Fourteen overseas entries (and many more from interstate) took the opportunity to arrive in Perth early to test the conditions they are likely to face in the World Championship being hosted by our Club on the Swan River next week.
The event was a good test of the systems in place for the big event to follow, giving volunteers priceless on-water experience and allowing our administration team to see what lies ahead.
The difference will be in the numbers. Where there were over eighty riders in the State Championship, some 240 plus have registered for the Worlds!
Included among the locals were two Flying Fifteen sailors – Greg Tonnison and Andrew Colquhoun. Following last week’s story about former F15 World champ Graeme Lillingston joining the S80’s, it goes to show what a versatile bunch makes up the division.
The Windsurfer State Championship comprises three elements – Course racing, which is conventional fleet racing around the cans that all yachties are familiar with, slalom racing and finally a marathon. An incredibly complex points system then allows sailors from different weight divisions to be integrated into a single competition to come up with outright results. Although this method is a long way out of the comfort zone of our usual yacht race administrators, it is a system that seems to work just fine – the winner was decided on a countback!
Summary outright results:
- First Michael Galvin 4 points
- Second Scott McKercher 4 points (on countback)
- Third David Tonkin 4.2 points
- Youth Sam Belyea 18.8 points
- Women Sarah Kenny 28.6 points
Thank you to Lindsay Preece of Ironbark Photos for the images.
