By Ian Grant.
Whitsunday Sailing Club played another pivotal role in gaining important tourism awareness for Airlie Beach when they hosted the successful 2010 Ice Berg Australian Tasar championship on their Pioneer Bay course.
The exciting 10 race championship attracted 186 one design dinghy sailors crewing 93 Tasar dinghies representing clubs from West Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, The Northern Territory and Queensland where the colourful one-design dinghy fleet transformed the sailing venue into a spectacular scene reminiscent to butterflies fluttering in a gentle wind on the Bay.
More importantly many of the sailors and their families and friends were first time visitors to the Whitsundays and besides topping up their sun tan they enjoyed the pleasant tropical winter environment and the friendly hospitality which is always on offer at the Whitsunday Sailing Club.
Sure all of the competitors were in a relaxed mode on the rigging lawn but became more focused on testing the tactical strategy and individual boat speed on the water in what proved to be 10 exciting races to decide 2010 Australian champion and the Ice Berg trophy winner.
As expected the regatta attracted the best of the best including the multiple championship winning New South Wales father and daughter combination of Robert and Nicole Douglass in Coollit.
The Coollit racing team besides winning a Tasar World gold medal among several Australian Gold and minor medals were accepted as the pre-championship pacesetter with previous National champions Shane Guanaria, Craig McPhee and Paul Ridgeway.
All four skippers held the extensive class racing experience to be considered among the title favourites but it was the crew commitment and the sail trimming skill of Nicole Douglass that provided the decisive edge which allowed her dad to steer Coollit to remarkably consistent 4-1-1-2-1-2-1-6 score and a 2 point win over the talented North Queensland crew of Aaron Linton and Jamie Jochheim.
Both Aaron Linton and Jamie Jochheim again reflected their individual talent to achieve an outstanding Silver Medal result in their maiden Tasar National championship.
They have raced with and against each other in many classes since graduating from junior Sabot class racing with the Whitsunday Sailing Club fleet.
However this was their first ever major championship in the tactically demanding Tasar class where they surprised their more experienced rivals when they crewed AA Team to a comfortable 13 point Silver Medal over the Shane Guanaria helmed Sway.
The AA Team mastered the ideal moderate 12 knot South South West wind to lead the fleet home in the first race but then broke the start in race 2 to record a 1-94 on the opening day.
But they progressively fought back into medal contention in the remaining races to eventually record a 1-7-1-2-3-2-2-2 to claim a deserved Silver Medal just 2 points astern of the Gold Medal winning Douglass sailing team while Shane Guanaria, Craig McPhee, Paul Ridgeway and female skipper Heather Macfarlane completed the top six overall .