Super 30s set for big season with ‘The Amateurs’

by Peter Campbell on 22 Aug 2006 Sydney Amateur Sailing Club’s expanding Super 30 Division looks set for another summer season of highly competitive and, usually, spectacular racing on the Harbour.

The Super 30s enjoyed a highly success first season last summer with the Amateurs, attracting 18 boats racing weekly and increasing to around 24 boats every second week when the short series boats joined the fleet.

The Super 30 division is open to mono hulled, self-righting yachts to 9.75m (32ft) that conform generally to the Super 30 criteria of being light displacement, high performance.

Owners of smaller boats in this category have also expressed interest in racing with the Amateurs and the Club has indicated that it could establish a sub-class of sports boats if sufficient boats are entered.

The SASC, located on the shores of Mosman Bay on the northern side of Sydney Harbour, could well become the focal point of high performance sports boats and sports yacht racing on Sydney Harbour.

The Club’s 2006-2007 summer pointscore racing starts on Saturday, 16 September and will comprise 20 races in the long series (racing every Saturday) and 12 races in the short series (every second Saturday).

Guy Irwin, Chairman of Racing, has announced that a mini regatta, consisting of three to four short windward/leeward races, has been programmed for Sunday, 29 October, using a similar format to the Audi Sydney Regatta.

He has confirmed that any boat entered in the SASC fleet will be automatically entered in the Audi Sydney Regatta (Saturday/Sunday, 3-4 March 2007). He expects the Super 30s to again have their own division.

The Super 30 fleet produced some spectacular racing last summer, with the highlight being the final race of the season in very wild conditions on Sydney Harbour when the only other boats out racing were the starters in the CYCA’s Sydney Gold Coast Race.

Chris Sligar in Tasty turned on several extraordinary runs under asymmetric spinnaker and won the race easily, confirming his position as scratch winner for the series. He loaded Tasty with nine crew, enabling the boat to carry maximum sail area in the extreme conditions.

In addition to the Super 30 Division, the Amateurs’ Saturday division will comprise Division 1, open to yachts over 9.5m (12 race series); Division 2, open to yachts to 9.5m (Long series, 21 races; Short Series 12 races); Cavalier 28 Division (Norm Brown Short Series 11 races); Classic Boat Division (For Classic and Gaff-Rigged boats (21 race series); OK Dinghies, open to mono-hull dinghies (19 race series).

The Opening Day Regatta for all divisions will be held on Saturday, 2 September, followed by the Lion Island ocean race on Saturday, 9 September, with the first Harbour pointscore racing on Saturday, 16 September.

The SASC Race Program for 2006-2007 is now available, with further information on the website – www.sasc.com.au or from Racing Secretary Maggie Stewart on 02 9953 6597.