Turning point for Klaus Lorenz and crew mate James Scott

by Ian Grant on 31 Dec 2012 This Friday will mark an important turning point in the careers of teenage Whitsunday Sailing Club skipper Klaus Lorenz and crew mate James Scott.

The pair of talented young International 420 dinghy sailors racing under their proud WSC Burgee will be a long way from home as they make their bid for a top five finish in the Musto Australian championship hosted by the Derwent Sailing Squadron when the final is decided over the Sandy Bay course on Friday.

Coping with the intense tactical fleet racing has not been a problem for the Lorenz and Scott who have sailed alone in the warm tropical environment on Pioneer Bay over recent months to be prepared to match the best crews in Australia for the honour of winning the 2012-2013 Musto Australian championship.

It has been a challenging initiation however they have shown the determination and skill to crew their dinghy Rockstar to earn the respect from their rivals after recording an improving 11-7-3 for fifth place overall after the opening energy absorbing day one of the regatta.

They are certainly well in the mix while Derwent River sailors Alec Bailey and Douglas Shephard has expressed the important advantage of local knowledge to become the nominated favourites after their convincing win in race three.

However while the Alec Bailey helmed VMG has shown the potential to set the pace he remains under threat from a capable group of challengers including West Australian Lachlan Gilmour (Novo Rapid), New South Wales skipper Xavier Winston-Smith (Selden for Sailing) and the improving Whitsunday Sailing Club of Klaus Lorenz and James Scott in Rockstar.

While they are targeting a top five place in this evenly contested Musto Australian championship regatta as the present priority Klaus Lorenz and James Scott have also focused their attention on gaining a major result in the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships to be raced later in January over the Royal Tasmania Yacht Squadron courses.

Klaus will then remain in Hobart as the coach of the Whitsunday Optimist team when they line up for their five day Australian championship regatta from January 8 to 15.

The former Optimist Australian championship Bronze Medallist who has coached the young team including his younger sister Eva and age champion Hamish Swain to achieve outstanding results at the state level believes they have the potential to retain their respected reputations when the sails are tensioned for the 2012-2013 Australian championship on Hobart’s picturesque Sandy Bay.