Sydney sailor conjures gold from crystals

by Cliff Bromiley on 29 Apr 2008
Dave Padden, a sailor with Dobroyd Aquatic Club sailed superbly to pick up gold at the NSW 2008 Radio Controlled (RC) Laser state championship held at Rodd Point on April 19th and 20th.

Padden sailed consistently well crossing the line in first or second position in twenty-two of the thirty-three races.

Club-mate Paul Derwent improved on his third position in each of the past two championships to pick up the silver medal while Larry Reedman, from the Sydney Maritime Modellers Club and second in 2006, sailed well in the variable conditions to take out the bronze.

A notable performance was that of Paul Martin from the Blue Mountains, a relative newcomer to the sport who held his concentration throughout the two days to finish fourth position.

Winston Hills sailor Graham Brown, the novice of the field with only a few hours ‘hands-on’ experience in the class sailed with the skill of an old professional and capped off a remarkable tournament with second in the last race to end up seventh overall.

Derwent, president of the host club commented, 'The best thing about this championship was the spirit in which everyone raced. We were all trying to win each race but never at the expense of fun and fair play. This is a hallmark of RC Laser sailing and a credit to Owen Jarvis, the Principal Race Officer and all of the competitors.'

The weather had looked foreboding in the run up to the weekend but in the end turned on near perfect conditions giving competitors the opportunity to try out all three rigs. 'The winds were terrific and tested us throughout the two days', remarked Padden. 'On Sunday afternoon we were sailing with the large sails in light flukey winds. Tactics became important – in my case helped by local knowledge – particularly being able to pick wind shifts and where to sail on the course'.

The next championship event is the Victorian states to be held at Aspendale Gardens in Melbourne on the last weekend of May. The local contingent are already talking about a trip south to try and lift the trophy to return the Victorian’s feat of two years ago.

The RC Laser is one of the most popular professional level radio controlled yachts in the world. A quarter scale model of the iconic Laser dinghy, it was designed by renowned yacht designer Bruce Kirby and is sailed all around the world. According to Derwent, the advantages of the RC Laser are its one-class design, its rugged construction and superior sailing performance. 'Another thing I love about the RC Laser', says Derwent, 'is that to travel to interstate regattas, we simply check the bag onto the plane just as we would a suitcase. It is that easy'.

Radio controlled sailing is a rapidly growing sport in Australia appealing to enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. The boats are entirely wind-powered and the skills involved are essentially the same as sailing a full-size dinghy – ability to tune the boat, manoeuvre for position at the start-line, pick wind shifts, trim for boat speed and round buoys are all essential skills for the front-runners. Although there is a lot of skill involved at the top level, an attraction of the sport is that novices are able to quickly master the basic skills. Even championship events like this one attract and welcome sailors of all levels.