Geoff Morris from the MRYC emerged victorious over a field of competitors from Queensland, NSW and Victoria in the recent Queensland Radio Controlled (RC) Laser sailing championship for 2007.  Other local sailors also fared well with Nigel Price from Wurtulla coming in 5^th at the end of the 30 race series and John Henderson of Wurtulla , a relative novice to this class of boat achieving a creditable 6^th placing.

The championship was held at Lake Kawana over two days on the 10^th and 11^th of November.

John Henderson said even though the conditions were challenging over the 30 races, the venue at Lake Kawana was outstanding. “We are fortunate on the Sunshine Coast to have such a great place to sail” .  “Very few locations are able to provide a perfect sailing course regardless of the wind strength and direction.”

This regatta is the second Queensland State Title after last year’s exciting inaugural championship when local father-son double act Greg and Josh Torpy prevailed picking up 1^st and 2^nd place respectively. 

Competitors were welcomed on the morning of the 10^th with a moderate breeze from the South and all selected their medium sized  B rigs to test the course.

After the first three races, time out was called as the wind had freshened to 18-24 knots and swung around to be a true southeaster.   With the boats overpowered and flying downwind but hard to control, the decision to change down to the smaller  C rig was quickly made.  The boats were soon on the water again for two more races  before a well deserved lunch break.

With everybody refuelled the boats hit the water again to be met by a wind gusting 25 knots.  The size of the chop on the lake was rising and made for an interesting afternoon’s racing with the lead frequently changing – the harder the boats were pushed the greater the chance of losing control as squalls swept across the course.

Day one wound up with fifteen races having been completed with Geoff Morris and Scott Fleming (Vic) tied on lowest points.  Nigel Price in 3^rd position and several others following were close enough to threaten the leaders the next day.

The competitors went to a local restaurant that evening to refuel and reflect on a terrific first day of sailing and camaraderie.

After expecting the wind was going to ease overnight the team turned up in the morning and had to lean into the breeze to survey the windswept race course. The decision was quickly made to move the course 200m to the northwest to provide some shelter from the full brunt of the wind.

Sailing started with everybody opting for the C sail from the first race. There was some close racing through to lunch break with competitors sailing in a competitive and good natured manner. The breeze held at fresh to strong right through until the last race was finished later in the afternoon with a further 15 races completed.

At the trophy presentation that followed, the sailors reflected on a hugely enjoyable event where the strong competitive spirit had prevailed with a spirit of fair play and enjoyment for all.

After 30 races in the 2 days of sailing the honours went to Geoff Morris 1^st(55points) Scott Fleming 2^nd(65points) and Paul Derwent (NSW) 3^rd(104points)

Other notable performances included David Padden (NSW) 4^th on the same points as 3^rd position but losing out on the countback and Narelle Derwent 8^th(170 points), the first of the ladies.

The RC Laser is one of the most popular professional level radio controlled yachts in the world.  A quarter scale model of the iconic Laser dinghy, it was designed by renowned yacht designer Bruce Kirby and is sailed all around the world. According to Price, the advantages of the RC Laser are its one-class design, its rugged construction and superior sailing performance.  “Another thing I love about the RC Laser”, says Mr Price, “is that to travel to interstate regattas, we simply check the bag onto the plane just as we would a suitcase.  It is that easy”.

Radio controlled sailing is a rapidly growing sport in Australia appealing to enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels.  The boats are entirely wind-powered and the skills involved are essentially the same as sailing a full-size dinghy – ability to tune the boat, manoeuvre for position at the start-line, pick wind shifts, trim for boat speed and round buoys are all essential skills for the front-runners.  Although there is a lot of skill involved at the top level, an attraction of the sport is that novices are able to quickly master the basic skills.  Even championship events like this one attract and welcome sailors of all levels.

 

For information about joining up with the RC Laser group at Lake Kawana, contact John Henderson on 0413381010  For information about the RC Laser visit ‘www.radiosail.com.au’

 

For information about this press release contact Nigel Price on 0417616416