GILL Optimist Victorian Championships – Day 1

by Royal Geelong Yacht Club on 11 Mar 2017 Day one of the 2017 Gill Optimist Victorian Championships was a great day for the Optimist Sailors and Royal Geelong Yacht Club. Sailors were held ashore until the breeze built, firstly for the Green fleet to get underway, and then enough for the Open and Intermediate fleet shortly after.

Geelong Performance squad coach, Brian Case had nothing but compliments for the race management on the Open fleet course, in a fickle then building breeze.

‘Onshore, hospitality was sensational, and the race management was brilliant. Greg (Sinclair) got the pre-regatta jitters out of the way with abandoning one race shortly after the start, and then getting the fleet away in a stable breeze’.

Three races were run for the green, intermediate and open fleets, which were held over two courses. The steady 10 knot breeze produced three different winners for the day in the open fleet, with Finn McMahon in Sharkfinn, making a great start to the regatta with a 1,4,2, and Linus Talacko sailing BOB, and Jack Ferguson in Aloha second and third respectively.

Local Geelong sailor, Mason Mahoney, sailing The Albatross, got up in race two to win his first race in the Optimist Open fleet, sailing a text book race. After a good start, and leading at the first mark he sailed away from the rest of the fleet, leaving them to fight for the minor placings.

In the Intermediate Fleet, Scarlett Zerbe posted a 9,1,1 to be first after day one, with another Geelong sailor, Riley Cantwell in second, and Samuel Stringer in third.

On Green fleet course, which consists of sailors who are new to racing, racing was well run by the Race Officer Annina Varrella, and her race team. Local RGYC sailor, Jorja Mahoney is currently leading with a 3, 1, 2 with Anna Robinson second, and Natalie Gleeson third.

Principal Race officer Max Stein was happy with how the day went, with all fleets getting their allocated three races in with no significant incidences.

Conditions for the rest of the weekend are expected to be generally light conditions, with rain clearing by the morning, setting the scene for another great day on the Bay.