Australian 2016 Nationals Wrap Up

Bob Griffits Wraps Up the A-Class Catamaran 2016 Australian Championships.

The 2016 Australian Championships has now come and gone. The record shows that Steve Brewin dominated the regatta, and won his fourth Australian Championship in the A Class Catamaran.

Steven has been at the top of the class for many years, and previously won the World Championship in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2011.

For months, Steve has been working tirelessly to perfect his foiling technique, as well as testing the endless evolution of rudders and centreboard prototypes that have emanating from Exploder in Poland. As a sail maker, he has manufactured many deck sweeper mainsails, and sealed trampolines in the short period since the Punta Ala World Titles in September.

He used a 2015 Exploder platform, with Z 10 centreboard, and “T” shaped Exploder asymmetrical horizontal sections on the rudders. Naturally he used his own deck sweeper mainsail design, and did not require a boom.

Adam Beattie, who finished second, used the same equipment, except that he used Exploder’s latest “L” shaped rudder designs.

Third placed Darren Bundock used Brewin main and trampoline, and standard 2016 Exploder.

One thing that all three placegetters emphasised was been fastidious in refining the angle of attack of the rudder winglet. This is an absolutely essential element for the ease and efficiency of foiling.

The final race of the series was sailed on Friday. The high winds that featured in the middle segment of the regatta were now exhausted, and we were left for hours drifting about waiting for the breeze.

Racing finally commenced at 2:00pm, in brilliant sunshine, and about 6 or 7 knots of easterly wind. Darren Bundock raced away from the remainder of the fleet on his foils on the first downwind leg as he skillfully exploited the gusts, and he went on to win by a large margin.

The battle was on for the second and third spots. Nathan Outteridge rounded the last windward mark just ahead of Steve Brewin, and the high speed-foiling race towards the finish was on Brewin prevailed over Outteridge to take the second position.

Darren Bundock gave notice in some of the pre-regatta training that he would be very fast in these conditions. He is a very skillful catamaran sailor with two Olympic Silver Medals to his credit. He is capable of foiling a Nacra 17, which has no rudder hydrofoil surface.

With a body weight of 73 kgs, he had little trouble coaxing his A Class up into the air, and it would certainly be a fascinating battle between Darren and his former crewmate Glenn Ashby in these conditions.

The Frequent Flyer award for this regatta belonged not the to sailors, but to the Postponement Flag. The weather proved a disaster. An intense low-pressure system known as an “East Coast Low” developed off the NSW coast during the middle of the regatta, which totally destroyed the normal summer wind patterns.

There was no wind for the Practice Race on the Sunday. Racing on the Monday was delayed several hours, but fortunately a reasonable, if patchy, NNE breeze arrived to allow three races to be sailed, with good foiling conditions.

The racing one Tuesday and Wednesday was blown away. Racing on Thursday was held in a slowly strengthening southerly wind, which was characterized by severe gusts, and lead to many capsizes, retirement, one completely broken boat, and the need to rescues some sailors whom became separated from their craft.

The top ten places were filled with the usual faces, which reinforces the obvious, in that the top sailors usually win.

The top non foiling boat sailed by Dave McKenzie came in at 11th place overall, and the next few positions were filled by the best of the non-foiling sailors.

Both the latest generation of Exploders and DNA boats are superb and efficient foiling designs. Exploders have improved their rudder foil design, and seemed to have caught up to the DNA’s, which arguably had the advantage at Punta Ala. The technology will march onwards.

One cost saving has become apparent and proved. A boom is no longer needed.

48 sailors entered the event. In the end James Spithill was unable to sail, and did not compete. (Spithill was still nursing an elbow injury. Ed) Nathan Outteridge showed flashes of his brilliance including winning one race, and showing lightening speed and skill downwind. Unfortunately he had little time on the boat before the regatta. He was a very late starter for the first race, and he suffered from a DNC and a DNF in the strong winds of the Thursday racing.

Both Darren Bundock and Steve Brewin will be contesting the 2016 World Titles in Holland.

There is a very high standard of A Class sailing and Australia, as well as a strong sense of camaraderie and friendship. No matter where you come in the fleet, there is a lot of fun both on and off the water.  

Photos Beau Outerrridge and Team SMLSC