Tasmania's PJ Super Series – Day 2 overall

by Peter Campbell on 30 Nov 2015 Ten-year-old Sandy Bay Sailing Club sailor Hugo Allison has competed in three world champions in the International Cadet Dinghy class, including winning this year’s world championship in Italy.

Judging by the performances of Hugo and his new skipper, 12-year-old William Cooper, in the PJ Super Series regatta over last weekend, Hugo could be off to his fourth worlds in Argentina in 2016.

Sailing Impulse, William (who also contested this year’s worlds on Italy’s Lake Garda) and Hugo won six of the seven races sailed over the weekend against a 17-boat fleet of Cadets, the second largest class in the two day regatta which attracted almost 100 junior and youth sailors from Hobart clubs.

Hugo’s fellow world champion and skipper Sam Abels (16) has now moved up from Cadets to the 420 class but Hugo obviously has more years as a very talented crew in to the two-person dinghy. Sam and his older crew, former Sabot sailor Nick Smart, won the 420 class over the weekend.

In the PJ Super Series, Cooper and Allison won from Fynn Sprott and Lawrence Jeffs and Charles Zeeman and Archer Ibbott.

Many of the young sailors have used the regatta as a final tune-up for their class nationals over Christmas-New Year, most of which will be sailed in New South Wales. Following the nationals, many will contest Yachting Australia’s national youth championships, also in Sydney.

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, which is now running its weekly Off-the-Beach pennant racing in conjunction with Sandy Bay Sailing Club, strongly supported the PJ Super Series.

Sam King, who is off next week to contest the Laser Radial invited class at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne regatta, had an impressive win in the Laser Radial class from Ryan Moreton and Angus Price.

So did William Sargeant in the Laser 4.7s, again proving too strong for nearest rivals Max Gluskie and Thomas Males.

The Optimist open fleet, with 19 boats, was the biggest fleet with Rupert Hamilton scoring a hard-fought win from Ethan Galbraith and Finn Buchanan. Edward Broadby sailed well on day two to win the Green fleet contest from Nick Muir and Charlie Pavlides.

Other winners in the smaller fleets at the PJ Super Series were Jasmin Galbraith and Chloe Fisher (29ers), Sam Abel and Nick Smith (420s), Brendan Crisp and Daniel Maree (Flying 11) and George Scott (Sabots).