Once again, the ladies from South of Perth Yacht club begin to prepare for the Women’s State Keelboat Championships.
There are rumours that Jess Lundh (Eastwell) is bringing a team up from Mandurah and that the Royal clubs are breeding a younger set of racers who might just make it uncomfortable for last years winners, but in my book, age, experience and cunning with a leavening of youth will win against raw courage and tenacity.
But the day will be important and if we are faced with the ghosting challenges that the dying days of summer offer so often, then local knowledge will win out as they know which side the breeze will come from. The flip side of the coin will be a raging, rambunctious Easterly morning (and haven’t we had enough of those), then its anyone’s business and riding a spinnaker till it tears to ribbons in the gusty easterly has been seen and done.
Our two skippers are Mara Lowry (nee Vlaar) and Kirstin Norris and both did well last year, in fact so well that they took the championship with a last gasp win by Mara in the final race. This year several of the previous team members are returning with one or two from last year stepping out and making room for new members.
The ladies still have a couple of training runs to go and they hope to be belting around the water on the Foundo’s in the next week or so. They are under the training care of coaches Richard Maher and PC Guy Skinner, but they will need your support on the day so keep the morning of Sunday the 7th of April free and beg, borrow or buy a boat and head out to watch the South of Perth Women’s teams take it to the rest of the State.
Rick Steuart
For the SoPYC Womens State Keelboat Champions.
