Dobroyd Sailor Wins NSW 2009 Radio Controlled (RC) Laser state title

by Cliff Bromiley on 2 Jun 2009 Paul Derwent, a sailor with Dobroyd Aquatic Club sailed skilfully to pick up gold at the NSW 2009 Radio Controlled (RC) Laser state championship held at Rodd Point, Sydney on Sunday May 31st.

Derwent sailed consistently well throughout the day using all of his local knowledge to gain advantage over a strong contingent including an experienced team from Melbourne.

The title-holder, Dave Padden, also a member of the Dobroyd Aquatic Club showed his class on numerous occasions during the day but lacked consistently and had to settle for sixth position this year.

The group from Melbourne, including father and son Peter and Brendan Lee, from the highly competitive Waterways club in Melbourne’s southeast, were sailing RC Lasers on Sydney harbour for the first time and applied constant pressure at the head of the fleet. At the final count, the silver medal went to Scott Fleming and the bronze to Simon Dubbin, both from Waterways.

Derwent said after coming off the water, 'The competition today has been outstanding which makes the win particularly pleasing. This is the fourth NSW title we’ve had since the RC Laser was introduced to Australia and after picking up third placing in each of the first two events, I was hoping to improve on my second place at last years event.'

There were many notable performances including John Lamey from Penrith who managed seventh position despite having his first outing with a RC Laser barely two months ago.

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 the sailors and to the Principal Race Officer, Pat O’Donnell.'

The weather had looked foreboding with heavy rain overnight but in the end turned on conditions that were very good although frequently challenging due to the wind strength and direction changing regularly throughout the day. 'The winds were certainly challenging', remarked Derwent. 'Some races were largely won on sail selection and local knowledge was undoubtedly an advantage – particularly in helping 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 Sunday 28th June. The local contingent are already talking about a trip south to try and lift the trophy .

This year marks a significant milestone for radio controlled sailing in Australia with the inaugural Australian national championship to be held over the weekend of 15th/16th August. This event is also being hosted by the Dobroyd Aquatic Club and already registrations have been received from Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia as well as new South Wales.

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Dave Padden (99), last year’s champion and sixth this year couldn’t get a break on Paul Derwent (21) who was runner up last year and champion this year - 2009 RC Laser NSW State Championship

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.

For information about RC Lasers, visit www.radiosail.com.au