With four days remaining the multitude of blogs and posts making up the predictive octopus have yet to come up with a definitive conclusion. But there is one certainty; those leading the Superseries points table have the most to lose and are likely to be extremely motivated to perform in the tricky flatlands of Woodhill Forest. Where the long (14km!) courses are set. And just as motivated in the tricky up-and-down lands of Woodhill, where the shorter courses are hoisted.
The current series leaders are, in the elite men, 2010 champion Ross Morrison (58 pts) and Karl Dravitzki (58) followed by 2009 Champion Darren Ashmore (45), who between them have won 15 National titles. The women are led by Piret Klade (56pts), with Amber Morrison (55) and defending champion Angela Simpson (55) just one point in arrears.
Two strong contenders are however out of the picture; 2009 champion Lizzie Ingham (studying in Australia) and former World Champion Carsten Joergensen (house-building in Christchurch). It's the younger challengers in the picture that will make a big impact. JWOC team-mates Matt Ogden (31) and Toby Scott (38) have current and past form, after being best-performed Kiwis each day at last years Queens Birthday races (and trans-Tasman Test Match). As did JWOC'er Angela Simpson on the first day of the same event (Toby won two days, and Matt was best Kiwi on the second).
So while the series leaders have plenty of motivation, the juniors who won last year, hitting top form immediately prior to JWOC, have just as much motivation to run at their best, with the added bonus of taking elite scalps from both sides of the Tasman. Seven races score points, from ten in the series, and four races count at QB weekend at 15 points each for a win. None of the leaders are safe at the top.
Can the juniors beat the elites - again? What about the host of other challengers from Auckland and further afield, and the Australian Bushrangers team? Find out this weekend in the final Silva Superseries races.
And get some of the latest predictions in detail at Tom Reynolds or the forum at Maptalk - and check out another new blog at Kate Morrison
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