EVENTS all states

EVENTS

VICTORIA

The Victorian International Dragon Association held the 2023 Victorian International Dragon State Championship, for the JJ Savage Trophy, at Metung Yacht Club on 26-29 January 2023.

Congratulations to winner Nick Rodgers in Karabos IX, stealing first place from local and AIDA President Fred Haes, with Damien Daniels taking out third. Sailing conditions on Lake King at Metung were excellent.

Results and reports available here:

Metung Yacht Club

One Design Regatta - Charles Stephenson Trophy International Dragons, Metung Yacht Club 11 & 12 March 2023.

Notice of Race available here:

The 2024 Prince Philip Cup for the Australian National Championship will be held at Metung Yacht Club in January 2024.

Click here for Event Program.

Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club

Gippsland Lakes Easter Regatta 2023 - is expected to go ahead and include the Australian Womens's Challenge Cup for Dragons.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron

RESULTS and REPORT for the IDANSW State Championships 2022

by Brad Johnson, President IDANSW

The International Dragon class NSW State Championship Regatta was sailed on

26 and 27 November 2022. We had seven boats entered including three interstate

visitors; Nick Rogers and crew from Tasmania sailing Karabos IX, Sandy Anderson

and crew from WA sailing Plum Crazy and Damien Daniel and crew from Metung in

Victoria sailing Imagination.

Sydney turned on some great weather for the regatta with mostly sunny skies and breezes in the 10-15knots range. The Race Officer for the regatta was Rob Ridley who, together with the race management volunteers, did a fantastic job in ensuring we enjoyed four races on Saturday and a further three races on Sunday.

Saturday started with breezes from the south-east which clocked towards the east later in the day with four individual fleets, consisting of Etchells, Ying Lings, J70’s and the Dragons, racing the upwind / downwind course starting and finishing in Taylor Bay. The breeze backing from south-east to more easterly meant we started with the upwind marks oriented towards Rose Bay and by the last race we were sailing to an upwind mark set more towards Watsons Bay. The combination of four individual fleets and the re-orientation of the course through the day meant that the Race Management on Mischief was no doubt a hectic operation but always well managed and clearly communicated to the fleets.

We ended Saturday with Michael (Wally) Bartley’s Trio AUS130 and Richard Franklin’s Liquidity AUS 216 the pretty evenly matched leaders and our inter-state visitors coming to grips with the traffic and the choppiness of Sydney Harbour on a sunny week-end day. The comment was heard back in the Pond at the conclusion of the Saturday racing that “it was a bit like sailing in a washing machine!”

Sunday came up with the classic Sydney Harbour north-easterlies, albeit a bit slow to come in with any strength, so the first race was a challenging 5 knots with some shiftiness and the tidal current coming into play with the course starting and finishing adjacent Point Piper and the upwind mark towards the middle of the harbour. The north-easterly breeze strengthened through the day and veered towards the east later in the day so the start / finish was moved towards Clark Island for the last race.

The relocation of the start / finish towards Clark Island gave all of the crews the opportunity to get up close with the 18-footers that were also racing on Sunday afternoon.

The experience gained by our inter-state visitors in the previous day of racing showed up on Sunday as each of the inter-state boats enjoyed some higher placings on Sunday however ultimately Trio AUS130 helmed by Matt Whitnall prevailed as the 2022 NSW State Champion on 9 points with both Richard Franklin in Liquidity AUS216 and Nick Rogers in Karabos IX AUS205 equal on 14 points requiring a count-back to determine Liquidity AUS216 in second place and Karabos IX in third place.

The International Dragons have the Prince Phillip Cup Australian Championship Regatta being sailed in Sydney harbour at the beginning of January 2023 and all boats are confirmed entries to this upcoming regatta together with a number of other inter-state entries so the NSW State Championship Regatta was an excellent opportunity to sharpen skills and get experience of sailing on Sydney Harbour.

At the conclusion of the racing on Sunday and packing up of the visiting boats we all enjoyed a taste of the Careening Cove “Pizza Night” and presented prizes for our podium winners. A good time was had by all crews and a spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship was evident both on and off the water – albeit combined with inevitable competition on the water!

Our congratulations to Trio AUS130 which, as a 55 years old timber veteran of Dragon racing on the harbour, is a credit to the spirit of one-design racing and to Michael Bartley who beautifully maintains this piece of sailing history.

Our thanks once again to the RSYS Sailing Office and the volunteers for their excellent management of the regatta and also to the RSYS staff at Careening Cove for their attentive service on Sunday – “Pizza Night” is to be highly recommended!

Brad Johnson, President

TASMANIA

Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania

2022 State Championship was held on 23-24 July 2022.

2022 State Championships - John Sward Trophy

1st: Karabos IX (AUS-205) – Nick Rogers (helm), Leigh Behrens, Sam King

2nd: Ridgeway (AUS-215) – Hugh Wardrop (helm), Max Gluskie, Tim Vincent

3rd: Plum Crazy (AUS-185) – Sandy Anderson (helm), Caroline Gibson, Mike Wilkinson

2022 PHS : Cuthbertson Trophy

1st: Magic (AUS-183) – David Graney (helm), Murray Jones, Finlay Cooper.

2022 Barry Calvert Memorial Trophy - First Three Races

Karabos IX (AUS-205) – Nick Rogers (helm), Leigh Behrens, Sam King

2022 Cutter Youth Trophy – First helm under 30.

Not Awarded.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club

WA State Championships for the Sir Charles Gairdner Trophy

and the Tony Fitzgibbon Trophy (hcp)will be held 24-26 February 2023.

Notice of Race and Entry available now.

Results and Report for WA State Championships 2022

Full Report PDF - from Tidings, March 2022

Sixteen yachts entered the 66th WA Dragon Class State Championships for the Sir Charles Gairdner Trophy.

All yachts completed all seven races. Forty-nine helm and crew took part.

Results:

First - Willy Packer, Scoundrel AUS214 Crew: Jock Packer/Julian Harding

Second - Richard Lynn, Gordon AUS222

Third - Trish Ford, Canewdon Witch AUS223

Winner of the Tony Fitzgibbon Trophy for the event handicap series went to Ray Chatfield sailing Wizzardry AUS201 with Karen Chatfield and Greg Bell.

WAIDA Woman's Helm Regatta - 2 October 2022

Results and Report on the 2022 Womens Helm Regatta.

The regatta was hosted by WAIDA and RFBYC on Sunday 2 October 2022. Conditions were nearly perfect on the Swan River with variable SSE winds of approx.15knots. Four races were completed with the best three to count. Ten yachts contested the championship, two more than in the previous year.

Philippa Packer sailing Saphira (AUS221) with crew of Grant Alderson and Dean McAullay successfully defended her title taking home the Saracen Trophy for the second time. Trish Ford in Canewdon Witch (AUS223) with Graeme Fardon and Peter Cheffins as crew were second and Lucy Alderson Sailing Scoundrel (AUS214) with Willy and Robbie Packer as crew finished third. See below for Boat, Helm, Crew and Race Results.

The event served as a pre-season shakedown for owners and their boats, as well as providing the opportunity for women to helm, and in some cases crew, an International Dragon Class yacht. It is expected that this event will again lead to more women sailing regularly in the Dragon Class.

The event could not be run without the enthusiastic contribution of WAIDA and RFBYC members. Thanks to RO Rob Hubbard and his able team of on and off-water assistants. Also to Sandy Anderson and Ray Chatfield for Helm and Yacht recruitment/allocations.

HELM/CREW and RACE RESULTS