Alegria leads Audi Trophy Series

by Ian Grant on 16 May 2007 Team Noosa sailing coach Kai Timm will continue to gain valuable experience to pass on to his sail-training students when he contests the final races of the Audi Australian Offshore championship with the Rod Jones skippered Mooloolaba sloop Alegria.

The Archambault A35 Alegria currently leads the Audi Trophy series following her outstanding regatta wins in the Skandia Geelong Race Week in late January followed by an equally impressive result in the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta hosted by the Middle Harbour Yacht Club in March.

Alegria racing under the helming skills of Mooloolaba’s Rod Jones and a very talented crew of Sunshine Coast sailors including sailing master/ tactician Kai Timm has upstaged a number of Australia’s high profile offshore racing crews to deserve her overall lead in the National championship which will be decided during the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in late August.

Meanwhile the Alegria sailing team will continue to refine their proven race strategy and sail handling skills during the 2007 XXXX Gold Cup series over the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron courses in June before heading to Sydney to prepare for the first of the mid-winter circuit races the Sydney to Gold Coast coastal classic in July.

They will be under some pressure when Alegria races in her maiden coastal passage race however the Sunshine Coast crew will be well prepared to protect their lead in the Australian championship before they line up for the title deciding finals raced in conjunction with the International Audi Race Week at Hamilton Island starting on August 18.

The heavy workload will continue with the Alegria racing team determined to win the series for Queensland and further promote their business interest in building a world standard of one-design yacht racing off the Sunshine Coast.

Skipper Rod Jones and tactician Kai Timm have formed a company which promises to deliver an exciting one-design sports-boat into Australian class racing.

Their Sunshine Coast Company Oceanburo have secured the Queensland agency for the exciting Archambault range of French built yachts and the equally exciting Tony Castro designed SB3 6metre sports yacht.

The super fast and exciting SB3 completed an impressive regatta debut during the 2006 International Cowes Week regatta in England where the 89 yacht fleet became the focal point with their exciting spectacle of close racing.

'Oceanburo have placed an order for 10 SB3’s which are currently being shipped to Australia'.

'We are excited about their potential which promises to offer the complete package of one-design racing at the highest level.' Jones said.

The SB3 has the race proven potential to inject an exciting challenge into one-design fleet and match racing on the ideal offshore courses off Mooloolaba.

'It is our plan to offer professional regatta management, plus performance coaching and a series of match racing regattas'. Jones said.

Both Jones and Timm have made a positive plan with the introduction of the SB3 which promises to capitalize on the international reputation that has established Mooloolaba as a world class yachting venue following the successful Olympic Tornado catamaran and Etchells World championships.