Light start to Sail Mooloolaba 2011
by Andrew Gough on 4 Jun 2011
IMG 6194 Andrew Golden
As a host regatta for the Queensland Optimist and Hydro foiling Moth Championships for 2011, Sail Mooloolaba has attracted a large fleet of budding sailors, but also a mixed fleet of 420’s, 505’s and Lasers.
The highly competitive optimist fleet punched off the start line in the unstable conditions lead by Queensland Sailing Team members Klaus Lorenz and Kyle O’Connell. However in the tricky conditions the lead changed as the young sailors fought around the short windward leeward courses.
On top of the leader board is North Queensland sailor Klaus Lorenz, who is a current member of the Australian Optimist Sailing Team. Lorenz commented on today’s tricky conditions. 'It was pretty shifty and gusty you had to keep your head out of the boat' he said. Lorenz is being followed closely by Queenslander's Kyle O’Connell and Charlie Wyatt.
'The regatta has been great, I hope the breeze picks up tomorrow, it was really shifty today, made it hard in the waves' O’Connell said. The light South Westerly breeze made racing with the swell a difficult task, but the young fleet had no difficulty keeping the racing close.
On the all boats course in what was described as 'Challenging conditions', the small but competitive fleet of Moth sailors pushed through to complete the three races for the day. Leading at this point is Steven Sherring followed closely by his nephew Jack Sherring, current Junior World Champion. 'The conditions were very tricky, it was a cross between foiling and not, this made downwind super tough' the younger Sherring said. He plans on pipping his uncle tomorrow in the predicted light conditions.
In the Laser standards Mooloolaba local Wayne Price is dominating and sits in first overall. Behind Price is Brisbane sailors Jake Lilley and 2009 Australian Radial Champion Ben Franklin. In the 4.7 class Hayden Johnson leads in a title contested fleet. In the radial local Mitchell Kennedy leads after an extremely consistent day with two wins from the four races.
On the Keel Boat course racing was extremely difficult in the underpowered conditions. However the Etchells, sports boats and cruising boats got four races completed and the competitors expect even closer racing tomorrow.
Racing starts tomorrow at 10, and the predicted light southerly winds will make racing tight and extremely challenging.
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