After placing fourth in last week’s Australian championships, British duo Nick Craig and Toby Lewis took out the first of two races for the day aboard Harken/Sandline, rounding the top mark first and holding on for the rest of the race. 

The pair mastered breezes of more than 20 knots on their way to line honours, finishing ahead of Tasmanians Robbie Hunt and Ben Price aboard The Hitcher and Victorian duo Craig Garmston and Nick Darlow’s Snatch. 

Ian and David Cunningham’s Bonework capsized on the berarway after making an impressive start, but fought back to cross the line fourth and push the top three.

Winds rose to more than 25 knots ahead of race two, putting a handful of boats out of the running, but The Hitcher again sailed to the front of the pack.

Snatch worked its way into second place despite a run-in with a seal and its pup before the race was abandoned due to a series of problems with gate marks.

Harken/Sandline and Guy Bancroft and Louis Chapman’s Bonus were again heading for a top-five finish before the race was called off.