Export Roo on right course in title race

WITH two wins and a second, Tasmania’s Export Roo has moved further ahead in the overall rankings after day three of the SB20 world championship on The Solent in England.

Michael Cooper, a member of the RYCT and the DSS, has steered his boat to a net five points after Royal Yacht Squadron race officers finally managed to run three races in improved breezes.

Export Roo’s scorecard in the Yellow qualifying fleet reads 1-3-1-2-1 – five points after discarding the third place.

Five Australian (four Tasmanian) crews have qualified for the Gold fleet to decide the championships over the final two days: Export Roo, Black, Brazen, Porco Rosso and Difficult Woman.

Second overall on 10 points are the British yacht Xcellent (John Pollard) and the French entrant Give Me Five (Robin Follin).

Xcellent’s scorecard to date is 1-6-9-2-1 while Give Me Five has finished 2-5-2-1-6

Nick Rogers (Black) notched up another second place in his qualifying division after a 10th in race three and a DNS in race four. Black is 10th overall, still within sight of a higher final placing.

Brazen (Jervis Tilly) from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is 15th (today’s placings 9-8-27), Difficult Woman (Rob Gough) is 19th (13-18-12), Hypertronics (Stephen Catchpool) is 52nd (22-22-25) and Smigger 56th (19-31-35).