Cherubs brave strong conditions in Round 3 of NSW State Championships

by Rolf Lunsmann on 11 Feb 2013 Defending Champions Kris Fay and Morgan Frew from Belmont 16ft Sailing Club put themselves in a commanding position in the NSW Cherub State Championships will skilful sailing in testing condition at Round 3 of the event. Finishing with a second and a win in the two races over two days they now have a large points lead over the second placed boat Causin’ Haavik sailed by the Lancaster brothers Brett and Ryan.

Saturday’s race was hosted by Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club and saw the large fleet competing in a gusty 12-15 kt nor-easterly breeze. Andrew and Will Chapman, sailing on their home waters, gained some revenge for their one point loss of the recent National Championship by showing a clean pair of heels to the fleet. Rounding the top mark first the first time they extended their lead on every leg to finish comfortable winners. Behind them Kris Fay and Morgan Frew showed they too could come to terms with the trick upper harbour conditions to finish with a solid second that saw them make it to the top of the series points table. Behind the top two boats the racing was tight with third to sixth places decided by no more than two metres at the finish line.

On Sunday the racing moved to Yarra Bay Sailing Club and the fleet where the fleet was greeted with a 25-30kt southerly. Fay and Frew stormed to the lead up the first work and, avoiding the capsizes that plagued the rest of the fleet, they built a big lead. However, the strong conditions meant that a swim was never far away for any crew and Fay and Frew put their boat Wally in near the top mark the second time. This error allowed current National Champions Trevor Fay and Nigel Blatchford to storm through to the lead, showing great pace going to windward, before they too capsized. In a survival test Fay and Frew sailed through to take the lead and the race. The eight boats that finished we met as heroes by the crowd on the shore recognising the skill required to finish on such a challenging day.

The fourth and final round of the NSW State Championships will be held at Teralba Amateur Sailing Club in early March.