2020 NSW International Dragon Class Championship at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron

NSW International Dragon Championships at Metung Yacht Club © Metung Yacht Club

The Metung yacht Imagination owned by Terry Grundy and sailed by Fred Haes, Jeff Rose and Richard Grimes won the International Dragon Class New South Wales Championship. Richard filled in for Damien Daniels after he unfortunately could not attend due to injury, but Damian played a pivotal coaching role.

Second in the Regatta was Richard Franklin in Liquidity with 3rd awarded to Matt Whitnall, both from Sydney.

The proposed six race regatta was sailed on Sydney Harbour and hosted by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. With a hot gusty 12 -18 knot North Westerly wind coming down the Sydney Harbor, racing got under way on the Saturday with Imagination clocking up a score of 1st, 2nd and 1st over the three races sailed. Sunday racing was brought forward to a 9 o'clock start to try and avoid a server Southerly front forecasted for the afternoon.

Racing got under way on time still in the hot North Westerly that had built to 15 to 20 knots and very fluky caused by all the high-rise buildings. Imagination won the first race (race four). By the start of race five the wind was gusting up to 20 knots. On the first spinnaker run of race five gusts up to 35 knots had been recorded by the Race Committee and they abandoned the race. Unfortunately, at about this time a server gust hit Imagination and the mast broke.