Lorenz siblings happily on a gaining tack

by Ian Grant on 11 Feb 2013 Klaus Lorenz of the Whitsunday Sailing Club teenage Optimist class has personally developed a strong bond with his young team of tropical water sailors.

Five members of his current squad qualified to contest the open fleet Australian championship in Tasmania with his star pupil and younger sister Eva braving the cold and windy test of tactical racing over the Derwent Sailing Club courses to finish with her career best eighth overall in the 130 dinghy fleet.

Her team mate Brendan Hoffman who failed to record a finish in race three expressed his determination to fight back steering his dinghy G-Wizz to a 7-23-6-8 in the final four races while Hamish Swain (The Beast, Aidan Gummow (Plan B) and Ty Gummow (Typhoon) gained valuable big fleet racing experience.

These results from racing in unfamiliar conditions against the best young talent in the nation clearly indicate that both coach and the careers of his happy team of younger sailors are on a gaining tack.

They are presently preparing to contest the International Sail Brisbane regatta on the tactically demanding Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Waterloo Bay courses over the Easter weekend.

This regatta hosted by Yachting Queensland is the final of the Australian Down Under series and represents an important guide to selection for the 2013 Queensland Development squad.

Eva Lorenz who values the honour of being the second best female skipper in the Nation behind the overall 2013 Opti Australian champion West Australian Annabelle Davies remains poised to protect her reputation with another top regatta result over the Easter weekend.

However while she has continued to dominate class racing on her favoured Pioneer Bay she understands there is more to do.

Like her older brother Klaus Eva is a strong believer in doing the hard yards on the training track and revels in the challenge of testing her personal stamina and technique in the hiking straps.

Her happy work ethic which includes mid week after school sessions was rewarded with her best National championship result.

Naturally Eva treasures her Australian championship Silver Medal however she is now working towards becoming the best female in the class at the next National championship regatta and will use the important Sail Brisbane series as another step towards achieving her goal.