Finn wins NSW Youth Title

Over the long weekend, Finn dished out a DBSC sailing lesson at the 2014 NSW Youth Titles on Botany Bay. 8 races, 7 counted, 9 points. Thanks for coming.  

Well done young man!

Even better, Finn put together this report on the regatta (note to all....you write it, we'll publish it):

 The Yachting NSW Youth Championships was held on the waters of Botany Bay, hosted by Georges River sailing club. The regatta featured a tough lineup with the best sailors from the east coast of Australia ready to do battle on the racecourse. With heavy winds forecasted for the first day of racing, I knew I needed to make the most of the breeze before the wind was expected to die out. 

Day one was fruitful with four wins from starts. I was in my element in the 20 knot choppy conditions and even found myself winning races by a good minute. I was really happy with the way I was sailing however, I have identified some areas where I can make adjustments to make me go faster.

The rest of the regatta was forecasted to be very light and fickle which would cause for some for some interesting racing. On Saturday, after many hours sitting on shore, the radial fleet managed one race in less that 5 knots starting at 5pm. With somewhat shaky start due to some start line mayhem, I managed to get back to a 2nd place finish. I had to rely on my light wind skills and finesse in the boat to keep the boat moving faster at all times.

The final day was Sunday and I knew that even though I had a big lead, the regatta was not over yet and I still needed to sail smart to secure the regatta win. The last day of racing saw an unexpectedly strong sea breeze that came across the bay which made for some great rides downwind. The first race of the day I was over on the start line but didn’t see the individual recal flag until 30 seconds post the start.  However, I went back which caused me to be behind the entire fleet by 1 minute. I had to work hard the entire race but secured a 7th.  The final races of the day were lots of fun with NE wind blowing 15-20knots and I was able to take out the regatta with another win and a 2nd. 

It was a great regatta, overall, a good opening stanza to the upcoming regatta season.

Finn