SB3 Australian Championship at Sail Port Stephens - Overall

by Di Pearson on 20 Apr 2010 Jono Shelley, an English sailor living in New Zealand, but spending a lot of time in Australia, has carted off the SB3 Australian Championship at Sail Port Stephens today.

Shelley also won the SB3 title at Geelong in January and said this afternoon, 'It's great to win two in a row. I have to thank my crew James Walker and Jonnie Harrison. I've never sailed with them, but I sailed against them a lot in England – they were great.'

The likable blonde, sailing Club Marine White beat the Australian SB3 distributor Rod Jones (Qld), sailing Club Marine Blue, by two points and Jan ‘Clogs' Scholten (Selden For Sailing) from NSW by five points.

'There were more boats here than in Geelong and the competition was definitely harder – there were four of us who could have won today. I'm now looking forward to sailing at the SB3 Worlds n Geelong next January,' he said.

Shelley enjoyed sailing at Port Stephens. 'It's an absolutely magic venue – I'd come back and sail here anytime. We had a great race committee – they made sure it was fair for everyone. I love this venue, although a bit more wind would have been nice,' he enthused.

Jones, who won the SB3 event at the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta in March, was thrilled with his second place at Sail Port Stephens. He was wearing an ear-to-ear grin tonight. 'We had a great time,' said the competitive Jones who has won two IRC Australian championships with two yachts by the name of Alegria.

The strict one-design SB3 is fast becoming one of the most popular small keelboats on the Australian sailing scene – and little wonder. The high-performance lift-keel 6.15m boat with spinnaker is sailed by some of the best sailors around and sailors of all levels. All say the SB3 fun factor is limitless.

Seventeen boats from around Australia contested the SB3 Australian Championship over three days of light conditions at Sail Port Stephens on windward/leeward courses and helped to make up the record 83 entries here in Port Stephens at Australia's fastest growing regatta.

More information on the event website.