A Sparring partner for Australian Canoes

by Media Services on 4 Apr 2006 CST Composites have teamed up with the International Canoe Association of Australia to sponsor the XVIIIth Australian IC Championships to be held at McCrae Yacht Club this Easter.

'It’s an exciting time for International Canoes in Australia, and worldwide', comments ICAA President Christian Knott. 'We are hosting the World Championships at McCrae in 2008, we have a major sponsor in CST supporting our domestic Championship and there is a serious drive within the IC body to continue hull development. It’s a great time to get into the class.'

In the early 1970’s the International Canoe hull rules were frozen, with the Nethercott becoming the standard shape. This successful hull design has allowed the IC’s to be one of the fastest single-handed monohulls on the water for the last 30 years. However at the 2005 World Championships questions were raised over the opening up of the hull rules and Steve Clark in the true IC spirit set about building a boat to the prototype rules- ‘Wonk’.

Wonk hit the water for the first time recently at the Sarasota One Design Midwinter Regatta. Nearly 300mm narrower, and 30kg lighter than the current IC the Wonk showed plenty of promise and has many sailors and builders sitting on the edge of their err ‘planks’ in anticipation of the Class Committees decision. Though it should be noted that the Wonk only managed to place third in the Regatta, with conventional IC’s taking first and second proving that they’re still an awesome boat.

Feel free to come along to McCrae Yacht Club this Easter and see the IC’s racing and talk to the sailors, and maybe even take one for a test pilot. We’d love to see you there, and in a Canoe for 2008.

For more information on International Canoes please visit our website at www.internationalcanoe.yachting.org.au or email the class at internationalcanoe@hotmail.com.

For more information and pictures of IC’s built to the new rules checkout www.intcanoe.us.