[BOATS] Tough run for True Blue at Melton

by Sean Henshelwood

(Archived)


Despite holding the mantel of AUS#1 and World#1, the True Blue Racing team had their work cut out for them at the opening round of the 2009 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships at Melton during a spectacular weekend of competition.

Tough run for True Blue Racing at Melton
Rnd#1 2009 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships
McPherson Park, Melton, Victoria
8 March, 2009

Despite holding the mantel of AUS#1 and World#1, the True Blue Racing team had their work cut out for them at the opening round of the 2009 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships at Melton during a spectacular weekend of competition.

For 2009 Nathan Pretty was again entered alongside Brooke Dixon in True Blue Too in an effort to claim a second national Group A title, whilst in Superboats, AUS#1 Phil Dixon was joined by AUS#2, wife Louise.

It had been a difficult off season for the popular Victorian based team who arrived home after the world championships to face the Victorian bushfires, the flames getting to within 300 metres of the Dixon homestead, with fires spending almost two weeks in the immediate area.

The family team also lost their long-time navigators just days out from the opening round, with Mark and Paula Arnold electing to sit the season out to concentrate on business and a new family home. That prompted the drafting of more family, with Casie Lack returning to the team alongside Louise, whilst Phil’s older brother Ron joined the Superboat champ in an initiation of fire.. “All he asked me was when I had a chance, could he come for a ride,” Phil laughed. “He didn’t expect to spend the weekend in the boat.. Now we can’t get him out…”

It was clear from opening practice that the team would have their work cut out for them. As was expected Nathan Pretty jumped to the top of the Group A timesheets with Slade Stanley, whilst within a couple of sessions, Brooke Dixon too made a solid improvement to be just on the cusp of the top five.

In Superboats Phil put in a strong early time, but struggled to match the pace of Tony Giustozzi and Mick Carroll in Excalibur who since New Zealand had been incredibly strong. Louise started conservatively as usual, but soon started to get into the groove to work her way inside the top ten in the biggest field the national championships has ever witnessed..

“It’s going to be tough this year, no doubt,” Phil agreed, “we’ll have our work cut out for us..”

“I can’t believe the level of competition this year,” Col Parish added, “it’s intense, I love it..”

By the close of the qualifying rounds Phil was classified fourth, but frustrated by a lack of pace. “I’m not sure what’s going on,” Col Parish admitted, “Whether it’s in the electronics or the injection system.. I’m pretty sure it’s not the new blades in the jet unit, but I’ll take a good look at the MoTeC data and see what I can uncover. Without doubt there’s an issue because we’re as much as 20km/h down on straight line speed.”

Adding weight to Parish’s argument was Phil’s time; his best of 44.242 almost identical to his 2006 time of 44.26 on the same circuit despite a number of years of ongoing development and a new Peter Caughey built Sprintec.

By finals time things hadn’t improved despite another 44.2 second lap, the benchmark set higher by the top four to sub-44, Phil classified sixth and out of his first final in years.

“We’re a little down on power to the rest of these guys,” he admitted. “I can’t take anything away from them though they’ve all done a brilliant job, but as disappointed as I am about missing the final three, I’m stoked in a way that I have because it means that Superboats finally has a strong enough field to start some serious rivalries, I can’t wait for Temora..”

Interestingly post-event a survey of the MoTeC data on True Blue revealed the real issue.. “We’ve discovered that our fuel pressure is nearly half of what it should be,” Phil confirmed. “We knew something wasn’t right but until we could sit down and actually wade through the data, we couldn’t pin-point. It’s funny, but today was the first time I‘ve actually had a chance to look at the crowd as we went around, it was that slow, yet we only missed the top three by a fraction of a second.. Temora will be interesting.”

Despite missing the final three, Phil sat on the bank and enjoyed one of the best Superboat finals in recent history after all three drivers failed to complete a timed lap. “That was awesome,” he beamed afterwards..

In the end Phil was classified fifth for the weekend, with Louise carding tenth and her best time at the Melton venue.

The result in Superboats meant that there would be plenty of extra homework for the team prior to Temora, but little did they know that Nathan Pretty wanted in on that party too!!

By the close of qualifying Nathan had shortened the gap to Stanley and had in fact edged slightly in front, but admitted to holding some in reserve.. “I’ve never come back in from a run and thought that’s all I’ve got, so there’s more there,” he smiled. “Slade’s quick though, but I think we can jump him in the finals, that’s when it matters.”

Nathan’s 44.877 had given him the top qualifying position, but by the close of the top ten, he was half a second off as Stanley dropped the mark to a 44.353. Behind them Brooke Dixon was improving with each session and had moved into the top five behind Tremayne Jukes and Ted Sygidus by the close of the first final.

“That was pretty good,” she beamed. “I felt stronger and stronger with each run. I still held a little bit in reserve just in case, but fifth in the last run and sixth outright for the weekend isn’t a bad way to start the season.”

Heading into the final three Ted Sygidus put down a conservative but quick 45.455. Nathan was next out, and with the engine warm, was on track for a low 44.. At the split it was clear a 44 was on the cards, and a low one at that.. At the final corner though an uncharacteristic mistake put True Blue Too up the bank and after a review of video footage, out of contention for the win..

“It was a quick run and I knew I could shave some more off on the final corner, but as I made the approach, the glare off the water momentarily lost me my reference point and that’s all it takes at this speed. I held on to it, but they deemed I was out of the water [when he crossed the line] so we take the points for third. What I’m most frustrated by though is the damage I’ve done to Brooke’s boat, it’s got a pretty hefty dent in the left side of it now where I hit the bank when we landed, so I’m sorry to the True Blue team that I’ve damaged their gear.”

Despite recording a low 44 second run, the time was disallowed, dropping Pretty back to third. That left Stanley who turned in a quick but safe 44.893 to take victory and the championship points lead.

“I think it was actually the tyres on the apex of the corner that caught him,” Col Parish said afterwards. “Depending on how the wind blew and how the wash cleared, you could or couldn’t see the edge of the tyres. The fast way around the corner was to just catch the edge, but I think he just went too fine..

“The damage fortunately isn’t to the bottom of the boat, just the sides, but the boys at Action Smash Repairs Wangaratta have that covered and it will be as good as new by the end of the week. Funny thing was, that boat has been sold and was going to be delivered to the new owners this week to make way for Brooke’s new boat which will arrive just in time for Temora. Let’s hope Nathan doesn’t initiate that too soon..”

“Looking at the data, I think we need to get some more power out of that engine too,” Phil Dixon added, “Nathan’s throttle trace for that final run was flat from start to finish less a little lift off the line. Right up to the final corner, he kept his foot in even after clipping the tyres, it was amazing to see, I’ve never seen a trace like it..”

Round one of the 2009 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships will be televised on SBS Speedweek on March 22 (2:00pm EST - check guides) and repeated on FOX Sports 'Inside Speed' on March 25 (8:30pm EST - check local guides for confirmation).

True Blue now prepares for the second round of the 2009 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships scheduled for their ‘home-track’ at Temora in central-western NSW in three weeks time (March 27-28).

True Blue Racing are proudly supported by; Auspro Logistics, Parish Automotive, H2O Full Throttle Magazine, MoTeC, Sprintec, Lake Eildon Marina & House Boat Hire, Alexandra Freighters, Mansfield Express, Symes Transport, Action Smash Repairs (Wangaratta), North-East Windscreens, 321Ignition Magazine and SKIN Industries.

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2009 Continental Tyres Australian Superboat Championships
Unlimited Superboats (points after Rnd#1 of 5)
1. Mick Carroll (42), 2. Dean Finch (41), 3. Tony Giustozzi (40), 4. Daryl Hutton (35), 5. Phil Dixon/Ron Dixon (33), 6. Jamie Welch (32), 7. Phonsy Mullan (29), 8. Peter Freckleton (22), 9. Cheryl Welch (21), 10. Louise Dixon/Casie Lack (20), 11. Paul Burgess (8), 12. Glenn Roberts (7), 13. Andrew Page (5), 13. Jody Ely (5), 13. Adam Raverty (5)

International Group A (points after Rnd#1 of 5)
1. Nathan Pretty/Lincoln Burns (47), 2. Slade Stanley (46), 3. Ted Sygidus (43), 4. Rohan Smith (37), 5. Tremayne Jukes (36), 6. Brooke Dixon/Leanne Rake (26), 7. Robert Colman (25), 8. Simon Zarb (18), 9. Greg Mercier (15), 10. Brendan Donnelly (10), 11. Greg Harriman (7), 12. Mick Manini (6), 13. Shane Loughnan (5), 13. Kevin Laugesen (5), 13. Darren Watkins (5), 13. Tony Whalan (5)

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