Blairgowrie RS Aeros at Royal Brighton
Victorian State Championships – ‘The Next Step’
For many at Blairgowrie the RS Aero is a bit of an unknown. Hitting the market only eight years ago, this futuristic and fantastic single-hander has exploded with popularity and massive sales around the world. Perhaps, more ‘the next step’, for those looking to expand and challenge their sailing adventures, the RS Aero is the quickest single-handed dinghy on the market by nature of its sleek and clever design. With a combined carbon fibre/fibreglass hull weighing in at a mere 33KG, (Lighter than a child’s optimist) and a hull shape in the shadow of a Musto or 29ER, one could be led to believe it is a single-handed skiff. Powered up by a big square top main and a carbon fibre mast and boom, the RS Aero is simply exhilarating on the reaches, is super comfortable hiking uphill and the most gust responsive single-handed dinghy I have ever sailed.
With that in mind, Paul Smart, Paul Rogers and I ventured with our ‘Maserati’s’ to Royal Brighton on the weekend for the Victorian State Championships, with a weather forecast which showed little signs of good breeze. In hindsight…. ‘No thanks’ shall go to the weather APPS, Seabreeze and Wild Willy on day 1 of the event, ………..for leading us into a false sense of security!
You know somethings up, when you are ‘planing’ in the lee of a protected harbour! Kind of cool at first…. but instinctively you start to want to know what is on the other side of the Royal Brighton wave walls. Reality bites, as you round those big rocks, to be greeted by not a forecasted 10- 12 knots, but massive rolling waves with a 20-knot southerly and building! With the RO having predicted some five races ahead of us, the Port Phillip Bay washing machine had been turned on by mother nature to maximum neoprene wash; a 5-hour full spin cycle was about to follow!
Personally, that day’s racing for me was to be full of highs and low; indeed after three starts I had hit the top mark first on two occasions, was top three on the third, matching it with National and World Champions around me. But I struggled downhill in the massive waves, and it often became about survival, as the pressure built solidly to 25 knots gusting to 28; it was a wild ride! My inexperience and unfamiliarity at that end of the bay in big seas, was pounced on by local sailors that attacked the waves with confidence and finesse. Indeed race 3 saw me in 2nd place with only one run on the Trapezoid Course to the finish line, and numerous capsizes within 400 metres of the line ended with exhaustion, retirement and injury; frustratingly, DNF. However, staying upright and consistency paid off on day one for Paul Rogers and the smiling assassin Paul Smart. They completed all races with good form and came home after five hours in a storm cycle, exhausted but full of banter …. mostly …. at my expense!
Sunrise, on Sunday morning, would bring a welcome calm to Port Phillip Bay; the storm had passed and the flags were barely fluttering at Royal Brighton. The boat park was full of war stories, aches and grumbles but compensated by the gentle 5 knots, which was a far cry from the huge wind the day before. For me, based on my height and weight ratio, I would have preferred 14-18 knots that morning, but I guess what makes the RS Aero such a wonderful craft, is that it is truly a one design dinghy that responds, in all ranges of wind to all types of sailors.
Again, back on my horse, I was looking for a great start and clear air and I found both, surprisingly with only a 6 knot breeze, I again got to the top mark first again. But again, upon reflection, my ‘lack of time on water’ in the RS Aero and perhaps inexperience on Trapezoid Courses became soon apparent, as I slipped back in the placings. (A wrong bottom mark choice/ wrong side of course selection cost me dearly!). Paul Rogers showed his class in that race after an average start with a clever and well finished 6th place.
As the breeze began to diminish, so did my results, but Paul Smart with skill, concentration and consistency started to climb the leader board in Race 6 and 7, with an 8th and 5th respectively. His consistency would see him end the Regatta in a creditable 10th place amidst some world class sailors. Paul Rogers was the best of the BYS team and again showed his experience and life skills on the water with a fantastic 9th place overall; and personally, I ended up, somewhat disappointed, but hopefully wiser in 13th place.
Overall, a great weekend, with a great group of sailors in a rapidly developing class with a culture of fun, friendship and inclusion. We will be back on the water racing at BYS this weekend, and bring home hopefully just a little more experience to build on, in getting to know intimately our RS Aeros.
On a final note, Sail Bellarine is a fantastic regatta on the 6th of May and we have a couple of spare RS Aero’s available for friends who would like to join us there; but be quick as entry numbers are nearing being full.
In any event, if you are looking to take the ‘next step’ with a futuristic and fun single-hander, we invite you to come sail with us at BYS in the future….
Cheers
Simon Pluim
RS AERO 4040
‘Winkipop’
