Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts AUS SAIL LEADERBOARD

Sharpie National Championship – Blur celebrates win

by Clare Murray on 5 Jan 2012
Sharpies line up at the start line - Sharpie National Championship 2012 Chris Murray
Sharpie National Championship was held by the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Manly. Blur officially celebrated their championship win today after going into the final day of racing with the title already secured.

Racing was tight with hot contention for second place; the honour going to McGees Property followed by One Hump of Two in third.

The final race offered unpredictable conditions with Blur and McGees Property leading the race right until the end.

'The weird change point was at the last gibe mark when we were in 8 knots and the guys behind us were in 15 knots planing straight at us. The whole fleet compressed into the front,' McGees Property’s skipper Bill Cuneo said.

McGees Property had to secure their sport by covering third and fourth placed boats Warpig and One Hump or Two, which allowed Doyle Sails to slip past the fleet and take first place.

'It was good to finish the regatta in a good position instead of 21st,' skipper of Doyle Sails, Johno Wilson said. Wilson and his crew finished the series in tenth place.

'We had an excellent race with the Queensland guys (McGees Property),' Blur skipper Malcolm Higgins said.

'Unfortunately we were the wrong side of a shift up the last beat and we ended up second. We had no pressure on us today so we had an enjoyable day just sailing around. It was an excellent quality fleet with some very good yachtsmen in it so it’s a privilege to compete with them and win.'


Blur’s crew Andrew Chisholm and Sam Sanderson were really happy with the regatta overall. 'We loved it here in Queensland. The conditions just suited us perfectly,' Chisholm said.

'We are very happy with the way things went,' Sanderson said. 'We were well prepared coming into the event and the conditions for us were perfect with a shifty, moderate breeze. That’s our favourite kind of weather and that suited our kind of sailing.'

The crew have just sold Blur and are waiting on the delivery of their next boat in preparation for the next nationals later this year.

Cuneo said the McGees Property‘s crew were happy about their second in the series. 'We’re totally ecstatic for a lot of reasons; for Clarkey being Commodore, for Gus (Angus Galloway) being the Youth Sailor of the Year and for us coming into a class with a boat that’s 13-years-old. There’s a lot of history in that equation and I think that’s a lovely thing for these guys.'

As a representative of RQYS, Clarkey was delighted with the week of racing. 'It was absolutely superb to have 34 Sharpies here at the squadron. We’ve got every state represented which is fantastic. The competition on the water has been incredible, every inch you’ve had to fight for. It’s a great delight to have the Sharpies back on the lawn.'

For race results click Sharpie Association website

Hyde Sails 2022 One Design SALE FOOTERHenri-Lloyd 2022 December - SW FOOTERNavico AUS Zeus3S FOOTER

Related Articles

75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race preview
47 strong fleet set to start the race on Good Friday A fleet of 47 offshore racing yachts will line up to make sailing history when they contest Australia's second oldest blue water yacht race - the Gladstone Ports Corporation 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race (B2G) which sets sail on Good Friday.
Posted on 22 Mar
The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 24
From Point Nemo towards Cape Horn The Ocean Race fleet passed Point Nemo just after 17:30 UTC on Tuesday afternoon, leaving the most remote and isolated place on the ocean in their wake.
Posted on 22 Mar
The best mixed crews at 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofia
The inclusion of two mixed classes will be one of the great new features of Paris 2024 The first qualifying event for the Sailing World Cup 2023 will muster 75 470 Mixed and 55 Nacra 17 crews in the Bay of Palma, the two mixed classes that will compete for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Posted on 22 Mar
11th Hour Racing deploys buoy in Southern Ocean
Deploying these surface drifter buoys makes it possible to collect vital data As Malama was passing through one of the most remote parts of the most remote ocean in the world, the team deployed a surface drifter buoy to contribute towards ocean science.
Posted on 22 Mar
Ensign Yachts Newsletter: Rhea 730 Timonier
Traditional trawler design in a modern-day package In this edition, we showcase the review of the impressive Rhea 730 Timonier by the Boatsales team, recap highlights of our successful 'Ensign Viewing Showcase' at Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
Posted on 22 Mar
Victorian Opti States at Mornington Yacht Club
78 entries were spread across three Optimist fleets Mornington Yacht Club hosted the 2023 Optimist Dinghy Victorian Championships over the Labour Day long weekend.
Posted on 22 Mar
Pallas Capital TP52 Gold Cup preview
Act 1 of the 2023 Pallas Capital TP52 Gold Cup series Act 1 of the 2023 Pallas Capital TP52 Gold Cup series will be hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia this weekend when David Doherty and his Matador team will be back to defend the overall title they won last year.
Posted on 22 Mar
IMA Maxi Europeans grows in quality and quantity
For a second year the event will be part of Tre Golfi Sailing Week Pre-registration for the International Maxi Association's second Maxi European Championship ended on Wednesday with the entry list already exceeding the 25 that participated in 2022.
Posted on 21 Mar
The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 23
Close together, far from home The four IMOCAs charging towards Cape Horn are approaching Point Nemo on Tuesday. Defined as the most isolated, remote place on earth, Point Nemo is a spot in south Pacific Ocean, 2,688 kilometres from the nearest land.
Posted on 21 Mar
2023 Flying Fifteen Worlds at Fremantle day 4
One race held on yet another hot late summer day Just one race today on yet another hot late summer day in Fremantle as the regatta passes the halfway point. The fleet was held ashore for a few hours until a soft sea breeze perked up about midday
Posted on 21 Mar