Showdown 2010 on the Derwent - big fleet expected

by Peter Campbell on 15 Jul 2010 The Showdown 2010 on the Derwent .

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania is expecting huge fleets of off-the-beach dinghy and multihull classes and keelboats to contest The Showdown 2010 regatta.

The Club has again chosen the weekend of 29-31 October for The Showdown as this is a long weekend in Northern Tasmania, making it attractive for sports boats, trailerable yachts and dinghy and off-the-beach catamaran owners and crews to travel south for the regatta.

As an indication of their support, the Tamar Yacht Club and Port Dalrymple Yacht are not scheduling any club races on the River Tamar over the long weekend.

The Showdown 2010 has been perfectly timed for those classes gearing up towards Australian championships over the summer, including the Sabot nationals to be sailed at Wynyard on the North-West Coast.

Dinghy entries are expected from clubs throughout Tasmania, with up to 50 Sabots using the regatta as part of their State selection series for the nationals.

A major increase is expected in the keelboats, with owners of Farr 40 and Division yachts, along with International Dragon and J24 classes, already indicating their support. Yachts from all major clubs racing on the Derwent are expected to compete.

The Sports Boat Association has agreed to include The Showdown in the State circuit programme, which should see between 20 and 30 sports boats and trailerable yachts taking part. Among the sports boats will be several of new International SB3s which are already racing on the River Derwent.

Based at the RYCT’s clubhouse at Sandy Bay in Hobart, The Showdown 2010 will be a three day regatta, starting with a twilight race for keelboats on the evening of Friday, 29 October.

One-design yachts, sports boats and the off-the-beach dinghies and multihulls will join the keelboats in racing on Saturday, 30 October and Sunday, 31 October.

RYCT Vice Commodore Murray Jones has written to all clubs in Tasmania and expects strong entries of Sabots, Optimists, 420s, Lasers, Mirrors, Herons, Flying 11s, 29ers, B14sm Sabres, Moths and 2.4s, as well as off-the-beach catamarans. Three races are planned on both Saturday and Sunday.

Keelboat classes will include Divisions 1,2 and 3, Farr 40s, the 9m class, sports boats, multihulls and trailerable yachts, with one Friday evening twilight race followed by three centre river races on Saturday and two on Sunday.

A huge programme of onshore entertainment is being planned at the RYCT on each evening of The Showdown, as well as family activities during the day in the Club grounds.

Hartz Mineral Waters and Tasmanian Bakeries have already come aboard as major sponsors, long with a range of supporting sponsors.

Further information on The Showdown 2010 from RYCT Sailing Manager Richard Scarr on (03) 6223 4599 or email: sailing(at)ryct.org.au or from The Showdown website: http://theshowdown.com.au/