event. Immediately after the event I considered crewing the next worlds for a new challenge, but now I think about it, I would be keen to go for a 3rd title with the same old boat 'George 1st' and Dan.