Nick Rogers, Rowan Clark win Tasmanian State yachting titles

by Peter Campbell on 1 Mar 2009
Prince Philip Cup and Sayonara Cup winner Nick Rogers, steering Karabos IX, has clinched the 2009 International Dragon class Tasmanian championship with his sixth straight win on the River Derwent over the weekend.

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania was forced to abandon today’s seventh race for the Dragons and the International J24s after the breeze swung from a 15-18 knot sou’wester this morning to a 10-12 knots northerly that faded to a drifter soon after the race began.

In Sydney in January, Rogers won the Prince Philip Cup Dragon Australasian championship for an unprecedented tenth time. He is also a former world champion in the classic one-design class.

He finished the Tasmanian title with a score of 5 points from Jock Young, skippering Aquila, with 11 points, third place going to Wayne Waggs, sailing Mystere, with 14 points.

In the J24 State championship, Gridlock (Rowan Clark) scored his fourth win out of six races to finish on 10 points, with Devine Madness (Craig Squires) second 10 points and Kaos (Kaye Roberts) third on 12 points.

In the RYCT’s annual Green Island Race on Saturday, three of the last four yachts to finish the 40 nautical mile race down to d’Entrecasteaux Channel and return filled the top placings on handicap.

Moonshadow, Anthony Ellis’ cruiser/racer, crossed the line shortly after 6pm yesterday, 11th in the fleet, but took first place on corrected time from last finisher Ariadne’s Clew (Derek Stoneman) which crossed the Castray Esplanade finish line only 1 minutes and 12 seconds inside the time limit of 6.30pm.

Third overall went to Miss Conduct (Robin Fleming) which crossed the line second last in the fleet of 14.

Line honours winner Helsal III, skippered by Rob Fisher finished the distance race some two hours ahead of the tailenders but had to be content with 10th place on handicap.