37th NSW Tasar Championships - 37 boats racing on waters of Botany Bay
by Nicole Douglass on 19 Apr 2014
Race 1 just after the start from on board Chukkel - 37th NSW Tasar Championships Nicole Douglass
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The 37th NSW Tasar Championships kicked off on Good Friday with 37 boats racing on the fantastic waters of Botany Bay from Georges River Sailing Club.
In variable conditions, from westerly through to sou’east, the fleet completed three races, with ex World Champions, Rob and Nic Douglass finishing the day on top with a two, one, two.
Race one was started in a shifty westerly, of five to twelve knots. Rob and Nic Douglass sailing Chukkel, were early leaders, crossing the fleet on port at the start. The beat was not straight forward, with Leigh Riddell and Clare Woods on Tangaroa, sailing the top third from the left, to round in first, with Rick Longbottom and Daryl Bentley, of the Defence Force, and Rob and Nic Douglass close behind.
The positions in the top three were unchanged for the reaching legs, despite the strong outgoing tide and resulting tight angles. The final work, however, proved to be a hurdle for many with a shake up throughout the top ten. Tangaroa held their lead from Chukkel, with Rick and Daryl pushed back to third. The top three was unchanging into the finish, with Heather MacFarlane and Chris Payne (recently fourth at the Fireball worlds) in fourth, and Shane Guanaria and new crew Tara Wilson in fifth.
Race two was started in a building westerly breeze of 12 to 15 knots. The boat proved to be the favoured end, and Rob and Nic Douglass, who started late but at the right end led to the top by some margin, with Leigh Riddell and Clare Woods, Chris and Heather MacFarlane, Brad Stephens and Jenny Overton, and Hugh Tait and Stephen Hancock in a tight pack behind.
The results were on the whole unchanging, until a major shift on the second work, a the breeze began to permanently shift to the south-east. Heather MacFarlane and Chris Payne made rounded in second behind Rob and Nic Douglass, Joel and Gemma Skelton moved through to third, and Shane Guanaria and Tara Wilson had a major comeback to round in fifth. The top of the run was a bit chaotic as the all the rounding boats had to reach through the majority of the fleet approaching the top on port following the major shift left. The results to the finish were unchanged from the top mark.
Following the unpredicted shift to the south east the third race was started after a major rearrangement of the course. Rob and Nic Douglass again led around the top mark, with Tony and Julie Creek followed by Heather MacFarlane and Chris Payne rounding out the top five for the Victorians. By the bottom of the reaching legs, the top three were Rob and Nic Douglass, Tony and Julie Creek, Joel and Gemma Skelton in third, Heather MacFarlane and Chris Payne in fourth and Rick Longbottom and Daryl Bentley in fifth. The next work proved to be a challenge for many, with big changes once again. Rob and Nic Douglass extended their lead, Rick Longbottom and Daryl Bentley moved up to second, and Heather MacFarlane and Chris Payne moved up to third.
As the boats headed down the run, the breeze began to die substantially, eventually completely glassing out. The tail-enders were the first to get the breeze, and Rob and Nic Douglass waited, as the entire fleet sailed up to them. Rounding the bottom mark, the boats were nose to tail. The leaders again headed left, where the breeze had been swinging all day, back into the puff that had come down the course. The boats that rounded the bottom mark further back than 20th were on rounding, able to lay the top mark on starboard momentarily as the track began to shift right.
In a major shake-up, John Balass and Heather Forton had their first State Championship heat win, over Rob and Nic Douglass who held on to second, with Gary and Robin Ratcliffe in third, Shane Guanaria and Tara Wilson in fourth and Martin Linsley and Angela Cumming in a welcome come back to the Tasar class rounding out the top five.
Three more races are scheduled to be sailed today, and three tomorrow if the weather plays ball!
There is a definite level of excitement in the fleet, as the sailors discuss options for the next Worlds, which will be sailed from Busselton, WA in January 2015.
For more information on the Tasar, go to website.
2014 NSW Tasar State Championship full results:
Plc |
Sail
No |
Boat Name
(Boat Type) |
Skipper/Crew |
From |
Race 1
18-Apr |
Race 2
18-Apr |
Race 3
18-Apr |
Drop |
Total |
1 |
2710
|
Chukkel
Tasar |
Robert Douglass
Nicole Douglass |
JBSC
NSW |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
2883
|
SMAC
Tasar |
Heather McFarlane
Chris Payne |
SYC
VIC |
4 |
2 |
7 |
0 |
13 |
3 |
2577
|
One Too Many
Tasar |
Shane Guanaria
Tara Wilson |
BSC
NSW |
5 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
14 |
4 |
2889
|
Tangaroa
Tasar |
Leigh Riddell
Clare Woods |
BSC
NSW |
1 |
9 |
6 |
0 |
16 |
5 |
2898
|
navy sailing
Tasar |
Richard Longbottom
Darryl Bentley |
RANSA/CYC
NSW |
2 |
4 |
10 |
0 |
16 |
6 |
2603
|
Ratz
Tasar |
Gary Ratcliffe
Robyn Ratcliffe |
GRSC
NSW |
14 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
23 |
7 |
2903
|
Vivace
Tasar |
Bradley Stephens
Jennifer Overton |
WSC
NSW |
8 |
8 |
8 |
0 |
24 |
8 |
2925
|
Serendipity
Tasar |
Hugh Tait
Stephen Hancock |
NSC
NSW |
6 |
10 |
13 |
0 |
29 |
9 |
2818
|
HMS
Tasar |
Joel Skelton
Gemma Skelton |
SPASC
NSW |
11 |
3 |
20 |
0 |
34 |
10 |
2349
|
like lightning
Tasar |
Chris Johnson
Todd Finney |
GRSC
NSW |
12 |
7 |
18 |
0 |
37 |
11 |
2763
|
More Edge
Tasar |
John Balass
Heather Forton |
BSC
NSW |
20 |
20 |
1 |
0 |
41 |
12 |
2911
|
Another Roady
Tasar |
Peter Davies
Pia Lehtonen-Davies |
BSC
NSW |
9 |
23 |
11 |
0 |
43 |
13 |
2770
|
Trouble
Tasar |
Michael Quirk
Marise Hannaford |
RPEYC
NSW |
17 |
12 |
14 |
0 |
43 |
14 |
2888
|
Agamemnon
Tasar |
Chris Parkinson
Matthew Fitzgerald |
SPASC
NSW |
18 |
18 |
9 |
0 |
45 |
15 |
2588
|
What a Pearler
Tasar |
Andrew Finney
Michelle Costandi |
GRSC
NSW |
16 |
21 |
12 |
0 |
49 |
16 |
2813
|
LASS
Tasar |
Martin Linsley
Angela Cumming |
RANSA
ACT |
19 |
28 |
5 |
0 |
52 |
17 |
1885
|
Storm bringer
Tasar |
Daniel Bromelow
Mark Bromelow |
M16'SSC
NSW |
22 |
14 |
17 |
0 |
53 |
18 |
2665
|
Decadence
Tasar |
Megan Darby
Chris Evans |
SPASC
NSW |
13 |
11 |
30 |
0 |
54 |
19 |
2114
|
blew'n
Tasar |
Bruce Hilleard
Jenny Sorensen |
GRSC
NSW |
23 |
16 |
16 |
0 |
55 |
20 |
2769
|
"The ""AntzPantz"""
Tasar |
Anthony Creak
Julie Creak |
RGYC
VIC |
7 |
26 |
28 |
0 |
61 |
21 |
2727
|
White Wash
Tasar |
Stephen Nash
Greg CHASELING |
BSC
NSW |
10 |
25 |
27 |
0 |
62 |
22 |
2450
|
Slartibartfast
Tasar |
JOSEPHINE ROPER
Luke Carroll |
WSC
NSW |
21 |
19 |
23 |
0 |
63 |
23 |
2902
|
Eagle Eye
Tasar |
Noel Borel
Els Leenaars |
RMYC
NSW |
32 |
17 |
19 |
0 |
68 |
24 |
1901
|
Bubbles
Tasar |
Helen Impey
Juliet Pegler |
WSC
NSW |
27 |
22 |
21 |
0 |
70 |
25 |
2133
|
Boogie Woogie, Baby!
Tasar |
Benjamin Walker
Julie Burke |
BSC
NSW |
15 |
33 |
26 |
0 |
74 |
26 |
2819
|
firefly
Tasar |
Derek Hadwen
Kelly HADWEN |
BSC
NSW |
26 |
37 |
15 |
0 |
78 |
27 |
2906
|
The Claw
Tasar |
Bruce Litchfield
Sharon Litchfield |
GRSC
NSW |
25 |
27 |
29 |
0 |
81 |
28 |
2532
|
Big Bang
Tasar |
Lachlan Steel
Thomas Jorgensen |
GRSC
NSW |
29 |
15 |
DNF
(38.00) |
0 |
82 |
29 |
2119
|
Tasared
Tasar |
Gavin Brown
Robyn Brown |
DAC
NSW |
28 |
32 |
22 |
0 |
82 |
30 |
1893
|
Scoot
Tasar |
Georgia Llewellyn
Lachlan Johnson |
CRSC
NSW |
31 |
30 |
24 |
0 |
85 |
31 |
1878
|
Tranquil Shaw's
Tasar |
Cameron Shaw
Eva Shaw |
GRSC
NSW |
33 |
24 |
31 |
0 |
88 |
32 |
2121
|
Aqua Dazzle
Tasar |
Jonathan Ross
Jackie Bange |
SBSC
VIC |
DNC
(38.00) |
13 |
DNF
(38.00) |
0 |
89 |
33 |
2841
|
Woooo Hoooo!!
Tasar |
Mark Kelly
Susan Kelly |
GRSC
NSW |
34 |
31 |
25 |
0 |
90 |
34 |
2578
|
Southern Stars
Tasar |
Richard Shaw
Lorraine Madden |
BSC
NSW |
24 |
34 |
33 |
0 |
91 |
35 |
2085
|
Luna Sea
Tasar |
Sean Mullin
Kristi Ruus-Atkinson |
DAC/WSC
NSW |
30 |
29 |
32 |
0 |
91 |
36 |
2112
|
THE HOOT
Tasar |
Douglas Coleman
Beata Lekki |
CSC
NSW |
35 |
35 |
35 |
0 |
105 |
37 |
1980
|
Clockwork
Tasar |
Mark Lofthouse
Kylee Hall |
DAC
NSW |
DNC
(38.00) |
36 |
34 |
0 |
108 |
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