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- 8-9 March - ILCA North Island Freshwater Champs - Lake Taupo YC
Racing on Saturday was in light and shifty winds after a short delay. The wind conditions meant that a good start was important, and the shifts had their winners and losers. Though as usual a group in each fleet mastered the conditions better than the rest. The day ended with only 3 points separating the top 3 in both fleets. With Darryl and Peter leading their respective fleets. Local sailors dominated the Radials, but the out-of-towners did better in the Full Rigs. It was then back to the club rooms for a post-race BBQ and catch up.
The forecast for Sunday was no wind until midday, so the fleet was kept ashore until the wind swung round to the northeast and filled in for a pleasant 10 to 12 knots. It was then just a quick sail out to the course for 3 more back-to-back races that produced some close racing as the conditions suited most people. The slightly stronger winds created a few changes in the Radials standing with plenty of close racing. It was then back to Vauxhall Yacht Club for a post-race meal catch up and prize giving.
In both fleets we had new names for the trophies this year. In the Full Rig fleet it was Daryl Parkes (Bluff Yacht Club) year, followed by James McAlister (Otago Yacht Club) and Nick Page (Pupuke Yacht Club).
In the Radials the second day resulted in a change in the top 2 places. Jenny Armstrong (Otago Yacht Club) had a good second day to lead Peter Graham (Vauxhall Yacht Club), and son Zach Stibbe (Otago Yacht Club). This also gave Jenny the clean sweep with first Master and first Women.
A great weekend was had by all in the deep south. Vauxhall Yacht Club were their usual great hosts and made sure everyone was well feed and watered. The weather played its part providing 2 days of mixed racing and giving the race officer (Martin Balch) a few challenges. The sailing was a good warm-up for those going to nationals in January. Those staying local there are still 3 more rounds of the Southern Traveler series to go. Next Years South Islands will be in the Christchurch area.
Thank you again to all those that made the effort to attend, those that gave time to run the event and the sponsors who help make it all possible.
Rob English
After missing a year due to Covid we were happy to be back in Napier for our ILCA North Island champs on the November 26th and 27th.
In recent years Napier Sailing Club has hosted us as part of their Summer Regatta which has become a signficant fixture on the national sailing calendar. The clubs volunteers do a fantastic job on and off the water. This year there were more than 160 boats across 9 classes. ILCA 6 & 7, Paper Tigers, OK's. together on the outer course. Zephyers, Europes, Optimists, O'Skiff and Starlings on the inner course. NSC now have to host the trailer boat classes on a different weekend.
Andrew, our race officer, gave us a Triangle/Windward-Leeward course finishing at the top. He cleverly balanced T1 and T2 wing and bottom mark variations to try to separate the fleets. On Saturday the sunny Noreaster setlled in before our 11:30am start, giving us a stable 5 to 8 knots all day for 4 races. Despite a forecast for showers on Sunday we had similar light sunny NE conditions for 2 of 3 races. Only the final race had a stronger 15 knot breeze and full hiking.
'Managing the fleet' was the big tactical challenge for the weekend. Especially when the 17 downwind ICLA7's met 49 reaching ILCA 6's at the bottom mark in the light conditions
In the ILCA6 the conditions suited the Fiji Olympic rep Sophia Morgan on Saturday. But she was sharing bullets with Greta Pilkington who managed to sneak past on the Sunday to win the overall regatta by one point. George Lane stayed consistent to come 3rd overall, pipping Ed Tam in 5th for the masters trohpy. George Pilkington had a bullet in the breezier final race to get 4th overall and the male youth trophy.
The ILCA7 result was more cut and dried, as Caleb Armit won every race. But it wasn't as one sided on the course where Dylan Forsyth and Matthew Rist pushed Caleb quite hard. Tim Pitcaithly was the eventual masters winner, after he and Andrew Dellabaca traded blows with the leading group. The rest of the masters were a step back to fill out the fleet.
Thanks again to Napier Sailing Club for a great weekend.
Mike Knowsley
Murrays Bay held the long running Stack Winter Champs over the weekend 15/16 October and turned on a wide range of conditions at what will be the venue for the upcoming ILCA 2023 Nationals. The event was run very well with RO, Nick Olson and team dealing with some tricky conditions not to mention a cold snap that really made it feel like it was still winter.
While full rigs weren’t able to compete the radial fleet was strong with an excellent turn out from competitors from all over the country as far north as the Bay of Islands/Taipa and as far South as Dunedin with Queen Charlotte, Tauranga, Napier, Hamilton as well as Auckland all well represented.
Day one was Easterly, lightish and got lighter through the day. Reigning female National Champ, Greta Pilkington, leveraged her recent European experience to be the stand out performer with two wins: gliding past some old hack to take the lead and extend in the first race. Zach Stibbe snuck into second on the line with Phil Wild in 3rd. Race two softened even more and saw a lot of place changes throughout the race – most notably was Greta who worked her way up into the lead with George Lane second and George Pilkington in 3rd. Racing was then abandoned for the day.
Day two was 15-20knots from the SW and garnered a great deal of excitement on shore from those keen to smash the beats and send it on the reaches. Interestingly enough, it was the older hands who had the legs over the course of the day. Race one saw a lot of place changes with initial race leader opting to sail another course, a couple of capsizes here and there and shifts typical of a puffy south wester. Lane showed consistency and was quite happy to watch numerous boats around him mess things up and found himself in the lead with a couple of legs to go. George Pilkington repeated his previous solid top 3 place with second and Wild getting back to 3rd. Race four was certainly the one for the old boys of the fleet with Wild, Lane and Dunedin sailor Peter Graham rounding out the top three. By now, most of the fleet were hurting but only half way through the day. Lane sailed sensibly and consistently to take race 5, George Pilkington in 2nd and Zach Stribbe powered into 3rd on the last beat. The last race saw Lane again sail well to take another gun with Graham in second and Greta storming through into 3rd. To top things off after four breezy races, everyone then got to enjoy the relaxing 40min slog back to the beach – gotta love the southwester!
Overall, consistency was crucial as the score card showed that between the top three overall place getters, there was only one race between them outside of the top 5 over the entire event (when Greta capsized????).
It was great to have a strong fleet represented by so many parts of the country and sets a great scene for the upcoming national champs in January 23.
Phil Wild
Murrays Bay held the long running Stack Winter Champs over the weekend 15/16 October and turned on a wide range of conditions at what will be the venue for the upcoming ILCA 2023 Nationals. The event was run very well with RO, Nick Olson and team dealing with some tricky conditions not to mention a cold snap that really made it feel like it was still winter.
While full rigs weren’t able to compete the radial fleet was strong with an excellent turn out from competitors from all over the country as far north as the Bay of Islands/Taipa and as far South as Dunedin with Queen Charlotte, Tauranga, Napier, Hamilton as well as Auckland all well represented.
Day one was Easterly, lightish and got lighter through the day. Reigning female National Champ, Greta Pilkington, leveraged her recent European experience to be the stand out performer with two wins: gliding past some old hack to take the lead and extend in the first race. Zach Stibbe snuck into second on the line with Phil Wild in 3rd. Race two softened even more and saw a lot of place changes throughout the race – most notably was Greta who worked her way up into the lead with George Lane second and George Pilkington in 3rd. Racing was then abandoned for the day.
Day two was 15-20knots from the SW and garnered a great deal of excitement on shore from those keen to smash the beats and send it on the reaches. Interestingly enough, it was the older hands who had the legs over the course of the day. Race one saw a lot of place changes with initial race leader opting to sail another course, a couple of capsizes here and there and shifts typical of a puffy south wester. Lane showed consistency and was quite happy to watch numerous boats around him mess things up and found himself in the lead with a couple of legs to go. George Pilkington repeated his previous solid top 3 place with second and Wild getting back to 3rd. Race four was certainly the one for the old boys of the fleet with Wild, Lane and Dunedin sailor Peter Graham rounding out the top three. By now, most of the fleet were hurting but only half way through the day. Lane sailed sensibly and consistently to take race 5, George Pilkington in 2nd and Zach Stribbe powered into 3rd on the last beat. The last race saw Lane again sail well to take another gun with Graham in second and Greta storming through into 3rd. To top things off after four breezy races, everyone then got to enjoy the relaxing 40min slog back to the beach – gotta love the southwester!
Overall, consistency was crucial as the score card showed that between the top three overall place getters, there was only one race between them outside of the top 5 over the entire event (when Greta capsized????).
It was great to have a strong fleet represented by so many parts of the country and sets a great scene for the upcoming national champs in January 23.
Phil Wild
Winter Arrives for the Freshwater Champs
As forecast, a fresh, gusty, wet, shifty and COLD breeze greeted the competitors on both days of the Freshwater Champs at Lake Pupuke. This contributed to a smaller than usual fleet, with 23 hardy souls taking to the water over the weekend. In spite of the cold many found the gusty conditions interesting, most adding one or more dips in the lake at some stage for good measure. There was a good youth turnout in the ILCA 6 fleet while the majority of the ILCA 7's were Masters.
There were dominant performances in both the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 fleets.
In the ILCA 6 Caleb Armit, who leave for the World Youth Champs shortly, won 6 out of 7, although in several races the margins at the finish were extremely close. There was a very close battle for second, with ex Olympic Women's rep, now super coach, Sara Winther having a great second day to just get the better of Matthew Rist (Y) from Manly. Third Youth and 4th overall Dylan Forsyth was extremely consistent and right on the heels of the leading bunch, as was second placed Woman, Olivia Christie. Maddie Rist was the leading youth girl, beating Sophia Morgan by a single point. Mike Pascoe was the only ILCA 6 Master to brave the conditions, and was notable for his consistency. I think he capsized in just about every race!
In the ILCA 7's leading U21 sailor Thomas Mulcahy won all but one race, his only hiccup being the result of a quick dip with an unexpected gust on the race 2 final downwind. He clearly had the measure of the Masters fleet in the conditions, with the Masters being led by Nick Page (GGM) in second overall with the consistent Ian Gladwell (GM) and Ken Atchison (M) 3rd and 4th overall. The weekend was completed nicely with legendary commodore John Dowsett's prizegiving speech, plenty of prizes for all and a good Pupuke BBQ to warm everyone up.
Nick Page - 23 May 2022
Caleb Armit
Sara Winther
Thomas Mulcahy
Nick Page
Ken Atchison
Ian Gladwell
Mike Pasco
Challenging but still way better than mowing lawns!
Results
Congratulations to the winners
Final day icing on the cake