NEWS

QLD State Championship

Great close racing for the Queensland States

15 February 2022 Author: Wayne Kirby

Fair Dinkum - Ben Leigh-Smith and crew Kelvin Holt and Steve Shale, winners of the Tai Pan Queensland Etchells State Champs

The Qld State Championships were held on the weekend 4/5 December 2021.

We managed to get 7 boats on the water, this included half of the current GC fleet and 2 boats from Royal Queensland. Unfortunately, interstate boats could not make it due to COVID border restrictions. However, 7 boats enjoyed some great close racing.

Day 1 racing was off-shore with 5-12 knot breezes and 1 m swells throughout the day. Great for Etchells sailing. With unsettled weather forecast for the Sunday, race control added a fourth race to the day to ensure we had enough races for a series. PHS and Class results were very close after the day's racing with RQYS’s Tag and Too Easy within a few points of SYC’s Fair Dinkum. Knot Easy was very chuffed to record their first ever ‘first' in a race for a State championships.

The presentation and sausage sizzle back at the foredeck at main beach was well attended with prizes from North Sails and wine from the GC Etchells fleet being awarded for the days results and for random draws.

Sunday proved to be as forecast, 20 knot winds with wind gusts expected to reach 30knots. After a fair bit of deliberation at the morning briefing, it was voted that racing would take place on the Broadwater in the deep hole. It proved to be a fantastic, tight race track. During the first race all 7 boats hitting the first downwind mark, at the same time lots of jostling, bumping and arguments about when overlaps occurred. Great fun.

The last race proved the forecasters right, starting in 20 Knots of breeze but on the final spinnaker run the fleet were sailing kites up, in 30 knots, flying home to the finish. Luckily no breakages but a lot of smiles on faces as the boats were surfing down-wind rocketing home. It was close racing with results not secured until the final race.

The State championship was won by SYC’S Fair Dinkum. Congratulations to the Ben Leigh-Smith and crew Kelvin Holt and Steve Shale.

Class results - Fair Dinkum First, Tag, Second and Knot Easy 3rd, Rebound 4th

Well done to the Southport Yacht Club for providing a great regatta. Well run and, apart from the disappearing sausages on the last day, well organised. Also, many thanks to our sponsors North Sails and Bosun’s Locker for supporting the event. Thank you also to Brisbane Fleet Captain Jason Hawkins for his assistance.

Check out the Facebook page as there are many images from the weekend.

Results

Winners AUS1347 leading

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