Warren Jones Regatta - Tough final day in Perth for True Blue Racing

9:00 AM Sat 4 Feb 2012 GMT

'True Blue Racing during the 2012 Warren Jones Regatta - Warren Jones regatta' Jordan Reece

Warren Jones International Regatta - True Blue Racing has finished fourth in the event hosted by Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. The regatta marked the beginning of the 2012 match racing season for the team and after a strong start at the beginning of the week 2012 was looking to have a great start, but by the end of the week it was a very disappointing finish for True Blue Racing as they lost their semi final to Josh Junior 2-0 and then lost their petit final 2-1 to local sailor Tristan Brown.

The opening day of competition and the first day of racing for 2012 for True Blue Racing could not of got off to a better start with the team taking six wins from six starts. The team, lead by helmsman Jordan Reece with Henry Kernot, Jaidan Stevens, Arnau Farras-Knowles and returning to racing with TBR after winning the Detroit Cup with Reece back in August was Full Metal Jacket Racing's Harry Thurston.

The teams glamour start to 2012 though was halted on day two when the team went up local and regatta favorite David Gilmour. Day two saw the completion of the first round robin which saw True Blue Racing finish third behind Gilmour and Chapman. Round robin two saw the rise of Josh Junior who didnt have the best start to the regatta on day one. Gilmour continued his impressive form going undefeated through round robin two. True Blue Racing continued to pile the pressure on overall regatta leaders to hold onto second after the round robin stages.

Local sailor Peter Nicholas finished third with Junior fourth. Stage two saw quarter finals with David Gilmour choosing to race eighth place Jay Griffin, True Blue Racing then selected seventh place Sam Gilmour, Nicholas chose sixth place Brown which left Junior and Chapman in the final quarter finals.

Only two matches in each quarter final was needed to determine the semi finalists with Gilmour, Reece and Junior easily dispatching their lower ranked competitors but Brown surprised everyone when to beat third place Nicholas 2-0 in their quarter finals to advance to the semi finals. Gilmour then had the choice of skipper for the semi finals after topping the round robin stage.

Gilmour chose local sailor Brown leaving a trans tasman duel between True Blue Racing and Junior. In the fresher conditions in the afternoon Junior who had improved each day dominated Reece in both starts and from their took two wins to advance to the finals leaving True Blue Racing to battle it out in the Petit final. Gilmour also won his semi final 2-0.

In a first to two point petit final True Blue Racing took the early lead and opening race but main halyard problems in the second and third race saw Brown pass and take two wins and third overall leaving TBR a very disappointing fourth.

Junior continued to dominate the day winning the final 3-1 of favorite Gilmour to take out the 2012 Warren Jones Regatta.

'It has been a disappointing end to what started out to be a great week. We just made to many mistakes today in the semi finals and petit finals and we have paid the price to finish fourth. We are very disappointed with the end result and will be looking for improvement next week.' commented mainsail trimmer Harry Thurston.

For True Blue Racing their attention now shifts back to Sydney where Reece, Thurston and Kernot will participate in the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's Hardy Cup. The event will start on Sunday and go through to Thursday. It will be a big week, for Thurston he will be looking for this third Hardy Cup win whilst the team will be looking to take out the win in the Squadrons 150th celebrations.

True Blue Racing is a youth match racing team based out of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in Sydney, Australia. The team is currently in seek of a new sponsor for the 2012 season, if you are interested in supporting the team please click here .