Championships Articles
The captivating allure of competitive sailing reaches fever pitch as preparations intensify for the New South Wales Championship. The 12ft skiff fleet, renowned for its competitive spirit and exciting engagement, has the stage set for an event spread over four adrenaline-fuelled days across two weekends - 29 and 30 November at Sydney Flying Squadron and 6 and 7 December out of Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club (LCSSC). As the sailors leave the whirl of the NSW Upper Harbour and Paramatta River Championships in their wake, they now look onward, tuning up for their next battle on the water.
Overcoming the bracing chill of British winter, 128 young sailors gathered at Rutland Sailing Club for the IOCA Optimist Winter Championships. Despite the weather playing spoilsport, their tenacity and passion for sailing were anything but dampened. With winds between 10-15knots, the competitive sailors embarked onto the water, ready for an exciting weekend of ‘snakes and ladders’ racing.
A fleet of 93 boats made up the Main Fleet, with the racing committee headed by Nigel Biggs. Laszlo Drummond stood out on the first day with three 1st place finishes. The competition grew intense on the second day as racers struggled for dominance on the leaderboard. Jonny Rogers edged out Laszlo Drummond by 2 points to take the first overall spot, while Sean Di Salle secured the third. In separate categories, Lizzie Hudson was the top girl, Archie Dowling took the under-10, and Theo Fox the under-11 spots.