Maw Civil Wind Warrior Sail GP — Event # 1 sponsored by The Arlberg Mt Hotham – Chris and Kim Coglan
“With the westerly wind whipping up tidal waves in the Marina Pond on Sunday, the potential for damage to our high tech model yachts, made sailing there impossible. Plan B resulted in relocating the race track into the shelter of the shallows right out front of the Blairgowrie Club house; which although not optimal, produced some fun sailing in massively shifty conditions, with the wind blocked, or alternatively whistling under the public pier. And for those onlooking members and their guests enjoying lunch or an afternoon drink on the sunny BYS deck, the vantage point of model yacht racing could not have been better.
One of the greatest competitors to beat on the day was… the floating yet submergible seaweed; and the slightest bit of weed would upset our high tech yacht’ s centre of balance and instantly decrease boat speed until it was removed. If this was not enough, the tide also played havoc as the shallow water swirled in different patterns in front of the sand groins. With all those difficulties, the cream of sailing would ultimately rise to the top! The qualifying rounds (7 in total) belonged to Craig Smith with 4 bullets and Richie Robertson with 3 bullets. They both qualified in equal first place!
But that’s the great thing about Sail GP, you simply have to be in it, to win it/get on the podium, by simply qualifying top 8; to then have a chance at winning the event final at the end of the day.
At the start of the final, Dean Taylor put himself in a fantastic leading position by charging around the first triangle with a considerable lead, before fate stepped in with a broken main sheet and ended his day with a DNF. And whilst Alex Bolton and Matt Obrien did not feature greatly at the pointy end of the results during qualifying, they would ultimately rise to the occasion with a credit worthy second and third place respectively in the event final.
Richie continued on in his winning ways, claiming Event 1 as his, of the three part series for the sailing season; proving once again that a childhood of flying remote control planes and a lifetime of sailing combine greatly in sailing the Wind Warrior well.
Many thanks to Ed and Tom Warner for their on water RO and rescue work on the day, with Trena Batty, Meaghan Bolton and Danielle Obrien recording results and running the start sequences. Finally, many thanks to Chris and Kim Coglan from the Arlberg Mt Hotham for sponsoring Event 1, not to forget also providing the ‘Bunnings’ style sausage sizzle at the end the day.
Our next Maw Civil Sail GP (#2) which is sponsored by Richard Robertson landscaping, is on Sunday the 2nd of February 2025, so why don’t you join us on the hardstand and for some more exciting racing. There’s always a remote control and a Wind Warrior handy for those that would love to simply have a go and see what it’s all about!
With 32 Wind Warriors now owned by Blairgowrie members, there’s got to be something in it?
Author: Simon Pluim
