Hot competition tipped in the 2023 Banjo's Shoreline Crown Series Bellerive Regatta
by Jane Austin 23 Feb 2023 16:29 PST
24-26 February 2023
Hot competition is expected across the Keelboat Racing Group in the Banjo's Shoreline Crown Series Bellerive Regatta © Jane Austin
Heat wave conditions are forecast for this weekend's Banjo's Shoreline Crown Series Bellerive Regatta, hosted by the Bellerive Yacht Club, with the on-water competition expected to be just as hot as the weather.
The Off-the-Beach (OTB) category will see some of Tasmania's top young sailors compete across the International Cadet (IC) Class, the International Class Laser Association 4 (ICLA4), and the International Optimist Class. Expect top class performances from IC sailor Luca Groves (SeaYa) who finished third (with Adela Thomas) in the 2022 International Cadet World Championship in Victoria and rising star, Tom Fader (Good Question), who recently sailed his ICLA 4 to fifth place in the 2023 Oceania and Australian National Championship in Sydney in January.
Oli Burnell, Hugo Allison and Richard Steedman will be testing their sailing skills on the exciting Australian-designed single-handed hydrofoiling WASZPs, which will add some thrills and spills to the regatta. The modern yet affordable WASZP was launched in 2016 and is one of the fastest growing sailing boats for young sailors and adults alike.
And while the Crown Series certainly attracts exotic craft, the entry list is dominated by club stalwarts who have a deep connection to Bellerive Yacht Club and the Banjos Shoreline Crown Series Bellerive Regatta. These include David Paine with his Cape North 43, The Goo, which takes pride in introducing new crew to sailing, Don Bailey's Duncanson 29, Sundance, and David Burdon's 31-foot Carmen, Cherry Cheer.
The regatta program includes the SB20 Tasmanian Championship with eight of the nation's top SB20 skippers on the water in what will be a hard-fought affair. The fleet sees the return of Paul McCartney who will skipper Export Roo alongside David Chapman, driver and strategist from the 2022 Sydney to Hobart handicap winner, Celestial. But the current SB20 Youth World Champions Ares Racing, skippered by match-racing expert and 2023 Hardy Cup winner, Will Sargent, will be ready to defend their title.
The regatta program begins with a twilight race starting at 5:30pm on Friday evening for all keelboat classes except for the SB20 and Dragon classes. On Saturday and Sunday, the first warning signal for keelboats is at 11am, while the OTB racing starts at 1pm both days.
The regatta features a strong entertainment line-up across the weekend.