Graham Brown wins Inaugural Australian RC Laser Championship

by Cliff Bromiley on 22 Aug 2009
The inaugural RC (Radio Controlled) Laser Australian National Sailing Championship was held on the waters of Iron Cove, Sydney Harbour over the weekend of 15th/16th August.

Organisers from the host club, Dobroyd RC Lasers, could not have hoped for better weather on this milestone occasion with Sydney turning on two brilliant winter days of summer weather that had competitors discarding the woollens and grabbing for the sunscreen.

The event attracted competitors from across the nation including strong teams from Melbourne, Perth and the Sunshine Coast. The strong field included previous winners of NSW, Queensland and Victorian championships and two competitors recently returned from the UK Nationals.

To add variety and keep clear of a dragon boat event, the regatta was held at Dobroyd Aquatic Club on Saturday and across the water at Leichhardt Rowing Club on Sunday.

Local sailor Graham Brown, a member of Dobroyd RC Lasers, emerged as the title winner with an exceptional display of technical and tactical skill. Second at the end of the first day, Brown’s consistency was such that he sailed under the radar throughout most of the weekend - not often at but never far from the front of the fleet while more fancied competitors found themselves oscillating between the A and B fleets.

Brown commented after the trophy ceremony, 'This was an outstanding series and I’d like to thank all competitors for the terrific spirit and skill shown throughout the two days. Having sailed all my life in a variety of dinghy classes, the RC Laser has added a new chapter to my sailing story. This sport provides outstanding opportunities for competition and friendship.'

The NSW team celebrated a clean sweep with Paul Derwent, also from Dobroyd taking the silver and Pat O’Brien from the Drummoyne Sailing Club the bronze. Fourth placed Daniel Weizman from the Kogarah Bay Radio Yacht Club faltered on the last few races with electronic problems after looking certain to be packing one of the major trophies into his kit bag. The Sunshine Coast’s Nigel Price was the first placed visitor, finishing fifth overall and left determined to improve on this position at next year’s event.

There were many other notable performances including from Dave Pruden sailing under the flag of Perth’s Wanderers club. Pruden, a relative newcomer to the sport finished eighth overall in his first major regatta. 'I was very pleased with this performance', Pruden said 'I had some first places and with work on my consistency I know I can do even better next time.' Rodney Popham, another well-placed competitor from Perth was excited about the future of this fast-growing sport. 'The weekend was well worth the trip from Western Australia - a sensational event - great competition, great company, and great organisation. This was a really memorable weekend. Graham's consistency was the winner in variable conditions and very tough and close competition for the two days.'

Another recent convert to the thrills of RC Laser sailing, John Lamey from Penrith’s Sydney A Radio Yachting Club won the Principal Race Officer’s award for best and fairest competitor.

Throughout the two days, the winds were predominantly in the A sail three-six knot range, peaking at about twice that on Sunday afternoon giving the B sails an outing. A nor'west buster predicted for Sunday never made it across the Blue Mountains.

The event ran like clock-work under the expert control of Allan Bicknell (PRO), Matt O'Donnell (Boatman), Jill Rowe (Scorer) and Doug Burnside and Phil Page (Race Observers).

The next championship events are the West Australian state title on the weekend of 19th/20th September and the Tasmanian championship on 11th October.

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 joining Dobroyd RC Lasers, contact Paul Derwent http://www.radiosail.com.au