Australian WASZP Nationals at Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club - Day 1
by Jonny Fullerton 27 Jan 2018 06:18 GMT
25-28 January 2018
WASZP Australian Championships - Day 1 © Alex Liebmann
Today was the first day of racing in the first ever Australian WASZP Championships. It was absolutely glamour conditions to showcase this new one design foiler that has taken the world by storm!
With 35 boats on the start line it was all to play for, just before the start the breeze kicked in to 15-18 knots providing the ideal race track for these boats to showcase some of the most exciting racing seen. The windward leeward courses with gates at the top and the bottom perfectly set by the Sorrento Sailing and Couta Boat Club race committee provided many passing lanes for these foiling machines.
The one design nature of the class meant you could basically throw a blanket over the top 10 and little pockets of fleets developed with super tight racing across the fleet. One of the highlights was the first time to the bottom in race 2 where the top six boats approached the bottom mark together with the leaderboard shuffling across the race.
New Zealander Bruce Curson started the event really well with a 1st place to kick his Aussie counterparts into gear. Reigning WASZP Games champion Harry Mighell then jumped the fleet to win the final two races to take an overall lead in the championship. Jon Holroyd was the first Master and also had a ripping day sitting on the podium after day one with another Sorrento local Tom Trotman pushing to the front as well.
Sam England had a good day to be 8th overall and lead Tess Lloyd in the Women, while the rest of the fleet had some amazing rides with the top speed recorded up to 25 knots on the downwind.
The first flights of the Slalom were also completed after racing, with the format gaining some serious attention. We will look to slot the slalom in around the remaining championship racing and get our first Australian WASZP Slalom Champion.
Some tired but smiling WASZP Sailors came ashore and tucked into some pizzas and beers, with boat of the day winning an esky supplied by one of the regatta sponsors 'Willow' to share out with the rest of the fleet.
Day 2 is looking similar to day 1 before a heatwave hits over the weekend. The race committee will be looking to get another three championship races in, before the breeze becomes unstable over the weekend.
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