Round 1 of the Eddie Kennedy Series for the International One Metre class was sailed at Patterson Lakes, Victoria on Saturday 11 April, with eight competitors taking to the water from eleven entries and completing a full 16-race programme.
Sailors were met with a typically cool and unsettled Melbourne day, with overcast skies and intermittent showers throughout racing. A north to north-westerly breeze established and built through the day, generally ranging from around 8 to 15 knots, with gusts reaching somewhat stronger.
Mario Gulic (AUS 04, Scharming) delivered a commanding performance to take the win with a nett score of 24 points. Recording six race wins and consistently finishing at the front of the fleet, Gulic established a clear advantage over the series and set the benchmark for the opening round.
Chris Ryan (AUS 66, Euro Bot) secured second place on 29 points with a consistent series that kept him firmly in contention throughout the day, while Erik Eggleston (AUS 32, V11) completed the podium on 39 points, combining a race win with steady results across the 16 races.
Alistair Cox (AUS 77, Alioth V4) finished fourth ahead of Gavin Gray (AUS 75, Scharming), who claimed a race win late in the day as the breeze peaked. Lincoln McDowell (AUS 97, Proteus) and Jason Lee (AUS 86, Alioth 4) also recorded individual race wins but were unable to maintain consistent scoring across the full series, while Jon Evans (AUS 321, Blitz 6) rounded out the finishing group.
With a complete series sailed in cool, wet and building conditions, Round 1 provided a strong opening to the Eddie Kennedy Series, with Gulic taking early control of the standings.