Report on NSW/ACT State Open & Masters Championship 2023

DBSC’s Campbell Patterson reports on last weekend’s state championships hosted by Canberra YC.

Canberra served up a challenging track for us ILCA 7 sailors at the States over the weekend. Ultra-flat water, massive shifts and huge velocity differences across the course meant that the thinking cap was far more important than the legs. It was an opportunity for the old boys to shine (and shine they often did). In six races in 2-16 knots over 2 days I won every start (in my opinion), often at the pin end. Staying in the lead proved difficult, however, and Zander and Brett frequently found better pressure, passing me on downwinds or second beats. We raced with our top mark behind a mountain and with an island in the middle of the trapezoid, and it’s safe to say that every sailor benefited from favourable shifts and suffered severe frustration watching others sail around them in unreachable pressure. Zander had more patience, vision and cunning on the day and took the state title from me, with Beyer a close third and more DBSC members hot on our heels. Our members were out in great force, yet again showing who the best Laser/ILCA club in the world is.

ILCA7 NSW/ACT State Champ Zander Bijkerk

Congratulations also to ILCA 6 champion Healy Ryan, with Brooke Wilson second and Sylvie Stannage rounding out the podium, and ILCA 4 champion Miles Greenwood followed by Ben Costandi and Harriet McLachlan in second and third respectively. And to all the Double Bay sailors who participated and won their respective age divisions.

photo courtesy Canberra Yacht Club

For full results, please see here.