RBYC Racing News Thursday 12th June 2008

18th Australian Womens Keelboat Regatta

With the final disappearance of last week’s lingering East coast low, the stationery high in the Bight drifted across Port Phillip Bay, ensuring challenging light weather conditions for the running of the 18^th Australian Women’s keelboat regatta over the Queen’s Birthday weekend.

With local crews from around the bay, participants from Paynesville and Portland and interstate crews from Tasmania and South Australia, a fleet of 17 boats with all women crews aboard, enthusiastically lined up for the first race of the regatta. RBYC was well represented with 18 girls participating, led by sisters Sally Williams aboard Adams Rib and Rosie Colahan aboard Ingenue. Adams Rib also hosted guest crew, Leanne Doherty from Portland, who had demonstrated her commitment by driving up every week for the last month to attend the lead up lecture series held at RBYC!

Over the Saturday and Sunday, challenging light weather conditions made it difficult for the "heavyweight division" comprising Adams Rib, Ingenue and Savoir Faire (Beneteau 47.7 from RGYC mentored by Robyn Brooke) to be competitive against the lightweight flyers, but with the advent of more consistent light northerly winds on Monday, the RBYC girls came to the fore.

Final results for the PHD trophy saw the girls from RYCV aboard Adams 10 "Tomcat II" take out the series with placing 1-2-3-1-10 from Elwood Sailing Club’s girls aboard LouisCo 4-12-2-3-3 and Chikara Chicks Escape from RGYC with placings 10-4-2-2-8. Ingenue placed 7^th with scores 10-9-6-8-2 and Adams Rib 12^th with 15-10-8-4-6. Following their successes on the final day of racing, the crews were keen to keep racing for another week, such was their enthusiasm for their new found skills and emerging teamwork!

Congratulations and thank you to RMYS for a fantastic sailing and social program on and off the water and the success of the final presentation dinner held at RBYC on Monday evening with 190 guests present.

Thank you to all the RBYC supporters who came along to cheer us along the way and the boat owners for once again making it all possible. Congratulations to the fantastic girls who turned up every day cheerful and brimming with enthusiasm and pushed themselves to learn new skills and become a real team.

We look forward to an even greater presence at this important regatta next year, with more boats and more highly trained teams to fly the RBYC flag.

Go Girls!!!!!!

Full results available Click Here for photos of the event click here

Etchells

Congratulations to Mark Bulka sailing Critical Balance who placed 2nd overall in the MUSTO 2008 ETCHELLS AUSTRALIAN WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP, Mooloolaba click here for full results 

Photograph by Deb Lloyd

Alan Robinson Memorial Trophy Race to Queenscliff & Pursuit Sailing Saturday 

Last Saturday saw a fleet of 15 start off in the Alan Robinson Race to Queenscliff however in the first couple of hours it was evident that the lack of wind was taking over as one skipper put it "some valuable drinking time!" In the end 7 boats managed to complete the race in the light conditions and arrive at QCYC unscathed. Congratulations to B331 Audacious skippered by Greg Clinnick who won for the day - here is a copy of the winning course from RBYC to Queenscliff - the bump along the way indicates a tack behind a shipping vessel. Click here for full results. the boats that decided not to venture to Queenscliff decided to participate in a fun pursuit race around the RBYC Tower - congratulations to winner David Meik B1257 Pheonix click here for results