DAY 1

Day one of the 2017 Gill Optimist Victorian Championships was a great day for the Optimist Sailors and Royal Geelong Yacht Club. Sailors were held ashore until the breeze built, firstly for the Green fleet to get underway, and then enough for the Open & Intermediate fleet shortly after.

Geelong Performance squad coach, Brian Case had nothing but compliments for the race management on the Open fleet course, in a fickle then building breeze.

‘Onshore, hospitality was sensational, and the race management was brilliant. Greg (Sinclair) got the pre regatta jitters out of the way with abandoning one race shortly after the start, and then getting the fleet away in a stable breeze’.

3 races were run for the green, intermediate and open fleets, which were held over 2 courses. The steady 10 knot breeze produced 3 different winners for the day in the open fleet, with Finn McMahon in Sharkfinn, making a great start to the regatta with a 1,4,2, and Linus Talacko sailing BOB, and Jack Ferguson in Aloha 2nd and 3rd respectively

Local Geelong sailor, Mason Mahoney, sailing The Albatross, got up in race 2 to win his first race in the Optimist Open fleet, sailing a text book race. After a good start, and leading at the first mark he sailed away from the rest of the fleet, leaving them to fight for the minor placings.

In the Intermediate Fleet, Scarlett Zerbe posted a 9,1,1 to be first after day 1, with another Geelong sailor, Riley Cantwell in 2nd, and Samuel Stringer in 3rd.

On Green fleet course, which consists of sailors who are new to racing, racing was well run by the Race Officer Annina Varrella, and her race team. Local RGYC sailor, Jorja Mahoney is currently leading with a 3, 1, 2 with Anna Robinson 2nd, and Natalie Gleeson 3rd.

Principal Race officer Max Stein was happy with how the day went, with all fleets getting their allocated 3 races in with no significant incidences.

Conditions for the rest of the weekend are expected to be generally light conditions, with rain clearing by the morning, setting the scene for another great day on the Bay.

DAY 2

Competitors were greeted with a stiff 20 knot North Easterly as the sun came up on day 2 of the 2017 Gill Optimist Victorian Championships, but with the forecast of a dying breeze, then rebuilding from the South west, that was exactly what happened.

70 Optis headed out onto the Open and Intermediate course, and by the earlier scheduled start time of 10:30, the wind had already abated to less than 15 knots. With two general recalls for the first race of the day, race officer Greg Sinclair pulled out the black flag to finally get a race underway. With one race in the bag, and the wind dying to a glass out, sailors on all fleets were sent ashore to await the predicted new breeze from the South West.

Lachlan Grogan from Royal Brighton YC notched up a 1st to bring his score card up from a 26th in the last race of Day One. Current Australian Champion, New South Welshman Jack Ferguson gained a win in race 5, and another in race 6 to bring him within one point of series leader Finn McMahon, who scored a 2, 3 and a 10th, which became his drop after today.

Finn had a good day on the water, playing the pressure up the left hand side in the first race of the day, and getting to the top mark in a comfortable fifth. He was able to sail well for the rest of the race picking up a 2nd by the finish. In the second race, (race 5), he was able to sail a consistent race to finish third.

Local RGYC sailor Mason Mahoney followed up his win on day one with another couple of solid performances, with a 6th and a 5th, to be lying 7th overall.

In the Intermediate fleet, Jack Italia sailing Doin The Doo, notched up a 2, 3, 2 to be leading going into the last day. Amelia Evenden, sailing Windmill, is only 2 points behind, having her second 1st for the series, followed by a 9, 6.

Overnight leader from day one, Scarlett Zerbe was happy for her friend Jack to be winning. She said ‘Jack has been sailing very consistently, and sitting back in his boat and hiking when the wind comes up’. Scarlett had a bit of trouble in the breeze, taking on water in a gust on the way to the finish and losing a few places. Scarlett, sailing Dash, is still in striking distance of first place, providing she puts a good last day together on the final day of racing tomorrow.

On the Green Fleet course, sailors were held ashore until the morning breeze abated. A few games of beach volleyball and a bit of team building passed the time before racing got underway. Local Sailor Jorja Mahoney, sailing Serendipity, was able to hold on to first place overall, but is tied on 14 points apiece with Anna Robinson in Jigglypuff who won the only race held on the green fleet course for the day. Natalie Gleeson in Nat held on to third for race four, and 3rd overall.

DAY 3

Day 3 was set to be a light one for the final day of racing in the 2017 Gill Optimist Victorian Championships, but the breeze slowly built to test the sailors in a rage of conditions from 5 knots in the first race, building to a great breeze of up to15 knots by the 3rd race, with the sun shining, making for some of the best conditions that Corio Bay has to offer.

Overnight leader in the open fleet, Finn McMahon, got away quickly to notch a win in the lightest race of the day, while title contender Jack Ferguson notched up a 7th which would eventually become one of his drops.

As the wind built for the second race, Jack Ferguson got another first, his third for the regatta, which brought him within one point of series leader Finn McMahon going into the last race. Lachlan Grogan, who had been consistent on the second an third day, was paying for two big scores on the first day, meaning there was little chance of an overall podium placing.

For the last race of the series, with the wind building to a perfect 12-15 knots, local RGYC sailor Mason Mahoney once again sailed brilliant race to get his second 1st for the regatta, and cementing himself into a solid 6th overall. But the drama was left to unfold when Finn McMahon was penalized by the on water judges, and after what he thought was completion of his turns, went on to cross the line first. It was disappointing for him, and following a protest, could not get his placing reinstated. This left Jack Ferguson, from New South wales, to take out the Open title from his mate, Finn McMahon on a count back. Jack said “it was great to come down to the Vic States and be pushed all weekend by Finn. It was his regatta, but disappointing for him to lose it on a technicality. The regatta has been really fun, and great training for the worlds, being held in Pattaya, Thailand in July” Finn still wins the Victorian Championship title, not available to interstate visitors. Linus Talacko rounded out the top three, sailing the most consistent for the weekend on the Open fleet, dropping a 7 and a 4.

On the Intermediate course, Amelia Evenden notched up two more 1sts and a 7 for the day to take out the series from Jack Italia who was only one point behind. Jack Bretherton rounded out the top 3 sailing very consistently on the second and third day after an average start to the regatta on day one. Riley Cantwell was the best of the Geelong locals finishing 8th overall for the regatta.

In Green fleet, RGYC sailor Jorja Mahoney did the host club proud by, finishing 2, 3, 1 on the last day to finish first overall. Natalie Gleeson was second and Anna Robinson third. Out of the 16 starters in Green fleet, 11 of these were girls, which was fantastic to see.

In his final presentations for the day, VIODA Vice President Jan Talacko thanked the Royal Geelong Yacht Club and all the volunteers who helped both on and off the water for providing a great venue, and making it a great experience for the sailors and families alike.