Jerwood closes in on Viper 640 World title

Published on February 22nd, 2018

Applecross, Australia (February 22, 2018) – The Viper 640 World Championship returned to the Swan River after yesterday’s layday for another four races in steady winds of 10 to 14 knots.

Today also showed that Nick Jerwood, sailing with Brian DeVries and Matt Jerwood, is fallible after all. After racking up another two first placings in the first two races today, his uncharacteristic start in the third put him in the middle of the fleet. No amount of tacking could find a clean lane and he reached the top mark in tenth place, his worst performance of the series.

Maintaining that position on rounding the second time, Jerwood then executed a gybe set, heading to the northern side of the course when everyone else went south. The move failed, dropping him back further still to finish sixteenth – easily his worst result for the series.

In race 12, to end the day’s program, Jerwood found himself behind the leaders after the start but sailed strongly to emerge at the top mark in fourth place. On the final downwind leg, he sailed inside the leaders and maintained a very deep line without dropping boat speed.

At the final gybe for the finish line, he squeezed ahead of American Justin Scott and Albany’s Michael Cameron to finish second to Martin Webster, who started strongly, sailed a brilliant first leg and went on to quietly extend his lead for an easy victory.

Keith Swinton, who remains in second overall, has been consistent despite his team’s heavy weight hurting their downwind speed. “We’re the slowest downhill boat in the whole fleet,” he joked. “There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Justin Scott, who finished second in the last World Championship, has now moved up to third place outright, even with a 17 included in his scoreline. When tomorrow’s races are completed, he should be able to drop the race which will leave him very close to Keith Swinton in the battle for second. Britain’s Lawrence Crispin is carrying a 13 in his score, so he is another who might be in the mix for podium places.

The weather forecast for tomorrow’s final two races is daunting, with 20 knots plus likely on the Swan River.

Racing at the 2018 Viper 640 World Championship is scheduled from February 19 to 23 with a layday on February 21.

Day Three Results (Top 10 of 25; 12 races, 1 discard)