Fay and Frew sail back into contention in NSW Cherub States

by Rolf Lunsmann on 27 Nov 2012 Current Cherub National Champions Kris Fay and Morgan Frew, sailing Wally, stormed back into contention for the NSW State Championship with a win and two second places in the second round of the four round series. Sailing on their home waters at Belmont 16ft Sailing Club, Fay and Frew closed in on the series leaders Alison Chapman and Kurt Warner form Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club. With three different winners in the three races over the weekend, competition has intensified at the front end of the NSW Cherub fleet.

Saturday’s racing consisted on two short course races sailed in a 12-15 kt easterly, ideal conditions for many of the less experienced crews sailing their first Cherub inter-club event. In the first race 18ft Skiff sailors Andrew and Will Chapman, in their return to the Cherub class after four seasons’s absence, joined a pack of four boats fighting for the lead. The racing was tight with the Chapman brothers gaining and holding a narrow margin over Fay and Frew with another local boat Ryan Clifton-Smith and Tom Drury sailing Remember the Tight Ends close in third.

Further back in the fleet Chapman and Warner were buried after a poor start, recording their worst place of the series. This result opened the door for the other crews. In the second race Chapman and Warner recovered their form and took a comfortable win from Fay and Frew with the Chapman brothers recovering from a poor start to work their way back to third.

On Sunday a fresher 15-18kt sea breeze made for an exciting long course race. Expecting the left hand bias of the sea breeze Fay and Frew nailed the start, taking the pin ready for a drag race to the port layline. They rounded the top mark first with a small lead over The French Tickler sailed by stand in skipper Jarrod Turner and Matt Hall. Close behind this pair were the Stewart brothers Andrew and Dave in their new boat New Order. Crews then had to battle hard to reach the wing mark with all the leading boats on the very edge of control.

By the end of the first triangle Fay and Frew had consolidated their lead over the chasing pack. Chapman and Warner found themselves further back and worker hard throughout the race to finish second. Tim Harrington and Charlie Gundy from Lane Cove in Cauchemar steadily worked their way through the tight fleet to finish third.

Further back in Sunday’s race, former 16ft Skiff National Champion Greg Searant and 2005-06 Cherub National Champion Rowan Kelly were having their first test sail in the boat they in which they will contest the upcoming Cherub Nationals. They showed enough form to indicate that they will be serious contenders come the national series.

The weekend’s racing left Chapman and Warner with a five point lead over Fay and Frew with half the series sailed. The final two rounds will be sailed in February and March at Lane Cove, Yarra Bay and Teralba

Over the weekend Trevor Fay tested a prototype of the square top mainsail that the class in considering introducing next season. The sail performed well, proving to be quick, responsive and controllable as well as improving the aesthetics of the boat. It showed up well particularly in the fresher breeze on Sailing Results