ASBA News

Speed and spray on Pioneer Bay

Mon, 24 May 2010 10:56:30 +1000

From Sail-World.com and Ian Grant

Brisbane Sports Boat skipper Bruce Tardrew has a high hope of being on the pace when he contests the 2010 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week in the warm Whitsunday Islands.

The ten race series considered by many sailors as the unofficial Australian Championship has again attracted the nation’s best including the defending champion Cam Rae helming the Royal Geelong Yacht Club Thompson 8m Laminar Capital.

Skipper Cam Rae was among the first nominations accepted by regatta Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson for what promises to be another exciting series to open the annual Whitsunday Island Festival of Sail with the battle for the highly competitive Meridien Marinas class championships set down for August 12-19.

The Victorian champion who expertly steered Laminar Capital to six wins in the ten race series in 2009 is understandably the pre regatta favourite ahead of West Australian Heath Townsend in the Melges 24 What Tha.
Townsend winner of the regatta Silver Medal in 2009 is again expected to be a formidable challenger along with the consistently sailed Lake Macquarie Yacht Club’s Bob Cowan skippered Stealthy while Bruce Tardrew disappointed with his six overall in 2009 with his Alan Carwardine designed Stealth 8m No Limits has a plan in place to be on the pace later this year.

Tardrew who keeps his tactical and steering skills in shape with racing on the International Hobie 16 catamaran circuit was well in the mix for a medal after the opening five races last year when Townsville skipper Leon Thomas in Guilty Pleasures progressively led the series by one point from Cam Rae while Heath Townsend held third by one point clear of the Bruce Tardrew skippered No Limits.

Bruce Tardrew has the long term sailing experience to improve on his below par sixth in 2009.

Besides representing the Royal Papua Yacht Club in the 1983 Admirals Cup he also steered Di Hard to a memorable light wind victory in 1983 Brisbane to Gladstone Race over the Sir James Hardy skippered Police Car and ‘Sir Robbo’ Bob Robertson’s Hot Prospect 11.

As expected the memories and the trophies from those long ago results have gathered dust leaving the champion of the past with the challenge to do some repairs to his respected racing reputation when the ultra modern fleet of fast lane sailing sports boats duel for the honour of winning the 2010 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week title on Pioneer Bay in mid-August.

Based on their 2009 results Cam Rae (Laminar Capital) and Heath Townsend (What Tha) will be the pace setters while the almost identical Stealthy and No Limits face the need to improve on their all angle sailing speed to hold a chance of finishing as a medallist when the important championship final is decided on August 19 2010.

Online entries now at www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au

VIC States

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:22:56 +1100

The NOR for the Victorian ASBA States has just been posted. The hosts for the weekend will be Brighton Yacht Club at the top end of Port Phillip Bay. Racing will be over the weekend of Feb 13 and 14 with a measurement day on Friday 12 Feb at Royal Brighton.

Vic member Chris Bland has done a great job pulling the weekend together. Chris suggests that interstaters coming to Geelong Week should consider the generous offer of Brighton of boat storage. “The VIC ASBA states are only a couple of weeks after Geelong, so why not make the most of it, leave your boat at Brighton and get another great weekend of racing in!”

The NOR can be downloaded from RBYC here

Queensland ASBA States

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:33:33 +1100

The Australian Sports Boat Association (ASBA) in conjunction its major sponsor Meridien Marinas is holding the inaugural ASBA Qld State Sports Boat titles at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) on the weekend of the 5-6 December 2009.

It’s been three years since the ASBA was formed and the Sports Boat Measurement System (SMS) was first introduced nationally. Around the country there is now over 85 SMS’d boats racing under the ASBA banner and over 30 of these are based in Queensland. The SMS system is the first ever measured handicap system for trailerable boats and is generating huge interest and most importantly close results in a fleet of boats that varies in size from 6 to 8.5 metres.

A fleet of close to 30 boats is expected to line up for the 5 race series. The winner of the 2009 ASBA National Titles in Geelong, Heath Walters from Sydney, is making the trip to Qld along with the 5 time National Champion Chris Williams, also from Sydney, to give the event a State of Origin edge.

The winning crew from the 2009 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week, have also chartered a local boat and will fly in for the regatta from Geelong. Skipper, Cam Rae and his crew, are aiming to fly under the radar and snatch the series for Victoria but most think to also find some warm weather.

The Qld fleet has had some great racing over the last 12 mths and is well prepared to ensure the winner’s SLAM jacket stays in Qld. The Gold Coast contingent of the 8mtr Vivace (Ben Leigh-Smith) and the 6mtr Evolution Sails (Graham Sherring) should be at the pointy end of the SMS results despite the boats being radically different in size and performance.

RQYS boats Raptor (Mark Buchbach), Business Time (Nick Moriarty) and Alien Biopsy (Andrew Turner) have shown some great form lately as well and are expected to stake a claim for the title.

Boats and crews from Central and Nth Qld are also making the trek south for the event and their success in the past, Guilty Pleasures (Leon Thomas) finished 3rd in Airlie Beach this year, will ensure they will not just make up the numbers.

With all this Sports Boat talent at one event and a fleet of close to 30 boats, the Qld Titles will be the largest and most competitive Sports Boat fleet ever assembled in Australia.

All competitors will also be using the event as a warm up for the ASBA National Titles to be held on Lake Macquarie at Easter 2010.

Entries close on the 27th of November but if you enter by the 5th of November, you are the draw for a weekend for 4 staying in one of baccommodated.com.au managed units on the Gold Coast.

Meridien Marinas ASBA Qld Sport Boat Titles
Saturday 5th December
Sunday 6th December

Sail-World.com Airlie Update

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:14:04 +1000

'SB3 Sports Boats'    Sail-World.com /AUS ©    Click Here to view large photo
The Australian Sports Boat Associated rated sports boats, who have Sports Boat Measurement System (SMS) rating, will be at the 21st Airlie Beach Race Week in large numbers.

Now the number of Sports Boats racing at this iconic event is set to grow with a Cat 7 rated fleet (sailing without motors primarily on Pioneer Bay).

Race Director Denis Thompson explains. ‘The Whitsundays provide some of the best winter sailor for sports boats any where in the world. We have a strong following amongst the bigger sports boats, these Cat 5 (Special Regs) rated boats, can sail the bigger courses around the Islands and now we have a growing an ‘inshore fleet’.’

‘For instance we are going to have at least six SB3’s attending the regatta, which will be sailing under Category 7 safety configuration, in the inshore fleet.

‘They will mostly be racing on windward leeward courses on Pioneer Bay. It’s a large, quite protected bay with not a lot of tidal influence, so it’s perfect for intense around the cans racing and if the weather conditions are suitable, a small number of passage races.

What we will be doing is having the inshore fleet with the SB3's and all the inshore will be scored as a division and the SB3s will have another separate SB3 score taken out of the results.

‘This fleet will include boats like the Blazer 23 and Boatspeed 23‘s, which will share the SB3 start lines, although they will be scored separately.

‘One thing we can be sure of’ smiled Race Director Thompson, ‘By mid August its tropical shirt weather in the Whitsundays and the sports boat fleets will all be having some wild and wet rides, if the south easterly trades blow as they traditionally do’

The support from the Sports Boat fleets around Australia continues to grow.

Today we talked to Royal Geelong Yacht Club skipper Cam Rae who raced the Thompson 8 Bendigo Private at Airlie Beach in 2008, and who will again be part of the big sports boat squad heading north in 2009.

Cam Rae’s Bendigo Private. Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week 2008 -  Peter Campbell © Click Here to view large photo

Cam Rae is the secretary of the Australian Sports Boat Association and a strong supporter of the Airlie Beach event.

‘We are looking forward to heading north again and escaping the Victorian winter.

‘We had a ball at the regatta last year and decided before the regatta was over, that we would be back again this year!

‘The racing is great and Pioneer Bay is a fabulous venue for sports boats, with its consistent trade winds.

‘Blasting across the bay at 20 knots in shorts and a t-shirt is the way all sailing should be … fast and affordable!

‘We will certainly have another strong fleet at Airlie this year. We are expecting over 20 boats with a high profile crew new to sports boats, they are yet to show their hand, but rumour is they will be there!’

SB3's - A special regatta will be run for the SB3’s who will have their own One Design trophy.

This regatta assumes special significance for the SB3 fleet, as the SB3 World Championships will be sailed from 28th August to September 4th in Cascais Portugal. Airlie Beach will be a last chance hit out in Australia for some of the competitors.

SB3 start line -  Andrea Francolini / Skandia Click Here to view large photo

Phil Gray, a past 505 Australian Champion who has been showing good SB3 form, said he will be working hard to beat Mike McLean, who will be heading for Portugal straight after the event.

McLean is on his ‘second sporting career’. He was a Rugby League Queensland State of Origin forward, who played for Roosters and Newcastle and the Gold Coast and he swears that SB3 sailing is much better for his knees.

But these guys certainly won’t have it all their own way in the SB3 fleet. Fellow Queenslander Aaron Linton, who has called tactics for ‘Hollywood’ Ray Roberts’ Quantum Racing and Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll, looms as a major threat to take that brand new trophy.

Stealthy about to hoist the kite. Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week Day 2 -  Sail-World.com -AUS © Click Here to view large photo

Guilty Pleasures - Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week 2008 Day 2 -  Sail-World.com -AUS © Click Here to view large photo

Melges for Charter

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 18:45:25 +1000

'Melges 24 in a breeze with the kite - fantastic! - MMABRW and HIRW Charter Available' Tracey Walters
Since its introduction in Australia in 2007, the Melges 24 One Design has steadily grown with twelve boats now in the fleet in Australia.

This is your chance to try this fast growing and exciting one design Sports Boat - the Melges 24. Charter is available for one or both race weeks.

Queensland agent for Melges and Northshore Yachts, John Hall a sailing veteran, is offering this great opportunity to experience this exciting performance sportsboat, and where better to try it than the warm waters of the Whitsundays?

With a crew of 4 or 5 (weight limit 360 Kg) the cost per person is kept to a minimum, and what a great way to try before you buy!

'If you haven't experienced a planing boat with an asymmetrical kite at 18 knots plus - then you haven't sailed a Melges 24!' says John.

They are a Reichel+Pugh design, with a 300kg bulb on a carbon fin. With a carbon rig, foils and fittings and an extendible kite pole, the whole boat weighs in at 810 kg. with 60+ square metres of kite, and 15 knots, the ride is exceptional, yet you will be surprised at the ease of handling, and the stability that gets even better with speed!

'Back on the breeze after unfurling the headsail, and with the crew hiking out, they are one of the sweetest boats to sail upwind that I have ever sailed' John says - and he has sailed quite a few.

'The best thing about the Melges 24 is that it is all dinghy off the breeze, and all keel boat on the breeze - a great combination which is technical, but great fun to sail!'

The Melges 24 is a great package - there are now over 800 worldwide, and many boats are owned by keel boat owners who never quite got over that sensational feeling of a boat accelerating in the puffs, and hunting to windward that smaller, light displacement boats give.

So, get away from the winter blues down south! Get a few mates together, and have a crack at this great sportsboat!

Give John Hall a ring - 0429 313 211 for further details.

From sail-world.com