RS Aero Victoria State Championship at the Ronstan McCrae Yacht Club Australia Day Regatta
by Michael O'Brien 30 Jan 06:27 GMT
23-26 January 2021
2021 RS Aero Victoria State Championship © Beau Outteridge
The Victorian RS Aero class held its state championships at McCrae Yacht Club on the Victorian Mornington Peninsula. The RS Aero Class was strongly represented and as the largest class with 29 RS Aeros competing for their Victorian State Champs over the 4 day Ronstan Australian Day Regatta at McCrae Yacht Club.
Entries came from 11 different clubs on the eastern shoreline of Port Phillip Bay, plus out of state entries from Whitsunday YC in Queensland and Largs SC in South Australia, the hosts to the RS Aero Australian Championships, 5-8th March.
More boats would have attended but due to Covid restrictions, entries were capped.
Over 4 challenging days, the RS Aero 5, 7 & 9 rigs contested six races in medium and shifting breeze. On the first day, one race was staged in 14-16 knots and then the wind died. We lost another full day with the wind failing to materialize the next. The following day looked promising with big waves left over from strong breeze all night. However, the wind died completely leaving a few sailors sea-sick. After a break for lunch, the breeze arrived for three great races in 15-18 knots. The last day was a bit windier and two final races in 18-20 knots.
The five fleet was won convincingly by Philippa Danks of Blairgowrie YS. The seven fleet was won by Rhett Gowans, the current world champ with a similar string of bullets, as was the nine fleet by Luke Mairs from Whitsunday SC.
What was really heartening, was the fleet has improved considerably over the past year. Mark Conry from the newer fleet in South Australia was especially quick on the final day and led both races until Rhett caught and passed him downwind. We now have fleets in most states and everyone is looking forward to the RS Aero Australian Championships at Largs SC in Adelaide, South Australia, 5-8th March. Full details are on the RS Aero Australian Events List; www.rsaerosailing.org/index.asp?p=events&rg=Australia
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| RS Aero 5 |
|---|
| 1 | 1680 | Philippa Danks | Blairgowrie YS | (DNC) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 3091 | Ingrid Vinot | Hampton SC | 1 | ‑2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 3 | 3088 | Damian Hardy | Black Rock YC | ‑3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 2694 | Tash Kurzeme | Mount Martha YC | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | (DNF) | 18 |
| RS Aero 7 |
|---|
| 1 | 1 | Rhett Gowans | Mornington YC | 1 | ‑2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 3414 | Michael O'Brien | Royal Brighton YC | ‑3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | 3094 | Mark Conry | Largs Bay SC
SA | 8 | 3 | 3 | (DNF) | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| 4 | 2585 | Michael Paynter | McCrae YC | 2 | ‑7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 18 |
| 5 | 3006 | Megan Ridgway | Sandringham YC | 4 | 10 | ‑12 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 27 |
| 6 | 1696 | Alister Danks | Blairgowrie YS | (DNC) | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 29 |
| 7 | 2049 | Sean Carlson | Mount Martha YC | ‑9 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 30 |
| 8 | 3467 | David Parry | Mount Martha YC | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 10 | ‑12 | 37 |
| 9 | 3058 | Paul Rogers | Blairgowrie YS | ‑11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 46 |
| 10 | 1697 | Fred Davis | Mount Martha YC | ‑19 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 48 |
| 11 | 2495 | Stuart Facey | Mount Martha YC | 10 | ‑17 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 50 |
| 12 | 2824 | Nicholas Wallis | Black Rock YC | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ‑15 | 11 | 53 |
| 13 | 3080 | Paul Jenkins | McCrae YC | 13 | 13 | ‑16 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 64 |
| 14 | 3411 | Graham Riley | McCrae YC | 7 | 6 | 11 | (DNF) | DNC | DNC | 70 |
| 15 | 2492 | Dennis Hammon | McCrae YC | 17 | 15 | 14 | (DNF) | 12 | 15 | 73 |
| 16 | 2819 | Jack Wilson | Hampton SC | 15 | 16 | 15 | (DNF) | 16 | 14 | 76 |
| 17 | 2048 | Aaron Flavell | Black Rock YC | ‑18 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 79 |
| 18 | 3106 | Kelvin Boyle | McCrae YC | 20 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 18 | (DNF) | 86 |
| 19 | 2680 | Fleur Scrivens | Mount Martha YC | 16 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 14 | 17 | 93 |
| 20 | 1189 | Ron Fergusson | Albert SC | 5 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 97 |
| 21 | 3415 | David Andrew | Mount Martha YC | 14 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 106 |
| 22 | 2914 | Christian Herr | Black Rock YC | (DNF) | 19 | 19 | DNF | DNC | DNC | 107 |
| RS Aero 9 |
|---|
| 1 | 1195 | Luke Mairs | Whitsunday SC
QLD | ‑1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 3103 | Sam O'Connor | Davey's Bay YC | 2 | 2 | 2 | (DNF) | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | 2820 | Jason Wilson | Royal Melbourne YS | ‑3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
