Racer’s Edge March 2017
Who can stop the Merc Force & Superman romp
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In this issue
Directors Deck..................................6 Worlds Team named.......................8 5 Minutes with Mick.......................15 FEATURE: Who can stop the Merc Force & Superman ROMP?............18
Major Events 2016/17 AU G U S T
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Hawkesbury 120, NSW.....................................August 27-28
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c t o b e r
Grafton Bridge to Bridge, NSW...........................October 1-2 Murray Bridge 110, SA......................................CANCELLED
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o v e m b e r
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Bridge to Bridge 2UP, NSW............................November 26-27
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a n u a r y
Australian Championships, NSW.......................January 11-15
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e b r u a r y
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Southern 80, VIC...........................................February 11-12
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a r c h
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Ted hurley Memorial Classic..................................March 4-5 Robinvale/Euston Ski Race, VIC...........................March 11-12
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p r i l
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Mildura 100, VIC................................................April 15-16 Barrie Beehag, VIC...................................................April 29
M
a y
2 0 1 7
Barry Carne Interstate Challenge, NSW..................May 13-14
Directors Deck Ted Hurley and Robinvale back-to-back, SRA memberships What a great worlds selection series completed last weekend at Lake Mulwala Ski Club. Congratulations to all competitors and officials who have made the Australian Ski Racing team to go to the World Championships mid-year in Seattle USA. The final series races 6 & 7 were hotly contested in, at times, some fairly rough water on the lake. The Weather was kind in Yarrawonga for the two days of the races and the venue at Lake Mulwala Ski Club was just a terrific location to participate in and/or watch ski racing from. A big thanks goes to Ski Racing Victoria for the great job they did in setting up and running the races over the weekend, for the enjoyment of all competitors. It was good to see interstate members assisting where they could over the two days when not racing. Looking forwards there is a big set of ski races in April with the Mildura 100 happening on 14, 15 & 16th claimed by Mildura Ski Club to be the fastest ski race in the world! Then the Barrie Beehag on the 29th of April starting out of Deep Creek Marina and heading to Torrumbarry and back. Both of these races I am informed contain different challenges requiring astute planning and crew training to be successful over the different courses. There is also quite a few local series day races on the calendar between now and the end of the 2016/17 calendar, and I would like to specially mention the “King 6
of the Fitzroy” to be held in Rockhampton by Ski Racing Queensland on the 15th and 16th April and trust that Northern SRA members that cannot get to the Mildura 100 will support this local initiative of SRQLD. Check the calendar yourselves, as there is a lot happening between now and the mid-June finish of the 2016/17 SRA event calendar. Do not forget to try and “max” this season out, as it will not be long before it cools off, and some of our southern members will all be wishing they had pursued more racing while the endless Victorian summer was in full swing! I would like to reiterate to all competitors in the Mildura 100 and Barrie Beehag events to race to the conditions. We’re aiming to achieve a safe race for all competitors. Good luck with your racing. I would also like to ask all members to take the time congratulate those selected in our world championship team when you next meet up at an event. They have all performed brilliantly to get the nod for the Aussie team.
Wesley Lloyd, SRA CEO
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WO
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ORLDS TEAM NAMED!
A 47-strong Australian team has been named to take on this year’s 20th anniversary IWWF World Water Ski Racing Championships from July 26 to August 6 in Seattle, USA. The team selection comes after a seven-stage qualification process that began on Botany Bay, NSW in December 2016, moving to Jindabyne NSW in mid January, back to Botany in late January and concluding on Lake Mulwala in Victoria on the final weekend of March in 2017. With a number of competitors hoping to make the trip to Seattle in July, this season has proven to be one of a fine juggling act for many. The majority of Australia’s best water skiing talent have for the past six months been juggling the pressures of qualifying for the world championships, with state racing and the Australian river classics. Team selection for Australia was based on a seven-race series, with each skier’s total points score to be that of the seven races, minus the points of their lowest two placings. Once calculated, the top three in each class would be given the nod to don the green and gold. 9
Highlighting the efforts of those who qualified was Ben Gulley in the open men’s class, as he recorded a flawless seven victories for the series. Skiing behind Strike F1 driven by his father Gerry, with the reliable Justin Pick observing, Gulley made good on his irrefutable talent to headline the class. Also qualifying for the class was skier Codie Rigg with Psycho Clowns F1 (Daniel McMahon, driver; Daniel Rigg, observer) and Daniel Graziano behind Superman (Darren McGuire, driver; Brett Armstrong, observer). For Graziano the selection will come as a relief after he recorded a DNF in race two, and subsequently pegged back his spot on the team with podiums for the remaining five races. In the open women’s class Australia will be represented by Rachael Stapleton, who won five of the seven races, as well as the experienced Chelsea Blight who finished second in the final standings with a consistent collation of podiums in all but the second race. Stapleton will ski behind Twenty Four, driven by Pat Cole with Rory Brown observing, while Blight teams up with the Don Gulley driven Merc Force. Her trusted observer Christian Apps was also named to the Aussie team. Rounding out the open women’s 10
class will be the talented Shantelle King skiing being Stinga F1, and the driver/observer combination of Greg Houston and James King. In the women’s F2 class all seven wins were shared between skiers Ellen Jones and Karen White. Jones won four races, White the other three to see both be named on the Aussie team. Meanwhile, consistency paid off for third place qualifier Ashlee Cuff who was in the top four throughout the series, those results enough to see her off to the worlds along with Travis Cuff (driver) and Dylan Cuff (observer). White will ski behind Psycho Clowns F2 with Jessica Pearse at the wheel, while Daniel McMahon will swap driving duties in the open men’s class to take up the role of observer. Jones teams up with driver Danny Knappick and observer Danny Cropper for Cyclone Boats. On the men’s side of the equation in the F2 class it was Cameron Osborne (skier), Brent Wisemantel (driver) and Andrew Fyfe (observer) for Team 50, who were the top qualifiers. After finishing second in race one, the team had a string of five first places before a race seven DNF. With competitors forced to drop their worst two rounds, a DNF proved to be but a minor obstacle for team qualification. 11
Finishing in second and third for the class were Jack Harrison behind Se7en F2 (Tim Rigg, driver; Mark Wallington, observer) and Jack Stevens with Nipple Racing (Christian Apps, driver; Mark Boyer, observer). The duo makes up a very competitive class for Australia. In the junior classes Milana Long produced the same scintillating form as Ben Gulley did in the open men’s class to record seven victories from seven races, the up-andcomer pairing with Pat Long and Brett Armstrong behind Critta, to put her selection beyond doubt. Nellie McMillan and her team of Todd Gray (driver) and Mick Burns (observer) claimed second spot and selection courtesy of consistent form. Claiming the last position in the class was Grace Jones who worked hard with driver Danny Knappick and observer Danny Cropper to rebound from a seventh place finish in race one, to pick off three podiums, two top five’s and a sixth in the remaining races. Cooper Robertson, who combined with Brent Wisemantel and Andrew Fyfe, will spearhead the Aussie junior men’s team after the Robertson Racing team claimed seven podiums, four of them victories. Luke Harrison and the Se7en F2 team took out the 12
races that Robertson didn’t win, while Brock McMillan and Revolution Racing had a string of top four places to claim the final qualification position. Also named as reserves for the Australian team were Maddison Boyer (open women), Daniel Cotton (open men), Lucy Savona (F2 women), Grace Savona (junior women) and Michael Boylan (junior men). The Australian team will race in the Seattle, USA from July 26 to August 6 for the first world championship event in the USA since 2003.
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WORLDS TEAM Open Women (skier, driver, observer boat) Rachael Stapleton, Pat Cole, Rory Brown – TwentyFour Chelsea Blight, Don Gulley, Christian Apps - Merc Force Shantelle King, Greg Houston, James King – Stinga F1 Maddison Boyer (reserve) Open Men (skier, driver, observer boat) Ben Gulley, Gerry Gulley, Justin Pick – Strike F1 Codie Rigg, Daniel McMahon, Daniel Rigg – Psycho Clowns F1 Daniel Graziano, Darren McGuire, Brett Armstrong – Superman Daniel Cotton (reserve) F2 Women (skier, driver, observer boat) Ellen Jones, Danny Knappick, Danny Cropper – Cyclone Boats Karen White, Jessica Pearse Daniel McMahon – Psycho Clowns F2 Ashlee Cuff, Travis Cuff, Dylan Cuff – Teachers Pet Lucy Savona (reserve)
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F2 Men (skier, driver, observer - boat) Cameron Osborne, Brent Wisemantel, Andrew Fyfe – Team 50 Jack Harrison, Tim Rigg, Mark Wallington – Se7en F2 Jack Stevens, Christian Apps, Mark Boyer – Nipple Racing Junior Women (skier, driver, observer boat) Milana Long, Pat Long, Brett Armstrong – Critta Nellie McMillan, Todd Gray, Mick Burns – Revolution Racing Grace Jones, Danny Knappick, Danny Cropper – Cyclone Boats Grace Savona (reserve) Junior Men (skier, driver, observer boat) Cooper Robertson, Brent Wisemantel, Andrew Fyfe – Robertson Racing Luke Harrison, Chris Teelow, Mark Wallington - Se7en F2 Brock McMillan, David McMillan, Jason Campbell – Revolution Racing Michael Boylan
5 Minutes With Mick!
Name: Gregg ‘Macca’ McEllister Age: 38 Lives: Ipswich, Queensland Years skiing: 25 years Years racing: 19 years Favourite boat: Cykotic – The Twin Rig (Any Twin Rig really) Most Admired Person in Ski Racing: Trent Souwer Favourite race: Southern 80 Mick Kelly: G’day Macca, thanks for spending five minutes with me! We’ll start by getting a base line. You’re no longer actively involved in the sport. Was it about money, time, or all of the above? Greg McEllister: Hello Mick, thanks for your time. I’m currently on an extended break from racing due to work and family. Mick Kelly. He’s a former winner of the The last racing we did was with our boys, Southern 80, outstanding racer and but being a FIFO worker I couldn’t commentor to new faces in the sport. mit to them totally, so they moved over to more adrenaline fuelled school-based A school teacher by weekday, advocate sports like basketball and rugby. for our sport by weekend, Mick underThere’s a plan (there’s always a plan) to stands what makes ski racing and its get back into it in a few years, after our people tick. business gets up and running. I’m waiting for SRA to introduce a ‘What Could Have In each edition of Racer’s Edge, Mick Been’ class so we can run a team in it. chats with a member of the ski racing MK: Just out of interest, what does it community, whether they compete or not, to find out a little more about them. cost to run a year program in one of those sports (round about?), is it comEvery person is committed, a lover of parable to racing? the sport or someone in it. GM: The College largely facilitates any Take five and let Mick introduce you to school-based sport; you just need to get a member of the ski racing community! yourself there. Like ski racing, they require assistance from parents for help 15
running the canteen or the footy field line. Between the three boys, we go through runners, basketball and footy boots quite regularly. Whenever there’s an injury, there’s a lot of physio. Rep footy is more financial. There’s club fees and registration to the association. Each trip away, is on par with a ski racing weekend for accommodation and meals. It’s all relative. If we ski raced, we would throttle back with some of the school commitments.
GM: I am by far not a big deal. It’s never been about trophies, but hanging out with like-minded sports men and women. I started racing when living in NSW. Racing was more basic and a lot cheaper. In fact, between Region V, Gosford, Raymond Terrace, the Hawkesbury and other series days in the ACT and Grafton, you could race almost every weekend! 110mph was a big speed although the limits were getting pushed.
MK: Do you miss it?
Through meeting the right people and asking the right questions, I found a spot in the 2000 Region V team in San Diego in social (hands out in front). I won there behind Argo and that was my first run behind a ‘Big Banger’. I spent the whole race tapping downs, then out of the last corner I lifted my left index finger, and we just lit up and went!
GM: Mate I do. The majority of my social network is based around social and ski racing. In fact, I met my wife through ski racing friends. I did have a couple of runs behind an F2 boat over the Australia Day weekend, and it felt great. All the racing gear is in the workshop at home ready to go. Mostly, I miss the camaraderie between racers and the exhausting weekends away. Although social skiing is still a part of our lifestyle today, going fast is always a good fix. MK: Do you still keep up to date with current happenings in racing? GM: I do, I follow the racing on Facebook like a total fanatic! Everyone is always updating their status so I can see what’s going on. Facebook is interesting because it shows everyone’s opinion based on their prospective of a situation. I honestly believe the majority of posts are of how people view things. The ‘Engine Class Ski Racer’ Facebook page is bang on with most calls too, whoever is running that page clearly knows too many people in the sport. Aside from the social media, when I do catch up with anyone, it’s always a topic of discussion. Who’s racing what, who’s towing who, who’s put their foot in their mouth again. MK: You’ve raced black, sanctioned, locally; interstate and internationally – you’re a big deal or what? 16
In 2003 I met a team and organized a run for the 2004 Catalina Race. We did novice in a Fountain Tall Deck – which is a very ‘Social’ off shore boat. I think it was the only boat competing with a toilet on board! We pulled second that year. It was at a time before Australians were making a huge invasion on that race. That team got serious after that run, upgraded to an outer limits boat and enlisted the services of Michael Kelly to fill their skier role. MK:(Who’s that chopper??) What’s your take on the current climate of the sport? GM: How much time do you have? Everything works in cycles and we are due for resurgence in a lot of areas. Who ever came up with 60 and 70mph needs a pat on the back. Given the reliability of engine packages you can build and run new boats more easily then 10 years ago. A focus needs to be on the boats that are hiding in sheds and no longer competitive. I‘m talking about the older vee drives
and heavier 21 Connelly’s and Cyclone’s. And like everyone else, the insurance needs to be addressed. If the world of motocross, go karting, horse riding etc. have found a way so can Ski Racing Australia. There has to be some common ground for everyone. On that point, these ‘Black Races’ and smaller clubs are popping up and people are going and have fun. The Tweed Ski Club run a very successful ‘Black Race’ series for years at 6 different venues and it’s a lot of fun. Actually, I think I first met yourself and some bloke called Grant Turner at the Tweed River race back in 2003.
MK: You’ve got a few young fellas under your charge, would you have any hesitation in letting them race if they wanted to? GM: Not at all. They do what they love. My eldest son has played representative rugby league, and he could snap his neck in a foul tackle, just as quick as my youngest could come off in a race. It’s all relative MK: What if they turned out to be quicker than their old man??? GM: That wouldn’t be hard.
MK: What’s your favourite race related memory? GM: Ha, too many to tell both sober and intoxicated! I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of some great teams, not only to ski but observe, drive and be an official too. Any moment with my kids is up there. One year, one of the boys won his age for the season, and the other won the QLD State titles in his age so that year serves well. As a team, probably the QLD State Titles with you driving Sledgehammer, old Roger Hicks out the back and I was observing. I think everyone’s ability was tested that day. Its moments in racing like that, that justify why I am a part of it. (hahaha – loose certainly is fast!!) MK: What would it take to get you back into the sport? GM: Not much. Some free time, races when I’m home and a spare run from a couple of boats. Probably need an experienced observer like Boylo or Travis Stone.
EDITORS NOTE: Ah, fellas?
K C I M 17
Superman ...But who can step up & be the third river classics winner for the season?
&
&
One has four wins this season, the other two...
Merc Force
Superman strike back as the tale of
the 2016/17 river classics season is a story of two race teams. As we look towards the Mildura 100, we look even harder for a third victor this season.
In 2016 Tim Pickford led a Sapphire team that comprised of observer Chris Gelle and skiers Ben Gulley and Lloyd Woolman to victory in both the Top 40 Shootout and main event. Unsurprisingly it was Merc Force and Superman who proved to be their closest rivals in both events.
Superman and Merc Force are on the precipice of being the only two teams to claim victory at an Australian River ClasIn last year’s Mildura shootout there was sic event this season, with the two teams taking out all six events contested to date. just one hundredth of a second separating Sapphire and Merc Force, while in With only the Mildura 100 and Barrie Bee- the main event Pickford’s men beat the experience of hag remaining, Superman’s the onus is well Darren McGuire and truly on (driver), Brett their competiArmstrong (obtors to step up server), Daniel to the plate and Cotton and put a halt to the Daniel Graziano season of dom(skiers) to the inance by these tune of 58 secexperienced onds. teams. However since If anything this the season season has began both been one that Pic supplied by Moama Water Sports Club Superman and proves that Merc Force have experience is the key to seemingly been in a league of their own. success. Both the Darren McGuire-led The two teams that have dependably Superman and Don Gulley’s Merc Force been ready to race up the front of the boast teams that have been racing tofield. gether for some time now. It’s a stark contrast to others who have had changes, The winning commenced for Superman and therefore have spent time learning with a commanding victory in the 2016 the ropes together. Hawkesbury 120, their fourth win at that event, and continued at the Grafton Chief among those expected to take the Bridge to Bridge when they again won for challenge to the two form teams of the the fourth time. season will be Sapphire, who return to Mildura as the defending winners of the However the pendulum swung in favour event. 20
of Merc Force at the internationally renowned Sydney Bridge to Bridge, with
a fool would write off a team that has matured so well this season. And there is little doubt that Superman has the winning ingredients. These two teams are undoubtedly the hot favourites.
Five days later Merc Force rolled into Robinvale with a fresh engine, thousands of kilometres of driving complete, and a herculean effort from team mechanic The best hope of finding a third winner for Trent Souwer to have the team back in the the season will be Sapphire, however with game to challenge Superman. a change of personnel since their 2016 win in Mildura, it might not be as easy as The 2016 Robinvale/Euston 80 was the it was last time. There’s a lot to say for first race that Merc Force had won after consistency and cohesion in ski racing, a seven-year drought, and in 2017 they and how well this team has gelled so far wanted to make it back-to-back wins. If during the season could well determine they weren’t favourites to do so after the how strong their challenge to the top two Ted Hurley drama, then they certainly teams might be.
L-R: Superman celebrate winning their fourth Hawkesbury 120; Merc Force claim the Sydney Bridge to Bridge; Superman won an incredible fourth-straight Grafton Bridge to Bridge too.
were after a record breaking run in the dash, where they claimed pole position. Unfortunately a broken six drive ended their race prematurely come Sunday, opening the door for Superman to notch up their fourth win of the season. Six races down, two to go. This leaves us with the Mildura and Barrie Beehag to come. Merc Force will be looking for a strong comeback, and only
While the winner of the event will most likely be a Superclass boat, it’s worth noting the speed of Mildura locals Pigs Arsenal, who last year finished third, and is making a habit of upsetting the pecking order. With just the Barrie Beehag remaining after the Mildura 100, time is quickly running out to stop the dominance of two teams on Aussie rivers this season. 21
Racer’s Edge March 2017