Optimist Nationals 2011 win to WA’s Chris Charlwood ‘C Dog’

by Damian Devine on 17 Jan 2011 2011 Optimist Nationals 2011 Final Day Report - Sunday 16 January

14 year old West Australian Chris Charlwood has been crowned the 2011 Optimist National Open fleet Champion with a victory in the final race to claim a narrow one point victory over defending champion Nia Jerwood after another frustrating and fickle day on Pittwater that saw just one race completed in the Open fleet.

Going into the final day with eight races already completed, Jerwood led by three points but with Charlwood scoring a bullet in his flight and Jerwood managing a fifth in the opposite flight of Race 9, Charlwood leap-frogged Jerwood on the leader board to claim the win in the 2011 International Optimist Australian Championships, hosted by the RPAYC.
This was Charlwood’s third Optimist Nationals and was naturally elated with the victory, 'Yeah, really happy, stoked!. I am just thrilled to get the opportunity to go to the Worlds later this year, that was my goal but to win the Nationals, it’s just awesome. That was a tough race out there today and I just tried to play the shifts, I got lucky I guess. But I’ve enjoyed sailing on Pittwater, I’ve learnt a lot this week.' Charlwood represents the Royal Perth and Fremantle sailing clubs.

Klaus Lorenz from the Whitsunday Sailing Club in Queensland took the final podium spot on a countback from James McLennan ‘Slam’ Sandringham YC in Victoria after Lorenz took four bullets over the regatta. They both finished on 30 points. The highest placed sailor from NSW was Xavier Winston Smith, an RPAYC junior who finished in ninth spot.
The first and only race of the day got away shortly after 1100hrs in a dead Northerly before shifting left. The first flight of the yellow and pink groups had a general recall and the Z flag was flown. Leonard Takahashi from NZ won the start clearly at the pin end of the line playing the shifts, going left then right, then up the middle on the first beat to round the top mark in front. The wind then shifted and then died out with the thoughts of blowing the race going through the mind of the PRO, but to his credit he hung in there and managed to get most of the fleet finished. The New Zealander opted for a lane on the right hand side of the course on the run to the finish to hang in there to take the win in a very close finish over ‘Tyrone Gowans Tyrone’s Tub’ in second with Patrick Dean ‘Hornet’ in third.

In the opposing flight, it was victory to Chris Charlwood from Carolina Townsend ‘Miss Mercury’ and Andrew Fowlie ‘Be Warned’ in third.

Then Pittwater was becalmed with clouds hugging the land. The breeze, whilst trying hard to break through, failed to get to the big pond course with any consistency with a North Wester fighting off the South Easter, which at times got 4-5 knots before retreating quickly. ‘Typical Pittwater,' was the cry from one spectator as the unusual conditions for this time of year won the day.

With the hope of another four races to be completed today, PRO Ted Anderson and his Race Officers should be congratulated for their efforts over the regatta but particularly today, trying desperately to get another race away in breeze that fluctuated and floundered from 0 to 6 knots and doing a full pirouette on Pittwater before the AP over A flag was declared at 3:35pm, effectively declaring the championship to a close and a loud cheer from the competitors and spectator fleet on the water.

It was a complete contrast for the Green fleet, who managed to get their final four races in today sailing in the small pond to the south of Scotland Island. There was a slight delay between Races One and Two when the wind shifted but that was the only hiccup. They managed to conjure their own private breeze, a light, yet consistent South Easterly of around 5-6 knots down the bay. Race Office Pru Bennett said, 'They all sailed really well today. It was like watching a different fleet from the one that started on Tuesday. The improvement was amazing.'

Today’s racing saw four different winners with Lachlan Dare ‘Flirt’ taking out the first race, tiny Maximilan

Parker ‘Chicken Dinner’ from the Wollahra Sailing Club, the second, Finn Hartnett ‘Coyote’ the third and Annabel Short ‘ I Gotta Lambada’ from the Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club in SA, the fourth race. For Annabel and and Maximillian it was huge thrill for them to get their first Opti National regatta victories.

With the second drop coming into play today with the 12 races completed, the final results for the Green Fleet saw two Victorians take the honours with Lachlan Dare ‘Flirt’ from the Sandringham YC in Victoria (29 net points) win comfortably by 14 points over fellow club mate Finn Hartnett ‘Coyote’. Fremantle SC’s Callum Green ‘Voracious’ finished in third on 57 points

Margot Mason ‘The Pod’ from Avalon SC, was the highest placed female and New South Welshman who finished in sixth position.

Final results were:

Open and Australian Champions
1. Chris Charlwood ‘C Dog’ – RPYC/FSC (WA)
2. Nia Jerwood ‘ Bucca Nia’– RPYC/FSC (WA)
3. Klaus Lorenz ‘No Name’– WSC (QLD)

Green Fleet Champions:
1. Lachlan Dare ‘Flirt’ –SYC/ SSCBC (Vic)
2. Finn Hartnett ‘Coyote’ - SYC/ SSCBC
3.Callum Green ‘Voracious’ – FSC (WA)

Congratulations to everyone who participated in this event and a big thank you to the RPAYC, the army of volunteers, the sponsors and the staff who made this event a reality.

With the largest Optimist regatta ever hosted in Australia coming to a conclusion, tonight there is an awards dinner and closing ceremony for 450 people at the host Club, The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, where the winners will receive their prizes and everyone will celebrate this great event.

The 22 person squad for the Australian Optimist Sailing Team will also be announced with the top five heading to the Opti Worlds in Napier, NZ later in the year.

For all the action on the regatta visit http://www.rpayc.com.au/2011-optimist-nationals
Complete day’s and series results can be viewed online at http://www.rpayc.com.au/opti-results

The RPAYC and the Organising Committee wish to thanks their sponsors Quantum Sails, Proactive signs and images, Zhik, Oz Opti and Rob Brewer.