Cold and foggy conditions for Victorian Match Racing Championship

by Pam Scrivenor on 21 Jul 2014 The sailors were greeted on day one with choppy seas and 15 kts WSW wind for the start of racing in the Victorian Match Racing Championship. Ten teams took to the water on Sandringham Yacht club’s fleet of six Beneteau 7.5 yachts. Racing commenced on time with the race committee rolling through the flights and the boat change over team working perfectly.

Many teams in this regatta have either done very little match racing or come back to the sport from a break. The discussions on the dock and on the change over boats were mostly questions as to ‘just run over the start sequence again’ and carrying out a penalty, but teams quickly got back into match racing mode when racing got underway. The regular Etchell teams of Noel Drennan and Damien King settled into the Beneteau more quickly than others.

Just before 4pm racing was abandoned for the day as the breeze, which had been easing since lunchtime, finally became too light to keep the boats moving. Seven flights were completed in Round Robin One with the teams of Drennan and Michah Shuwalow undefeated.

The forecast for day two started exactly as predicted with a light six knots Westerly filling in just after the scheduled start time and racing got underway. It soon became evident that it would not be possible to complete the full schedule with semis and finals and the Race Committee did their best to push through the racing with a plan to complete the Round Robin.

All was going well until the fog moved in during flight 12. All three matches were started with the first match being the only one not to be shortened to one lap. The teams waited on the water in the hope that the fog would lift but the Race Committee made the decision to send competitors ashore and racing was abandoned for the day.

On the dock, results were finalised, ties broken and prizes awarded to the podium placed teams.
Noel Drennan was awarded Victorian Match Racing Champion, Michah Shuwalow was second and James Sly finished third.

Emma May and her team were the only non-Victorian team competing in the event and are enjoyed sailing the Beneteaus at SYC. This is their first interstate match racing event representing the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and will be great practice for the Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship in Perth later in the year.

The SYC Commodore Chris Carlile congratulated the competitors and thanked the many volunteers who assisted with the event.