64th Skate National Championship at Ceduna Sailing Club
by Sean Leonard 8 Jan 2023 10:57 GMT
After a COVID enforced 3 year break the Skates finally got back together for their 64th Nationals. The event was hosted by Ceduna Sailing Club in SA and very generously sponsored by the Ceduna Foreshore Hotel.
Seven former national champion skippers competed making for some quality racing.
In a barn burner of a finish What Now (#972 Greg Patterson/ Yianni Foufas) of St. George Sailing club got the chocolates from Plan B (#986 Brett & Cameron Fannon) of East Fremantle Yacht Club.
The boats could not be separated at the end under rule A8.1 so rule A8.2 was invoked with the highest placegetter of the last race being declared the winner. In the lighter conditions of the final race What Now romped away to win the last heat comfortably.
Early in the series it looked like Plan B would walk away with the title after 3 consecutive wins in the moderate to fresh conditions, but never giving up, the crew of What Now hung in there and took full advantage of the moderating conditions (mainly thanks to some early start times) to come storming home with 3 consecutive wins to finish the series with the win. The crew of Plan B would be rueing a costly capsize in heat 6 while leading.
The two boats were studies in how to sail a Skate in fresh breezes with Plan B absolutely smoking it upwind (crew weight at the heavy end of the scale) and What Now (crew weight at the lighter end) launching downwind. It had the spectators watching in awe.
In a honorable mention class stalwarts Dave Luck and Glenn Crichton on Any Which Way (#981) finished a highly credible 3rd.
The conditions on Murat Bay, where Ceduna Sailing Club is located, were remarkable and ideally suited to the Skate.
Steady breezes, flat water, bright sunshine and the wonderful hospitality of the club and town made for a memorable regatta.