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2023 Ronstan Finn Australian Championships 8th – 13th January |
The Australian Championships put on show everything that the Finn class and the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron has to offer. The four-day regatta began with medium to light conditions which slowly increased as the week progressed. An early UFD (over the start line) to both Rob McMillan and I put us low down the pack at the end of day one, and we seemed to trade positions for the next couple days; as soon as I won a race Rob would come straight back to take a victory in the next.
Going into the final day of racing with two races left, Rob held a two-point lead over me in the fight for first place. I sailed a fast first upwind and having managed to put myself in a controlling position and placing a boat between myself and Rob, I clawed back two points, meaning we entered the final race level on points. A final race showdown. This proved to be an exciting race, one in which Rob with all his experience excelled in. A fast first upwind gave Rob healthy lead and I managed to sail myself in to second place but with too much distance between us. Rob crossed the line to take the victory by one point, a point that he had worked very hard for and totally deserved. This proved to be one of the closest and most enjoyable regattas I have taken part in. Huge congratulations to Rob for being a fantastic competitor; rounding off the podium in 3rd place was Mark Perrow of New Zealand. Whilst myself and Rob went to battle, on the last windward mark an accident took place with Matt Visser getting knocked unconscious by his own boom. He was pulled from the water by the media team who quickly and decisively took the necessary steps to ensure Matts safety, this resuscitating Matt. Days like this act as a reminder of the dangers we take as sailors, especially in powerful boats such as the Finns. I cannot praise enough the actions of those at RQYS especially Mark Dingley, Mike Middleton, Rod & Mel. I’m very glad that Matt has now made a great recovery and I look forward to both racing him once again and hearing his jokes at the bar. |
2022 International 14 World Championships, Flensburg 25th July – 5th August
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Teams Racing
After a week of preparation in Flensburg, the first event on the card was the I14 Team Racing Worlds. This is a style of racing that's traditionally hosted in slower displacement boats but is put on steroids when you pit two teams of four skiffs against each other. What follows is a tactical dance as boats compete to out manoeuvre each other and gain the advantage for their fellow compatriots. The first day of the round robin was a light wind day, a subtle hint of what should be expected for the rest of the week. The second and final day of team racing saw the teams from Germany and Great Britain go head-to-head for the title. This final showdown brought with it big wind which put some of the boats out of the racing before it even started. Regardless the British team, consisting of George Yeoman & Jack Yeoman, Archie Massey & Harvey Hillary, Glenn Truswell & Ed Fitzgerald, Katie Nurton & Cameron Tweedle and Andy Shaw & Rob Struckett stormed to victory in great fashion. Celebrations were short lived though as the focus turned to the main event! Fleet Racing The German I14 association hosted 52 boats from 7 nations in what would be an exciting event, with light winds dominating the race course and countless patches of weed which proved nearly impossible to avoid. Archie Massey and Harvey Hillary dominated the race course, and having taking the lead early on the regatta it became impossible to knock them off the top spot as they secured back-to-back world titles. Rounding off a fully British podium was Glenn Trusswell & Ed Fitzgerald in 2nd and Andy Shaw & Rob Struckett in 3rd. Myself racing aboard Amazing Masie, with Katie Nurton at the helm finished as First Lady helm and 8th overall. Looking back at the event I am very pleased with how we sailed, most importantly how we improved through the week, learning vital lessons that we will carry with us as we sail towards the 2023 Europeans at Lake Como. I14 events never cease to entertain, providing excitement on the water and into the evenings with a great class community which continues to grow stronger. The 14 fleet can be really considered a class that praises hard, fair racing, with a fantastic social life that brings the sailors closer together. |
2022 Ronstan UK Finn Nationals, Weymouth 13th – 15th May
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The 2022 UK Finn Championships, an event consisting of six races over three days and held on my home waters of Weymouth had a strong turnout of 40 boats take to the water. Having not sailed a Finn for over two years I was excited to take the opportunity to get back in the boat that gave me so many great experiences in the past.
The 3 days racing that followed had everything from 5 knots to 25 knot thunder storms, producing tight and fierce racing throughout the fleet, allowing a number different sailors to capitalise in their optimum conditions. With the wind dropping towards the end of the regatta I had to fight to stay ahead after a strong start to the week. Lawrence Crispin pushing hard meant we had a tense final lap few laps around Portland Harbour. With Lawrence winning the last race and myself coming in 3rd I won the 2022 UK title by one point. The podium was rounded off with Nick Craig making his Finn return. To add my name to a trophy littered with British sailing icons is a great honour, an event that I look forward to defending in Christchurch 2023. |