The top six Australians in the 2018 National championships have all entered in the 2018 J24 World Championships Lake Garda Italy. This is the first time that every boat has taken up the option to represent Australia in the largest J24 regatta ever held in Europe. Boasting 100 entries from 13 countries, it is without doubt that this is going to be a regatta to remember. Despite there being multiple world and national champions from all over the globe, we hope that our entrants will be as good as any of the worlds best.
Our team consists of four boats from Sandringham Yacht Club, Kirsty Harris in Hyperactive, Brendan Lee in By the Lee, Simon Grain in Jet and Hugo Ottaway Bruschetta VI. From Cronulla Sailing Club Steve Wright in Tinto and from Cruising Yacht Club of Sydney Dave West in Ace.
During our off season all of these teams have been practicing most weekends in sometimes harsh 11 degree days and 25+ knots. It is a big logistical exercise to get a crew of 5, equipment and sails halfway across the globe to compete in a Lake in Northern Italy, some boats have made up their crews from within the broader J community to get the best sailors we can provide.
Several of the teams have sailed in past J24 world championships and this will assist greatly in their organisation and understanding of what takes place in a regatta of this size and level.
The racing starts on 26/8/2018 till 31/8/2018 and results and daily updates can be viewed on J24 world championships 2018 http://www.j24worlds2018.it/
Despite the result, the knowledge gained by our six teams will be invaluable and the legacy will filter down through our class and benefit all. We wish all our crews the best of luck and fair sailing.
Here is a July background featuring a Luis Ferreiro pic. If all goes well I will do one a month. Click on the pic below and then right click to set it as your background.
The 2019 Nationals are now confirmed at the CYCSA in Adelaide with racing from 3 – 6 January. More info to come but, I suggest you will need to arrive by the 1st or 2nd for a relaxed registration and a pre race sail.
Adelaide is a great place to sail with open water and very little traffic around. The CYC there has a safe marina with plenty of mooring area and the updated club bar and eating facilities, not to mention plenty of hard stand space for settinig up.
It is without doubt, that the Sandringham Yacht Club Thursday twilight stern chaser series is the hardest regatta to win of the year. With a variable PHS in play and conditions that often favour the larger boats with soldier’s courses, the strength of the J24 fleet is regularly demonstrated in winning performances.
This year’s twilight series attracted 77 entries over two divisions including with up to 13 J24’s, it runs every week for 24 weeks, although there are a number of drops in the series, miss one important week and you’re dead! The fleet ranges from 50 footers in division one to the smallest J24 in Div 2.
This is a great series as the J’s start anywhere from 10 to 16 minutes after the first boat crosses the start line. Chasing the fleet down has become an intense competition made even harder by a shifting performance handicap that penalises any boat who finishes in the top 3 in any race.
This year was a bonanza with J24’s filling the top 3 positions. The 2017/2018 winner was Jack Fullerton in his beautifully prepared “Two Dogs”. Jack won by a huge margin often proving impossible to catch with good boat speed and tactics. He is a shining example of our younger breed in the J24 class at Sandy. Second (and current runner up in the 2018 National Championship) Simon Grain in Jet and third (current National Champion) Bruschetta VI skippered by Hugo Ottaway.
J’s feature strongly in this multi design race often getting line honours and filling the top places over recent years.
Steve Girdis and his winning crew happily lifting the trophies
Previous National Champion Steve Girdis and his mixed crew of Victorians and New South Welshmen (notionaly a Victorian crew then) sailing ‘Convicts Revenge’ are the new 2018 Monjon J24 Victorian State Champions, from Dave West sailing ‘Kaotic’ (NSW) and Brendan Lee in ‘By the Lee’ (Vic).
Current National Champion Hugo Ottaway is the winner of the PHS competition from Kaotic and Convicts Revenge.
With hot sunny and light conditions on Saturday and heavier southerlies on Sunday, the regatta had a bit of everything, many old faces moved back in the fleet with new blood coming to the fore. The NSW entries did well in a very competitive fleet of 19 boats. Racing was very close with many races having the bulk of the fleet finishing with a few minutes of each other
The Vic States is rapidly approaching, with racing on March 10 and 11.
The NOR and other info is posted on the SYC website and below, along with links to get your entries in.
Along with the racing, there will be plenty of off field activities, including a BBQ after registration on Friday evening, dinner in the HVR ($30 per head) on Saturday night and BBQ presentation on Sunday afternoon.
Keep your eye out for the posts on SYC.com.au and get your entries in.
It’s now the other end of January, the Nationals are done and dusted, Australia Day is out of the way and it’s time for a bit of summer reflection. What did just happen over the New Year break ?
Are you thinking back to the Nationals, why not look back at them !
Our amazing photographer Luis Ferreiro from Sportsnap has OVER 2,000 beautiful pictures of our 2018 Nationals online. This is an awesome collection of brilliant pictures. Luis’ pics are clear, sharp, colourful and capture the action in a way few can do.
In a fantastic deal with the Vic Assn, these pics are FREE for you to download. DID I MENTION FREE AND VERY EASY TO SELECT AND DOWNLOAD !!!
Select LATEST EVENTS – pick the gallery you want to view and start looking at pics. When you see one you want, click on the little ‘Cart Icon’ at bottom right.
To recieve a decent size colour pic into your computer or phone, click on ‘Personal Use’ – select the ‘Medium’ size button ($0) and click ‘Add to cart’, then click on ‘Continue Shopping’ for more pics. Select and add to cart as many as you want and the files will be stored in your cart and an email sent to you with a download link when you decide to check out.
If you want Luis to print out a bright colourful shiny print, select the ‘Print/Product’ choice, there is a fee for this, but the prints are amazing.
Don’t forget to thank the Vic Association and Luis next time you see them, what a great deal and what a great photographer.
Congratulations to Hugo Ottaway and his crew, Pauliina Mattila, Gareth Evans, James Tarode and Megan Aulich sailing ‘Bruschetta VI’, the new National J24 Class Champions for 2018 by 3 points from Simon Grain in ‘Jet’ and Steve Wright in ‘Tinto’ in third.
Day four was a battle for first between Hugo and Simon right to the very end, with both finishing the last race in the same order as they finished the regatta.
Hyperactive and Vice Versa both finished on 58 points for fourth and fifth respectively an indication of the close racing throughout the regatta.
The last day started slowly with a 12-15 knot southerly, cloudy skies and much cooler temperatures (to everyones relief after the very draining 42 degree Saturday). With a shifty wind, a couple of generals and an exemplary attitude from the race committee, after one and a half hours and seven start sequences we finally got away. Jordan skippering the Sandy Youth boat ‘Sidetracked’ had an absolute blinder of a race finishing out front only to suffer the pain of finding he was OCS on a black flag race.
Watch Craig Wileys great race start videos
Steve Wright in ‘Tinto’ took the gun, with ‘Jet’ just pipping ‘Bruschetta VI’ right on the line. Race 12 had ‘Bruschetta VI’ taking out the race from ‘Jet’ and Kirsty Harris in ‘Hyperactive’
Again Luis Ferreiro was on the race track. You can see fanatastic pics of your boat in action at www.sportsnap.com.au
Hugo Ottaway in Bruschetta VI powering to windward. Luis PhotoSteve Wright sailed a great regatta, but we all have our moments ! Luis PhotoWhen the action gets busy, Luis was there – great shot !
So who came where – the full results for One Design are here
The Performance Handicap was won by Robin Townsend in ‘Witches Thimble’ from Jack Fullerton in ‘Two Dogs’ and Ron Thomson in ‘Kicking’. Results are here
Robin Townsend and crew, worthy winners of the PHS competition.
In the very popular Thommo Cup, once again Ron took the honours from Jeanette 7 – 5. Although he tells me he got a real scare in the middle of the regatta when it was 4 all !
There are stories too many to mention from the fleet. The standard of racing is awesome, it dosn’t matter where in the fleet, from front to back the competition is full on. And everyone is loving it.
Our Sandy Race Management Team did a fantastic job in sometimes trying conditions. I heard no grumbles, only praise for their very professional work.
A comment from Peter Edwards from Cronulla regarding the Race Committee, “For the next three days I got to experience the most proficient organised and skilled Race Committee I have ever been involved with. From the top Graeme Watt and Peter Taylor empower all their team with a cool calm and sense of importance that make you proud to be involved with them.
My thanks go to all the team for allowing me to be part of your team.
Sandringham Race Committee are as good as it gets if not better and I had so much enjoyment in being part of it, I really didn’t want to leave”.
(We know it but it is nice to hear it from outside – well done Wattie and team – a huge thank you on behalf of all the competitors and the Vic and National class committees)
Seven of the best in the business
The Vic Association did a fantastic job organising the regatta. President John Neville and the committee put in huge hours, effort and energy into making this Nationals one of the best anyone can remember – many people told me that.
The presentation was held in the Sandy Harbourview restaurant, another very successful evening with El Presidente, master MC and funnyman John Neville, lamenting that the regatta had not ended when he was winning but doing a sterling job presenting trophies, cracking jokes and keeping us all in laughter.
So at the end of it all – here is the money shot !
Day three turned most things right around. Gone is the light to medium Southerly, in is the 42 degree 20 – 25 knot Northerly. Jibs for everyone and for the first time in years code flag Y – life jackets today !
Initially felt with some foreboding by some, the hot Northerly belted the fleet all day, but wasn’t the boat and crew crusher some expected.
Kirsty Harris sailing ‘Hyperactive’ cleaned up the first two races with a very, very close win from Simon Grain in ‘Jet’ and Brendan Lee in ‘By the Lee’ in the first and a convincing win in the second from Hugo Ottaway in ‘Bruschetta VI’ and Ron Thomson in ‘Kicking’.
Hyperactive wins Race 8 – Photo Luis
A little further back, places 5-8 finished in line abreast with a spread of only 5 seconds (on the score sheet – I would have thought it was less than that), another example of the close racing the class is providing. Thanks Craig.
Filling the minor placings in Race Ten were Brendan Lee and Simon Grain.
In any windy day there are things that just happen. Three people that I know of went into the water – but hung on to be pulled back on board. Steve Wright in ‘Tinto’ had his bowman and kite pole go over – the pole didn’t come back!
Starting in the strong winds where you might expect things to get a bit more ragged, it was quite the opposite for most competitors (not all) with no U flag today. See videos and Craig Wiley’s comments here :
Being a windy day Luis Ferreiro, our amazing sports photographer was out getting some great action pics.
Race 8 & 9 winners HyperactiveJack Fullerton’s immaculate Two DogsStart line action – great shot !
So what happened on the result sheet. Well quite a few changes, sadly for John Neville, yesterday’s regatta leader, a less than a glam day, resulting in a fall from first to third behind new leader Hugo Ottaway and in second place Simon Grain. Still wide open, the first 6 places cover only 10 points and tomorrow sees some serious work still to be done for the title of National Champion 2018.
Time also to say what a fantastic job the whole race management team is doing. The racing has been handled brilliantly with fair startlines and a mix of course length and structure. The protest committee has been busy with a few meetings over the last few days. From us to you – well done, thanks Guys and Girls of the Sandy team.
OK, tomorrow is a big day for a few of us, thanks for reading my little report.
