Devine and Furlong count down to International 14ft Skiff Worlds

by Yachting WA on 28 Feb 2013 Five time Australian champions Brad Devine and Ian Furlong are counting down to the 2013 International 14ft Skiff World Championships at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Toronto, Canada in just seven months.

Racing in a range of conditions, the WA team demonstrated their strong partnership on Waterloo Bay with 1,1,1,1,1,2,2 finishes. Having just installed a new carbon rig in the boat before the regatta, Devine and Furlong’s main aim was to get more consistency across the wind range. A stiff mast and flat sails made a distinct difference, proving their competiveness in the light pressure to secure back to back titles.

With new boats hitting the water this season and tight racing each weekend, the WA I14 fleet have seen national results improve to a level where all skiffs contend for a position in the top three during each heat. Last year’s runner up Stuart Sloss and Ben Lawrie finished fourth overall, with David Lugg and crew David Bramley sailing a great series in their new hull design to finish a convincing fifth.

The WA State Championships will be sailed from the Perth Dinghy Sailing Club over two weekends beginning on the 16th of March and all are welcome to come down to the club to be part of it or log onto International 14 WA to follow the racing.

Once the state titles are over, the WA I14 Association will focus on the team going to Toronto for the World Championships to be sailed from the 7th-22nd of September 2013. With favourable wind strengths forecast on Lake Ontario, the WA team look forward to proving their competitiveness against professional sailors from around the world.

Nationals Results:

1st	AUS 661	Brad Devine and Iain Furlong	WA
2nd	AUS 656	Mark Krstic and A. Wilson	VIC
3rd	AUS 666	David Hayter and Trent Neighbour	QLD
4th	AUS 659	Stuart Sloss and Ben Lawrie	WA
5th	AUS 670	David Lugg and David Bramley	WA