2009 Nick Scali Furniture Sprint Championships preview

by David Price on 16 Sep 2009
In just a little under a fortnight away, the 2009 Nick Scali Furniture Sprint Championships hosted by the Hunters Hill Sailing Club on Sydney harbour’s Parramatta River presents many of this year’s Sydney youth crews returning from their winter pastimes to crack the ice for the 2009 – 2010 sailing season.

Saturday 26th September presents for the third time running the 2009 Nick Scali Furniture Sprint Championships for Sabot 1 and 2 Ups, Manly Juniors, Flying Elevens, Cherubs, 29ers and 13fters, arguably Sydney's seven finest and established Junior and Youth sailing classes.

It has become the perfect season starter to dust off the cobwebs, work in the new crews, and meet up with all the friends and sailors from last season. There will again be three divisions consisting of Div 1 - Sabots 1 and 2UP with the Manly Juniors, Div 2 - the Flying Elevens which also incorporates their annual NSW Flying Eleven Sprint Championships, and Div 3 consisting of the Cherubs, 29ers and the 13ft classes, all coupled together over the intended eight sprint formatted races.

With a total of a maximum of twenty four adrenalin filled races over three courses, it is a fast and furious spectacle for both the young crews and the sailing officials alike. Fortunately, this ever evolving sprints event is governed by the immeasurably experienced PRO Col Chidgey who has become a master at the task of managing the sixty odd racing dinghies and skiffs playing hard-ball with each other over the day.

The race documentation is all available via the 2009 Nick Scali Furniture Sprint Championships events links on the YNSW website and the Flying Eleven’s website, including an Online Entry and payment system, and beach entries will be accepted up to the day of racing - note there is a late fee of $10 per sailor for entries made after 5pm on the 20th September up to the morning of Saturday 26th September.

Where else can our finest up and coming sailors get such an opportunity to jump straight in to the deep end of the season ahead with up to eight races on beautiful Sydney harbour - what a spectacle and one not to be missed!