Sail Mooloolaba 2011 - Colour on the bay this weekend

by Ian Grant on 1 Jun 2011 Sail Mooloolaba 2011 is being held this weekend on 4th and 5th June and hosted by Sail Mooloolaba Inc, a partnership of Sunshine Coast yacht clubs.

The magnificent tactical sailing course on Mooloolaba’s Snapper Fish Bay will be transformed into a spectacular sea of colour when 18 classes of dinghy and keel boat sailors compete for class honours in the Sail Mooloolaba regatta.

Sailors representing clubs from Tasmania to Queensland’s tropical Airlie Beach have responded to the regatta Notice of Race which also features the open Queensland championships for the exciting Moth and Optimist classes.

Southport Yacht Club’s World Junior Moth Champion Jack Sherring heads an impressive fleet to contest the proposed nine race Queensland State title series which has also attracted an entry from the defending champion Brent Pearson and speed sailing specialist Steve Sherring.

Family rivalry between the Sherring cousins and the extensive practice sessions in a varied range of wind conditions on the bumpy Southport Broadwater has helped to refine their boat handling skills.

But racing on the open ocean off Mooloolaba promises to test the individual technique and personal endurance of the 15 year old Jack Sherring in his bid to add the Queensland championship trophy to the Junior Australian and World championship medals.

He has already proved his technique on mastering the relatively sheltered waters winning his Australian and World championships on Lake Macquarie while also regularly sailing in the fast lane on the Southport Broadwater however mastering the natural ocean swell created from the windy Coral Sea may prove to be a new test of skill for this exceptionally talented teenage skipper.

Normally the Moth Foiler skippers prefer to race on the flat water which suggests their first ocean regatta could be highlighted with some wild and spectacular ‘wipe out’ type capsizes.

However the youngster Jack Sherring believes he has the skill to match his older rival’s cousin Steve and the 2010 Queensland champion Brent Pearson in what promises to become and exciting speed sailing match race to decide the 2011 Queensland champion.

Similar interest will surround the battle for the open Queensland Optimist Dinghy championship and the Open 4.7 Laser title.

Whitsunday Sailing Club’s Klaus Lorenz and his younger sister Eva promise to set the pace for the Optimist class championship while female Laser 4.7 class rivals Sophie Chesterman, racing under the Royal Tasmania Yacht Club burgee, will endeavour to win a match race over the equally talented Sunshine Coast skipper Madison Kennedy.

Klaus Lorenz winner of the Australian championship bronze medal should again express his skill to win the open Optimist championship while his smaller sister Eva is favoured to become the best female in a fleet which has attracted promising young skippers from Southport, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

The advantage of racing and training in local conditions should provide 16 year old Madison Kennedy with the edge to master the challenge from the talented Tasmanian Sophie Chesterman but there will be no margin for error when the two skippers focus their tactical attention on winning the prestigious Sail Mooloolaba Laser 4.7 class Gold Medal this weekend.

Sail Mooloolaba website