Ten Sabres contested the River Rat title held for the second year at Maroochy Sailing Club. Light winds caused racing to be postponed, with just one race finally being conducted in the afternoon. Sailors also had to contend with rain during the race sailed over a triangular course with the added challenge of a strong tide.
Peter McLaren (MSC) made the best of the start and first leg, leading the fleet at the top mark, but losing momentum on the next leg. Lea Foster (RQYS) had an aggressive start but was declared over the line and returning to the start was a high price to pay in the tide and light wind. Many sailors found mark rounding challenging, with the subsequent penalty turn resulting in lost ground that could not be recovered.
Fran Eastgate (RQYS) was with the leading boats on the second leg but then lost her position in the fleet. John Campbell (RQYS) and Sue Hextell (RQYS) made a break from the fleet on the second leg which they were able to maintain and slightly extend during the rest of the race. Keith Wilson (CYC) also made a break and held his third place position, but was unable to make up ground on the leaders.
Luis Ferro (HYC) and Rob Jackson (CYC) were the next to make a break, coming out ahead of the pack and sailing a steady race to the finish, but unable to peg back Keith, so finished 4th & 5th. Ilan Schofield (MSC) finished 6th. Lea Foster, Peter Mclaren, Fran Eastgate and Peter Brodie (MSC) sailed as a pack, with Peter B having trouble at the last mark, allowing the other three to finish ahead,
RESULTS Read more…
By Ian Grant.
Sunshine Coast blue water sailor Ken Down has successfully mastered frightening squalls and stormy seas during his successful career of ocean racing.
His personal seamanship remains unquestioned after surviving the tragic North Sea storm which claimed the lives of 15 fellow competitors during the 1979 Fastnet Race.
The memory of that struggle which ultimately paved the way for the Australian Team to win the symbol of World Ocean racing supremacy The Admirals Cup still remains each time he wears his ‘storm suit’ to challenge natures elements.
During the next 21 days he will be focused on analysing the Queensland coastal weather with his son Lucas as they prepare to contest the 63rd Brisbane to Gladstone race with the Farr 40 class sloop Bribie Star.
Ken Down has often said – “He has a score to settle after provisionally winning the 1979 Gladstone race on the water then losing the chance to sip Rum and Coke from the prestigious Courier-Mail Cup after a protest committee found Hot Bubbles had breached a rule on the start line.
This was a disappointing result for Ken Down and Mal Dawson the owner skipper of Hot Bubbles 11. Read more…
Southport Yacht Clubs Sophie Lahey enjoyed a special celebration on the eve of her 16th birthday yesterday (March 27th).
The vibrant teenager daughter of successful Southport Broadwater sailors Peter and Veronica Lahey achieved a major career milestone when she crewed with Canadian Olympian Katie Abbott, Tara McCall and Angela Farrell to win the Harken International Women’s match racing trophy on Sydney Harbour last Friday.
Remarkably the crew who had never sailed together before overcame enormous odds to win the Gold Medal by a narrow 3 second margin in the final.
For Sophie this was a highlight to a career which is destined for success.
The talented teenage 29er class dinghy skipper who normally races in the Southport Yacht Club events on The Southport Broadwater expressed a maturity beyond her age to play an important part in the Gold Medal deciding final.
“It was a rewarding experience one which I will never forget”. She said.
Skipper Katie Abbott who hails from Sarnia in Ontario and represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympic regatta praised the combined skills of her ‘makeshift’ crew.
“We had some interesting moments of the course, but managed to keep the boat going in the trying conditions with some excellent crew work”. She said.
Sophie winner of the International Sail Brisbane 29er class title and now has a special medal taking pride of place in the family trophy cabinet celebrated her 16th birthday racing with crew mate Joel Turner on a windy Southport Broadwater yesterday.
By Ian Grant.
The dock was buzzing with activity as is the usual case on Wednesday afternoons as the Hollywell sailing fleet prepares for that evening’s Twilight racing series event (not to be confused with some vampire sucking teen flick of a similar name). The crack and experienced crew of Daytona, an Etchell class 30′ foot racing boat, was just lowered into the water when a yelp and cry of concern was heard across hardstand from the able Executive Officer of Daytona2.
Wayne Moran, Daytona’s Executive Officer and Dive Master3, was securing the lifting straps underneath the cockpit floorboards when he was struck, without provocation, by an unseen but vicious predator hiding in the darkness of the 8 inches of space between cockpit floor and the hull. Read more…
By Ian Grant.
Champion Sunshine Coast sailor Rod Jones the only skipper to win two Audi Australian IRC championships faces a supreme test of his personal skill in three major events culminating with the Laser SB3 World championship in England from May 16-20.
Jones has teamed up with former Australian Olympic Laser and seven times World championship Gold Medallist Glenn Bourke of Hamilton Island and specialist Mooloolaba sailor Greg McAllansmith in a bid to win the Audi Australian SB3 championship at Port Stephens on April 15-17.
Just five days later on Good Friday (April 22) both skipper Jones and the burley Greg McAllansmith will then change into their ocean racing wet weather gear to contest the 308 n/ml Brisbane to Gladstone blue water classic with the high performance Alegria.
The Club Marine Blue crew will then have 20 days to complete their training for the 2011 Laser SB3 World series on the historically famed Royal Torbay Yacht Club courses. Read more…
Cherana and Pagan two champion Golden Oldies of Australian ocean yacht racing are poised to stage an interesting private duel for class honours in the 63rd Brisbane to Gladstone Race starting on Good Friday April 22.
Owner/skippers Euan MacDonald (Cherana) and Peter Kerr (Pagan) will claim a special place in Australian blue water sailing history when they stage their ‘mate against mate’ match race with the almost identical Tasman Sea Bird class sloops.
Cherana which has the distinction of winning the 1959 Sydney Hobart Race with original owner Russell Williams at the helm was narrowly beaten by the Norman Wright Jnr skippered Mouse Of Malham in her only previous Gladstone Race challenge 51 years ago. Read more…
By Ian Grant.
Whitsunday Sailing Club International 505 class sailors Paul Mitchell and Sam Haines will need to be tactical aware when they contest the first race of the 2011 SAP World championship off Hamilton Island next Saturday (March 26).
The talented tropical sailing team who have practiced and raced extensively possess an excellent understanding of their home course sailing elements which prevail off Airlie Beach but like all of their 85 rivals representing 9 countries can expect to face a supreme test of individual crew skills on the tricky Whitsunday Island waters.
Skipper Paul Mitchell contested the 2009 SAP World championship in San Francisco with his brother Dale and has a good understanding on what is required to improve his international ranking.
But judging by the standard of the fleet which includes the past two World championship Gold Medallists Mike Martin/ Jeff Nelson (United States) and the defending title holders Wolfgang Hunger and Julien Kleiner (Germany) plus Olympians and World champions suggests there will be a very high standard of racing before the 2011 SAP World champions are crowned on April 1. Read more…
*After four extremely tough days racing, the Australian 470 Championships for 2011 came to a close. Racing was done on Waterloo Bay, Queensland and the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron put on a great display for all competitors.
The small but highly competitive fleet made for some tight racing, however world number one pair Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page won convincingly over second placed Sam Kivell and Will Ryan. The highlight of the regatta for Queensland was the performances of the young gun teams of Angus Galloway and Alexander Gough in the mens, and sisters Sasha Ryan and Jamie Ryan in the womens.
Peter Harburg’s 20.3m Brisbane to Gladstone Race line honours champion Black Jack remains poised to claim a history making performance in the premier blue water classic starting on Good Friday April 22.
Black Jack expertly skippered by Mark Bradford and crewed by a number of Queensland’s most experienced ocean racing sailor’s needs to successfully defend her title to become one of five crews to win three in a row since the inaugural trailblazing event 63 years ago.
The Black Jack crew deserve the opportunity to claim a place in history with Alvis (1952, 1953, 1954), Solo (1958, 1959, 1960) Apollo (1982, 1983, 1984) and Grundig (2001, 2002, 2003) following their consecutive runaway win in 2010.
There is no mistake the speed sailing Black Jack has the potential and could possibly become the new race record holder should favourable fresh winds prevail.
Black Jack was ahead of record pace when they sail surfed past the halfway point off the Fraser Island landmark of Indian Head last year but gradually lost their grip to finish with the fourth fastest time just 1 hour 27 minutes 33 seconds outside the 20 hour 24 minute 50 second record set by Grant Wharington’s super maxi Skandia Wild Thing in 2004.
However owner Peter Harburg and skipper Mark Bradford were happy with their result. Read more…
By Ian Grant.
Highly experienced Sydney ocean racing skippers Ray Roberts (Evolution Racing and Marcus Blackmore (Hooligan) will provide Mooloolaba’s dual Audi Australian champion Rod Jones (Alegria) with a supreme test in the 308n/ml Brisbane to Gladstone Race over the Easter weekend.
Ray Roberts winner of the prestigious 63 year old Courier Mail Cup in 2008 and 2009 and a runaway 9 point winner of the equally important Audi Hamilton Island Race Week championship with a borrowed Farr 42 last August brings a high standard to the physically and tactically demanding blue water classic.
Skipper Roberts principal navigator Richard Hudson have a successful personal understanding of what is required to master the tricky tactical nature of the race and realise the importance of having the challenge in good shape when they weather the Fairway Buoy off Caloundra on Good Friday afternoon. Read more…