Contender Class National and World Championships

by Sebastien Destremau & Aust Sail-World.com on 4 Jan 2006 The Ronstan Contender Australian Open Championship starts today in Fremantle and will end Saturday 7 January 2006. The Australian Open Championships will be used by many teams as an important part of their final preparation for the World Championships to be held next week (Monday 9 to Saturday 14 January) at the Fremantle Sailing club, in Western Australia.

The Contender was designed by Ben Lexcen in 1974. The contenders are very popular and competitive in Europe, especially in the UK, Italy, Germany, and the rest of Europe. At last year’s World Championship held in Travemunde (Germany) in July 2005, there were 116 boats on the starting line; the record stands at 155 boats in Italy in 2004.

With Fremantle being so far from the rest of the World, the Contender Class Association didn’t expect more than 50 competitors for this year’s event. However they are now ecstatic to see 61 Contenders proudly sitting on the lawn of the Fremantle Sailing Club. Contenders from nine nations (CAN, NZL, DEN, AUS, GER, GBR, ITA, NED, and USA) have accepted the invitation sent by the International Contender Class Association and made the very long trip to come to Western Australia for the National and World Championships.

The Western Australian contingent led by Chris Sutherland, Paul Green and John Cassidy, has allegedly been practicing hard in the last couple of months and they should be the early favourites for the Australian Open Title. However, by the end of this week all the 61 competitors will be accustomed to the typical WA wind conditions and the battle should be fierce for the World Title (starting Monday next week).

The favourite for the regatta is last year’s National Champion, Marcus Hamilton, who at 24, has already won a national title as well as a second in the Worlds' in 2004, but he finished an unlucky seventh last year in the light airs. Matt Hosie was first in the Victorian State Championship and Tim Hill was second. As an open regatta, the Italian five times world champion Andrea Bonnezi is also likely to be amongst the leaders. He is using this as preparation for the Worlds’, starting Monday 9 January.

All in all, it promises to be a competitive and interesting series to be enjoyed equally by those trying to win, and by those there for the WA hospitality. Whatever happens, it will be worth following the mixture of experienced Contenders skippers, new young talented sailors, the best hulls and rig set ups from Australia, Europe and the USA, all campaigning on a great sailing track, responsible for producing some of the best sailors in the world.


What: NATIONAL and WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006 - Contenders Class

When: From 4 January to 14 January 2006 (Start time is 2pm everyday)

Where: Fremantle Sailing Club (WA)

Whom: 61 competitors from nine nations (CAN, NZL, DEN, AUS, GER, GBR, ITA, NED, and USA)