A small group of hardy J24 sailors made the annual sailing and party pilgrimage to Geelong this year. The weather was sunny and hot and with a great range of breezes to suit and gave us some great close racing.
This year we did the passage race on the Thursday, 3 windward / leewards on the Friday and a short round the sticks race on Saturday, Sunday was light wind and blazing hot, more than that it was time to go home after the race and you guessed it, the wind was on the nose back to Sandy, so we skipped the last race in favour of the tow we organised from one of the Sandy patrol boats and we all bought blue tarps to keep the sun off.
So perhaps the most unusual regatta picture is of 3 of the 4 boat tent city towing back to Sandy.
Easter is often a time when there is little sailing on the bay. So if you feel like making the trip down to Paynesville for some excellent lake sailing then here is your opportunity. Sounds like a great idea and could be lots of fun.
The Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club would like to invite J24 sailors to participate in the inaugural GIPPSLAND LAKES RACE WEEK.
Editor Doug MacGregor is at it again and Victoria is the place to be seen with a J, even in winter as you will read in this riveting issue of ‘Hit the Mark’. The local committees have been busy working out plans for the future with ideas for the AP regatta, unfortunately this idea has now been shelved and the National Committee is working on a new plan. Melbourne will hold an AP regatta in the future and there is a great deal of support for that, but it will be a few years away. Read on here …. J24_Newsletter_2011_07
Victorian Newsletter Editor Doug MacGregor Hits the Mark again with some hard hitting questions on the future of J racing in Victoria in this scintillating edition of ‘Hit the Mark’ – Victoria’s own answer to the Government’s carbon tax. In this edition his editorials are joined by searching articles from Hugo Ottaway, G. Maps, M.Y. Scales, Count Em and more, making this one of Eds best yet.
Past champions clashed for the honours to be named the J24 Sandringham Yacht Club Centenary Regatta winner. Adam Evans who has represented Australia in the 2005 International Cadet and 2009 J24 World Championships, won the title after battling against the 2010 J24 World Championship representatives Hugo Ottaway and Kirsty Harris. Evans and his crew of past Cadet sailors have only been sailing J’s for 6 months yet mastered the testing 5 to 10 knot breezes to score a 1,3,2,2.
Adams boat was the quickest under spinnaker and this was the key to his win. Second was Hugo Ottaway and 2011 Laser Victorian Champion Sean Bly doing tactics with a 2,1,1,6. Kirsty Harris and her mainly female crew scored a 3,4,3,1. The J 24’s have enjoyed a huge growth this year with 15 boats actively sailing at Sandringham Yacht Club. The J’s flew Red and White Class flags in honour of the Clubs 2011 Centenary on the hardstand area creating colour and impact behind the main stage where the competitors gathered for the presentation of trophies.
The Victorian J24 State Championships sponsored by Lend Lease are done and won.
In the biggest state fleet seen in Melbourne for many years, 18 boats and around 100 yachties and race officials enjoyed great weather and sailing over the two day regatta.
Although Pacemaker sailed by Dave Suda had to settle for a 4th on the much lighter Sunday race, his clean sweep on Saturday’s four races meant the result was effectively all wrapped up on the first day.
Pacemaker was sailing without owner Herschel Landes this year after a health scare, but it didn’t matter and with a 15 – 18knot South Easterly blowing on Saturday, Pacemaker showed pure dominance in what must now be called Super Sudaday. With a marginal edge in speed and height and a clear edge in tactics and crew work, Dave and his crew put the work in to earn the 2011 State Title.
This year the fleet was like a pack of hungry wolves, tight and very competitive and plenty of hard racing with close and hard fought mark roundings, a fair amount of ‘one design’ banging together (no major damage) and quite a few protests. Exciting and fierce competition as the standard of the whole fleet was up considerably on past years.
With 14 boats from the Vic fleet and 4 interstate boats sailing, the fleet is one of many changes. Hugo Ottaway bought Bruschetta VI a week before the champs and was coming to grips with his new boat, Andrew Stefano has recently bought Gridlock back from Hobart, John Neville bought Vice Versa from Hugo and surprise package Brendan Lee bought ‘Hi’ (now called ‘By the Lee’) from Pete Stevens in Adelaide.
From interstate we welcomed Arthur Crothers with Dave West steering, brought Kaotic from Sydney, Terry Wise brought two boats from Sydney, Sailpac (Sean Wallis’ old ‘Wetty Gripper’) steered by current National Champ Sean Kirkjian and Starpac steered by Hank Beyer. Admiral Stevens brought his ‘newest’ boat, Code Violation over from Adelaide. For those who knew the boat when Doug McGain had it you just wouldn’t recognise it, Pete is a master of cleaning up boats.
If Dave blasted into first, Kirj quietly made his way into second place with an impressive and consistent score, reminding us all that you don’t need a win to be up there in the placings.
Third and fourth were the two surprise packages of the championship. Brendan Lee sailing in his first J regatta, put in a solid series to show us all that the new guys need to be well respected and with placings between 4th and 8th took out fourth place.
Some of you may know Adam Evans as occasionally part of the old Pacemaker crew. Most won’t have seen his 3rd place coming in quite the way Adam showed us how to sail this weekend. Like a breath of fresh air reminding the old guard of our pasts, Adam, crew, ghetto blaster, black cans and life turned up to loud, in my opinion stole the rest of the show. A very consistent and dedicated youth program trained sailor, Adam is now sure to follow Dave Suda as one of our most important role models for the attraction of a new generation of young J sailors. Only a tangle with yours truly at the top mark and an arbitration experience kept him out of 2nd place. I would confidently expect him to be a future Nationals winner.
Cam Dale and Adam Evans
David Suda and the Pacemaker crew
Rounding out the top 5 was Hugo Ottaway, who could have been 2nd or 3rd if you factored out a loss in ‘the room’ from the last race.
Another interesting battle with results in the middle of the fleet, was two of our newest owners stepping into the middle of their boats and having the two top Victorian S80 skippers and some of their crew come aboard to contest the series. Andrew Stefano had Gary Mackinven, twice a state S80 winner from Blairgowie, steer for him and between the two, won with a solid 9th, current S80 State Champion Luke Reinehr from Sandy jumped on John Neville’s Vice Versa for the first time on Saturday and although only finishing 12th overall sailed to an impressive win the Sunday’s race in balmy lighter airs.
I could go on, the results as usual are full of ‘if onlys’. However the fleet is now full of guys and girls at all levels doing their thing and getting amazingly better at it, Doug MacGregor on Crackerjack found himself at the pointy end of the fleet, scary stuff Doug ! Ron Thomson had a few tangles and left green in places and Make My Jay has a bit of stainless pipe bending to do as well. There were the usual didn’t see you last minute tacks, 720s, plenty of mark rounding shouting and heart stopping moments.
The Hyper Girls (and Rob) six up, finished in a tie for 5th with Dave West getting 6th, about a metre ahead and therefore one point ahead of Make My Jay 8th in the last race – could have been the other way around so easily!
Out the back this time, but just as important to the fleet were Chris Hely (a good 14th overall), Peter Moulang (Jack’s just married and Pete is probably thinking about golf), Michael Lewenhagen (best place a good 12th) and Warren Campbell (best place an excellent 9th). These guys are also improving and spending on their boats, which shows that the interest is there right to the end.
Once again (and thanks) Lisa Simonov gave us her house for another great party on the Saturday night, the class association buying a liberal amount of food that was not only enjoyed on the Saturday but enough for leftovers to be enjoyed again at the club BBQ on the Sunday presentation. Thanks also to the hard work put in by the Victorian J committee, the club and the race team headed by Graeme Watt for running a faultless regatta. We again appreciate the effort made by the interstate guys bringing their boats.
The ‘Hard Luck Wheel’ award must surely go to its’ originator Pete Stevens for burning out the clutch on his car less that 50 clicks out of Adelaide in the middle of the night. Alan Stevenson didn’t make the regatta, but in a late night show of support for Pete, his Jeep did.
For those of you that didn’t come – and you know who you are (Wal) – don’t make the same mistake at Gosford in October, because it just keeps getting better. You can bet the NSW guys don’t want the best regatta of the year to be the Vic States.
Doesn’t the J future look bright !
See Herschel Landes top mark on sunday video here:
[youtube]Tr7zeL4Q7QE[/youtube]
On water photos courtesy of Steb Fisher, people shots Simon Grain
To Contact Steb Fisher for photography of your boat, please email or call: photo@steb.com.au Mobile: 0438 16 07 53
Four races have been completed in the Victorian State Championship sponsored by Lend Lease being sailed at Sandringham Yacht Club this weekend.
David Suda sailing Pacemaker has started well and holds a commanding lead in the series after winning all four races sailed today. With only two races remaining Dave and his team look like adding another title to the collection.
Adam Evans sailing SDM is currently in second place after finishing the day with two thirds, a second and sixth and is just one point ahead of current Australian Champion Sean Kirkjian from NSW.
Eighteen boats are competing in the event with fourteen from the host club, 3 from NSW and one from SA. The huge local contingent reflects the strength of the class in Victoria where continued growth is predicted over the winter months.
With 14 boats now on the hardstand at Sandringham Yacht Club, the home fleet is posed to enjoy the biggest State fleet in Victoria for over a decade.
Up to 5 boats are expected come from interstate for the regatta, known locally as the Balmy Regatta due to Melbourne’s often experienced long Indian summer giving warm sunny, hazy days and lighter winds.
The Sandy fleet’s newest boat, bought by Brendan Lee, a Laser and Flying Fifteen sailor, is “Hi” from Peter Stevens in Adelaide. With the fleet now at modern record numbers, space on the hardstand is becoming tight, racing is tight and with another 3-4 people currently interested in becoming J boat owners, competition is expected to be even more fierce over the next few years as the fleet grows even more.
Pacemaker (David Suda) is still the boat to beat, but they are not having it all their own way recently. Make My Jay (Simon Grain), who have come second in the last two Vic States (one on a countback, last race result) and are currently second by 1 point in the J24 Summer aggregate at Sandy are just one boat breathing down Pacemaker’s neck. Ron Thomson in Kicking Bottom who just seems to prove green is fast and getting faster, the girls in Hyperactive and Adam Evans in Get Smart are all currently capable of winning races in this fleet.
‘Mr J24’ Hugo Ottaway has become the dark horse in Melbourne with only irregular appearances this season, but make no mistake, when it comes to the states and if Hugo has even a half decent crew together he will be at the pointy end without doubt.
STOP PRESS:Hugo is truly our “dark horse” and at the last minute has sold Vice Versa and bought Bruschetta and plans to raid the trophy cabinet at the Vic States this year !!!
There is plenty of competition further down the fleet as well, with an emerging group of boats keen to shift up a gear and plenty of new guys looking to make their own name in the class too. Interest is also being shown by people outside the class looking for either a boat to beg, borrow or charter as they see the level of competition increase.
Need to know more about coming to the Vic States?
Now is the time to set up a crew slot if you want to come from interstate, we will billet any crews so don’t waste money on accommodation.
The dates are the 16 & 17 April 2011, NOR is not available yet (will be shortly) but normal program is 4 races on Saturday and 2 races on Sunday. Racing is run by SYC in conjunction with the SYC One Design Regatta and this will include other one design classes on separate starts.
Boats will be expected to have a current measurement certificate and crew weight is the normal 400kg.
Contact the Doug McGregor of the Victorian State Association on 0400 584 067.
The other row of J24s, including 'Hi' - recently arrived
Editor Doug McGregor comes up with some beauties, but this time in addtition to his own quick wit, he has the dulcet tongue of Ron Thomson on the Thommo Cup to aid his story telling. Hugo tells it like it was at Geelong this year, J24 Victoria launches a new Facebook page and a very Sanguine Jack Crawford is about to tie a not very nautical knot. Five pages of great reading !
Doug MacGregor (Crackerjack) has been promoted to the Victorian Publicity Officer position – first job get a regular newsletter going. It’s called ‘Hit the Mark’ and I’m sure you’ll agree it certainly does that well.
As irreverent as a dour Scot can be, Doug’s editorial style is already flourishing in Issue One, emailed to the great unwashed of the Victoria J24 community today. His hard hitting, ‘pull no punches’ style will engage you from the start and you will be waiting for the next one to hit. Make sure you’re not the subject of the editors pen ! Move over Mad magazine.
