Tasar NSW State Championship at Georges River 16ft Skiff Sailing Club

by Jenny Sorensen 24 Apr 2019 08:59 BST 19-21 April 2019

James & Tara Burman, Heather MacFarlane & Chris Payne, Hugh & Anna Tait during the NSW Tasar State Championship © Rob Owe-Young

A competitive fleet of 38 boats of world class standard from around Australia took part in NSW's 42nd Tasar State titles, hosted by Georges River 16ft Skiff Sailing Club in Sydney over the Easter long weekend.

In almost summer like conditions which generated breeze in the sails and smiles on all faces, there were no bigger smiles than from our 2019 Title winners, father & daughter team (of 20yrs+) Rob & Nicole Douglass!

Rob & Nicole Douglass win the NSW Tasar State Championship - photo © Rob Owe-Young

With Rob lucky to have replacement crew & accomplished Elliot 7 junior match racer, Charlotte Griffin on board for day 1, #TeamCoollit set up an early domination & maintained it to finish 6pts ahead of multi nationals Lady Helm & current nationals Fireball Champion/s, Heather MacFarlane & Chris Payne from VIC. Aboard their freshly christened Tasar 'WAC' (aka for wine & coffee), Heather & Chris had in fact narrowly held day two's lead after achieving three bullets in four consecutive races.

With just 7 points separating 2nd to 6th, it's without saying the next 4 positions were extremely close. Pulling into 3rd securing a very handy win in Race 7, were RANSA/CYC's (ex Tasar World Champion, UK 1986) Rick Longbottom & Darryl Bentley, then climbing into 4th embracing the extra strength breeze on day 3, was 'Little Miss Magic's' James & Tara Burman from GRSC, blitzing Races 7-9 with a 2,1,1 (James an ex runner up in Laser Radial Worlds).

Rick Longbottom & Darryl Bentley finish 3rd in the NSW Tasar State Championship - photo © Rob Owe-Young

Filing in next on 5th was 'Galah' who succumbed to a OCS Race 8, but (otherwise!) expertly helmed by Manly 16'Skiff Club's (& multi World Class Champ in Mirrors, Fireballs & 505s) John Dransfield with son Jesse. They led by a point from ex NS14 NAT & Tasar of NSW's current Travellers' Trophy Champs, Hugh & Anna Tait from Northbridge SC, in overall 6th.

John & Jesse Dransfield finish 5th in the NSW Tasar State Championship - photo © Rob Owe-Young

Thus it was a top field of National & World elite sailors who made it challenging for all competitors out on Botany Bay last weekend, inevitably promoting higher skills & standards across the Class. Competitors also saw this Event as a chance to train up for Tasar Worlds in the UK from 26th July to 3rd August 2019 where Australia expects to send three container loads (22+ boats) next month.

Out on the sparkling & breezy Bay, no-one could dispute the great offshore work by the GRSC Racing Committee, running three back-to-back races each day with good length start lines and timely courses. If pressure was felt over the Regatta, it was probably on day 3, which started with trying to locate an AP flag before a strengthening breeze filled in to provide more energetic race starts, resulting in 'general recalls' in all 3 races. Yes, everyone decided they needed good starts!

Competitors enjoying the Easter conditions during the NSW Tasar State Championship - photo © Rob Owe-Young

Excluding a couple of unintentional capsizes, other minor concerns included 'self-fix maintenance' between races, and several short distance rescues as more 'swims' were had getting off the boat at day end, than elsewhere. Visitors quickly learnt about the sudden river 'drop off zone' at low tide.

As noted, this State Titles event attracted interest across the nation. The fleet included five boats from VIC, two from QLD & one from WA. We also had the company (and late entries) of four sets of enthusiastic ADF (Aust Defence Force) crews all aged 19-21yrs. With awesome boat names such as Boaty McBoat Face, This Way Up & Sidewinder, they provided plenty of entertaining energy and potential out on the Bay.

Finally, what would be a Tasar Regatta without some fun & activities 'off the water'? Competitors were well catered & entertained with Friday's champagne/beers & platters of nibbles leading into the daily presentation; Saturday's Trivia Night where plenty of thought went into posing questions from Olympic stars & weather facts, to recognising faces of famous sailing icons, & finishing with a flying competition of origami built Tasars; concluding with Sunday's Presentation Evening bathed in music by the Ben Walker Sound, & later MC'd by TANSW Race Secretary Jimmy Burman for prize winnings, giveaways & trophy awards.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Boat Name	Helm	Crew	Club	State	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	2848	Coollit	Rob Douglass	NIcole Douglass	JBSC	NSW	2	1	2	4	1	10	4	2	2	14
2	2883	WAC (Hull ‑ 2969)	Heather Macfarlane	Chris Payne	SYC	Vic	1	9	1	1	3	4	6	6	4	20
3	2813	Cheeky Element	Rick Longbottom	Darryl Bentley	CYC / RANSA	NSW	4	7	13	5	2	3	1	4	3	22
4	2942	Little Miss Magic	James Burman	Tara Burman	GRSC	NSW	5	8	11	2	12	5	2	1	1	24
5	2619	Galah	John Dransfield	Jesse Dransfield	Manly 16'SSC	NSW	3	2	5	6	4	1	18	OCS	5	26
6	2925	Serendipity	Hugh Tait	Anna Tait	Northbridge	NSW	8	6	3	3	5	2	5	3	6	27
7	2911	Another Roady	Peter Davies	Pia Lehtonen‑Davies	GRSC/BSC	NSW	10	3	6	13	6	13	3	9	8	45
8	2903	Vivace	Brad Stephens	Jennifer Overton	BSC	NSW	7	10	7	8	10	8	7	5	9	51
9	2964	Ratz 3	Gary Ratcliffe	Robyn Ratcliffe	GRSC	NSW	6	11	9	23	9	7	9	14	7	58
10	2853	2SheepStations	Kelsey Ormsby	Alison Ormsby	Tinaroo SC / Cairns YC	Qld	16	15	4	7	11	14	10	12	16	73
11	2938	Critical Path	David Meehan	Rhyss Edwards	MBSC	WA	19	19	14	10	14	9	8	11	11	77
12	2965	Indefensible	Bern Streater	Sarah Ratcliffe	GRSC	NSW	17	5	10	9	15	16	13	21	14	82
13	2906	Sea Major and Minor	Imogen Stanford	Ralph Stanford	Woollahra SC	NSW	13	12	17	22	8	6	BFD	23	13	91
14	2114	Blew'n	Bruce Hilleard	Tina Hilleard	GRSC	NSW	12	21	8	14	20	19	23	10	12	95
15	2780	Faking Clever	Kerry Fyfe	Michael OBrien	Woollahra Sailing Club	NSW	15	26	19	17	7	17	21	8	15	98
16	2776	Rastafarian Rocket	Gareth Evans	Laura‑Jane Evans	Sandringham Yacht Club	Vic	9	13	21	20	16	15	19	16	10	98
17	2192	Sweet Potayto	Ian Taylor	William Taylor	Hampton Sailing CLub	Vic	20	4	24	15	13	11	31	19	21	103
18	2769	The AntzPantz	Tony Creak	Julie Creak	Royal Geelong Y. C.	Vic	14	20	16	16	17	12	17	25	23	112
19	2967	X	Jake Gunther	Milly Gunther	Hampton sailing club	Vic	25	16	27	27	21	21	12	7	17	119
20	2349	Like Lightning	Chris Johnson	Matt Smyth	GRSC	NSW	23	24	12	12	25	18	25	17	26	131
21	2939	Shenanigans	Killian Sargent	Yvonne Murray	Balmoral Sailing Club	NSW	27	17	18	19	24	20	20	13	27	131
22	2953	Boogie Time	Ben Walker	Cath Walker	BSC	NSW	24	14	22	25	26	34	14	15	24	138
23	2300	Recycled	Graham Griffin	Caroline Griffin	BSC	NSW	18	18	29	11	22	27	15	29	28	139
24	2968	Agamemnon	Chris Parkinson	Matthew Fitzgerald	Speers Point ASC	NSW	11	23	20	26	19	23	27	OCS	22	144
25	2952	Tasared Twice	Gavin Brown	Clare Woods	Balmoral Sailing Club	NSW	32	31	15	21	30	28	16	18	19	147
26	2734	Something Cool	Malcolm Handel	Jenny Sorensen	Northbridge Sailing Club	NSW	26	35	25	24	23	33	11	30	29	168
27	1912	Cruz'n	Mark Hooper	Pip Hooper	GRSC	NSW	29	22	23	29	18	26	26	24	30	168
28	2874	Shaw Thing	Cameron shaw	Eva Shaw	GRSC	NSW	35	33	26	18	28	25	22	27	25	171
29	2578	Southern Stars	Richard Shaw	Laurie Hoffman	BSC	NSW	30	32	32	31	27	38	29	20	20	189
30	2895	Sidewinder	Marcus Livingstone	Richard Porter	ADF	ACT	28	25	34	36	37	24	24	22	32	189
31	2962	Rastasarmouse	Boyd Newton	Kylie Symonds	Balmoral Sailing Club	NSW	31	27	33	32	31	31	28	26	18	192
32	2532	Lilac	John Stannard	Anne Thacker	South Brisbane SC	Qld	21	37	30	28	32	22	34	32	34	199
33	2897	Boaty McBoat Face	Daniel Hughes	Toby Wilson	ADF	ACT	33	28	31	34	33	30	30	33	33	218
34	2894	This Way Up	Matt Snoeks	Jack Barber	ADF	ACT	38	38	28	33	29	29	35	28	37	219
35	1685	Miss Ruby	Jason Wilson	Jack Wilson	RMYS	Vic	22	30	35	35	35	35	33	31	35	221
36	2944	Salmon 3	Richard Salmon	Phillip Hsu	Woollahra Sailing club	NSW	37	34	38	38	34	32	32	34	31	234
37	2710	Chukkel	Kate Douglass	Laurence Wilson	JBSC	NSW	34	36	36	30	36	37	36	35	36	243
38	2896	Flying Fozzies Returns	Madison Hall	Hayden Skiparis	ADF	ACT	36	29	37	37	38	36	37	DNF	DNC	250
39	2763	More Edge	John Balass	Heather Forton	Balmoral Sailing CLub	NSW	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	280

Junior Helm - Imogen Stanford (WSC)
Female Helm - Imogen Stanford (WSC), courtesy of Heather Macfarlane
Masters (age 80+) Bernard Streater & Sarah Ratcliffe (GRSC), courtesy Rob & Nic Douglass
GM (age 100+) Heather MacFarlane & Chris Payne (SYC- VIC)
SGM (age 120+) Tony & Julie Creak (RGYC - VIC)

Wrap Up

What a beautiful Easter weekend of sailing it has been. Congratulations to all winners and to every competitor who took part and made the Regatta what it was & our Class what it is ~ a whole lot of Tasar family fun!

Here's a couple of Notes to finish on:

Rob Douglass - as Rob steps down from his Presidency on the NSW Committee, what a brilliant way to finish his two rewarding decades with the Association whilst tallying up now his 8th States Titles in Tasars, 8 National Titles & 2 Worlds, all with daughter and 'Adventures of a Sailor Girl' Nic. He assures us that we're not going to lose him from the class... of course not!
Sponsors and Volunteers no sailing event can be run without the support, advice, & prize giving's from our sponsors (NB Sail Sports, Boatropes, Sail Equipment Aust (SEA), Shoreline Apparel) & the work of volunteers (our on & offshore GRSC Race Committee, GRSC & other Club & Class members, & families)
Photos a host of high pic photos from days 1 to 3 of racing plus the Presentation Night can be found on Rob Owe-Young's website here. Rob, who is widely known at Balmoral SC for his brilliant camera work, had very generously lent his time over Easter to capture our State Titles in action. We thank him tremendously! Downloading from Rob's website galleries is free.