Australian J/70 National and Victorian State Championships at Sandringham Yacht Club

by J/Boats 28 Jan 20:28 PST 14-16 & 19-22 January 2023

J/70 Victorian State Championships and Australian J/70 National Championships © Chris Fury

The J/70 Victorian State Championships and Australian J/70 National Championships were held at Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC), Port Phillip Bay in Victoria throughout January.

Sandringham YC put on an outstanding event; the weather behaved with good clean winds, and the teams enjoyed competitive racing.

Eleven races were held over three days for the Victorian States from January 14th to 16th, it was the "de facto" warm-up for the Nationals. That event was immediately followed by the Australian J/70 National Championship with SIXTEEN races over four days from the 19th to 22nd of January. My God, it sounds exhausting just writing about it!! 27 races over 7 days of sailing!

J/70 Victorian State Championships and Australian J/70 National Championships - photo © Chris Fury

Teams from Sydney and the fleet from Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron traveled to Sandringham for the events, bringing the total fleet to fourteen J/70s.

Tim Ryan's VAMOS held on to win the Australian J/70 Championships in a thrilling climax to the regatta on Port Phillip Bay.

VAMOS, crewed by Rob Greenhalgh, Jess Grimes, and Charlie Gundy, took a seven-point lead over Sam Haynes' CELESTIAL into the final day, while Sandringham Yacht Club local Rod Warren's JOUST70 was in the mix, 10 points behind VAMOS.

J/70 Victorian State Championships and Australian J/70 National Championships - photo © Chris Fury

But, heading into the final race, the National title was still on the line after JOUST70 won three consecutive races to close the gap to VAMOS, which finished third, seventh and fourth in races 13-15.

That meant VAMOS led JOUST70 by two points with two drops factored in, while CELESTIAL remained in third.

CELESTIAL, crewed by David Chapman, Jack Macartney, and Locky Pryor, closed out the regatta with victory in the final race, edging out JOUST70 as VAMOS finished fourth.

With VAMOS and JOUST70 level on 30 points at the end of the weekend, VAMOS was declared champion on countback, with seven wins amongst 11 podium finishes from the 16 races.

Congratulations to all the competitors and Sandringham Yacht Club for hosting two fantastic events.

Overall Results:

Victorian State Championship

Pos	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	Pts
1	1567	VAMOS	Tim Ryan	CYCA	2	1	[6]	2	3	2	4	1	2	1	1	19
2	1635	JUNO	Reg Lord	CYCA	1	4	[9]	1	2	1	1	3	1	3	6	23
3	1319	JOUST70	Rod Warren	SYC	4	6	4	5	[15O]	3	3	2	4	2	2	35
4	7082	SWISH	Steven Proud	RSYS	3	2	11	4	4	[15R]	5	4	3	9	8	53
5	1625	JABIRU	Karyn Gojnich	RSYS	5	5	2	3	8	8	6	5	7	[11]	7	56
6	1305	MADNESS	Adam Keyes‑Tilley	SYC	[8]	7	3	7	5	5	8	7	5	6	3	56
7	7	CELESTIAL	Sam Haynes	CYCA	6	3	1	[15C]	1	6	2	8	15C	5	15O	62
8	1482	SKYHOOK	Ethan Obrien	SYC/BYS	7	8	8	6	7	7	7	[9]	6	4	5	65
9	1129	JABBERWOCKY	Andrew Tompson	MHYC	10	9	5	9	6	4	9	6	9	10	[11]	77
10	7055	YKNOT	Stephen Brady	DSC	9	[10]	7	8	9	9	10	10	8	7	4	81
11	196	SPIKE	Daisy Laing	BYS	11	12	10	10	11	10	11	11	10	[14]	13	109
12	1636	SEQUEL	Anthony Landgren	SYC&BYS	12	11	12	11	10	11	12	[15C]	15C	8	10	112
13	1624	JUMPIN JACK FLASH	Martin Kudnig	BYS	14	14	14	13	12	12	[15R]	15C	15C	13	9	131
14	1130	THE JACKAL	Fraser Welch	SM	13	13	13	12	13	13	[15C]	15C	15C	12	12	131

Australian Championship

Pos	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	R15	R16	Pts
1	1567	VAMOS	Tim Ryan	CYCA	[6]	1	1	1	4	1	2	1	3	1	1	3	3	[7]	4	4	30
2	1319	JOUST70	Rod Warren	SYC	1	2	2	2	2	[4]	[6]	3	2	3	4	4	1	1	1	2	30
3	7	CELESTIAL	Sam Haynes	CYCA	2	4	[5]	3	1	3	1	2	1	[5]	2	2	4	4	5	1	35
4	1635	JUNO	Reg Lord	CYCA	3	5	4	4	6	2	3	6	[7]	6	7	1	[9]	3	6	3	59
5	7082	SWISH	Steven Proud	RSYS	5	3	3	5	3	8	4	4	[9]	7	3	6	8	[11]	2	6	67
6	1129	JABBERWOCKY	Andrew Tompson	MHYC	7	9	6	6	5	7	5	[10]	8	2	8	5	2	[10]	3	5	78
7	1305	MADNESS	Brendan Lee	SYC	4	7	9	[10]	[10]	6	8	7	4	4	6	8	6	6	9	8	92
8	1625	JABIRU	Karyn Gojnich	RSYS	[10]	6	7	8	7	5	7	8	5	[10]	9	7	5	9	7	7	97
9	1482	SKYHOOK	Ethan Obrien	BYS	8	10	8	9	8	9	10	5	6	9	5	10	7	[12]	[15R]	12	116
10	7055	YKNOT	Stephen Brady	DSC	9	8	10	7	9	[12]	9	11	10	[12]	10	11	11	8	8	11	132
11	1130	THE JACKAL	Fraser Welch	SM	[14]	13	[14]	14	13	14	12	13	12	13A	11	9	10	5	10	9	158
12	196	SPIKE	Daisy Laing	BYS	12	11	11	12	11	10	11	9	11	13	[14]	13	[14]	14	11	13	162
13	1624	JUMPIN JACK FLASH	Martin Kudnig	BYS	13	[14]	13	13	12	11	13	12	[14]	14	13	12	12	2	13	14	167
14	1636	SEQUEL	Anthony Landgren	SYC&BYS	11	12	12	11	[14]	13	[14]	14	13	11	12	14	13	13	12	10	171