RS Aero Victoria State Titles at the George Mac Regatta - Royal Brighton YC
by RS Aero International Class Association 28 Mar 2023 14:56 PDT
25-26 March 2023

RS Aero Victoria State Titles at the George Mac Regatta - Royal Brighton YC © Royal Brighton Yacht Club
RS Aero Victorian State Titles was held in conjunction with the George Mac Regatta at Royal Brighton Yacht Club. Racing was held in breeze from 6kts to 22kts and from flat seas to typical Port Phillip big waves.
The regatta saw a great turnout with 32 RS Aeros competing! There was a huge effort from the NSW RS Aero contingent, with 8 keen sailors driving down to compete.
The fleet winners were Robyn Ratcliffe (Georges River SC, NSW) in the RS Aero 5s, Michael O'Brien (Royal Brighton YC) in the RS Aero 6s and Ian Johnson (Mount Martha YC) in the RS Aero 7s. Bronwyn Ridgway (Sandringham YC) took the RS Aero 5 State Title as first VIC boat. Well done to all the medal winners!
Michael O'Brien and Rhett Gowans were racing their RS Aero 6s for the first time, alongside the RS Aero 7 fleet, and enjoyed it.
Michael reported; "In short, I love it. The RS Aero 6 is very light on the helm, so you need to steer accurately. Relative to the RS Aero 7, the RS Aero 6 is much more controllable and easier to sail upwind and down. Downwind in 24kts, it is so manageable. You can push it hard and really have fun on the waves. Instead of struggling for control, I'm in control!
Please thank all the development team for me. They did an awesome job."
Big thanks to the club, volunteers, race committee, sponsors & Sailing Raceboats Pty Ltd for their on-site support.
Next up on the agenda for VIC sailors is Sail Bellarine at Geelong, which follows regattas at Lake Boga and Yarrawonga.
In NSW, there is the Port Stephens 'Intergalactics' in Mid-May with several VIC RS Aeros keen to make the trip up!
Check out the RS Aero Australian event page
RS Aero 5
Rank | Sail | Name | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Total | Net |
1 | 3473 | Robyn Ratcliffe | Georges River SC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 4 | 16 | 12 |
2 | 4001 | Laurie Hoffman | Balmoral SC | 4 | 4 | 3 | (DNC) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 21 |
3 | 3006 | Bronwyn Ridgway | Sandringham YC | 2 | 2 | (DNC) | DNC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 32 | 24 |
4 | 1186 | Grace Becker-Scott | Williamstown SC | 5 | 5 | (DNC) | DNC | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 26 |
5 | 3071 | Mike Lawrence | Williamstown SC | -6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 34 | 28 |
6 | 3592 | Brian Fentiman | Williamstown SC | 3 | 6 | (DNC) | DNC | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 46 | 38 |
7 | 3085 | Diane Vukelic | Georges River SC | (DNS) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 64 | 56 |
RS Aero 6
Rank | Sail | Name | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Total | Net |
1 | 3414 | Michael O'Brien | Royal Brighton YC | -2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 |
2 | 20 | Rhett Gowans | Mornington YC | 1 | 1 | -2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 9 |
3 | 2822 | Pete Ellis | McRae YC | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | -5 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 22 |
4 | 3545 | Darryl Bentley | Georges River SC | 5 | 3 | 3 | (DNC) | 6 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 25 |
5 | 2049 | Sean Carlson | Mount Martha YC | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | -7 | 6 | 34 | 27 |
6 | 3467 | Dave Parry | Mount Martha YC | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | -7 | 39 | 32 |
7 | 2495 | Stuart Facey | Mount Martha YC | 7 | 7 | 7 | (DNC) | 7 | 6 | 3 | 45 | 37 |
RS Aero 7
Rank | Sail | Name | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Total | Net |
1 | 4002 | Ian Johnson | Mount Martha YC | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -8 | 23 | 15 |
2 | 2915 | Ron Fergusson | Albert SC | 2 | 4 | -6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 19 |
3 | 4037 | Gary Ratcliffe | Georges River SC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -11 | 11 | 33 | 22 |
4 | 3546 | Matthew Kiely | SouthGippslandYC | 5 | -8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 33 | 25 |
5 | 3052 | Phillip Malcolm | Balmoral SC | 7 | 5 | 5 | -8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 30 |
6 | 3086 | Richard Shaw | Balmoral SC | 3 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -12 | 9 | 46 | 34 |
7 | 3120 | Paul Ridgway | Sandringham YC | 4 | 3 | (DNF) | DNC | 9 | 1 | 2 | 57 | 38 |
8 | 3589 | Bruce Murphy | Georges River SC | -12 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 56 | 44 |
9 | 3058 | Paul Rogers | Blairgowrie YS | -10 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 56 | 46 |
10 | 2674 | Paul Smart | Blairgowrie YS | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | -12 | 8 | 5 | 63 | 51 |
11 | 3590 | David Ginty | Jervis Bay SC | 13 | 12 | 10 | (DNC) | 14 | 7 | 6 | 81 | 62 |
12 | 3103 | Sam O'Connor | Sandringham YC | 9 | 13 | 7 | (DNC) | 11 | 10 | 13 | 82 | 63 |
13 | 4040 | Simon Pluim | Blairgowrie YS | 8 | 7 | (DNC) | DNC | 10 | 14 | 12 | 89 | 70 |
14 | 2914 | Christian Herr | Black Rock YC | 15 | 14 | 12 | (DNC) | 13 | 13 | 14 | 100 | 81 |
15 | 3092 | ChristianBoardman | Mount Martha YC | 14 | 15 | 13 | (DNC) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 106 | 87 |
16 | 2730 | Marty Meldon | PortMelbourneYC | (DNF) | 16 | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 130 | 111 |
17 | 3415 | David Andrew | Mount Martha YC | 16 | (DNS) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 130 | 111 |
18 | 1074 | Brendan Chaplin | Royal Brighton YC | (RTD) | DNS | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 133 | 114 |