Race Report 2024 NSW ACT Laser Metro's 9-10 March
Chris Tattersall
44 DBSC members made early starts on Saturday and Sunday to join the substantial fleet of ILCA Laser sailors at the Metro’s hosted by Vaucluse Yacht Club. The early start had the advantage of avoiding the crush of 18 Footers on the final weekend of their JJ Giltinan Championships.
Ben Byford reports from the start boat:
The ILCA Metropolitan Championships hosted by Vaucluse Yacht Club on March 9th and 10th saw record participation of 119 boats across all fleets, with sailors travelling from all corners of Australia to compete against the country's best.
Here's a breakdown of the event:
Participants:
ILCA 4: 22 entrants
ILCA 6: 62 entrants
ILCA 7: 35 entrants
Most Represented Club:
Double Bay Sailing Club stood out with 44 entrants.
Weather Conditions:
Saturday started with a promising wind forecast but we ended up facing challenging conditions due to a strong outgoing tide and the light and fickle oscillating breeze . The race committee and sailors struggled with multiple general recalls and postponements which led to a long day on the water.
Sunday brought a slightly more consistent breeze, which gradually built up to 12-18 knots from the NNE, providing excellent sailing conditions.
Race Highlights:
Saturday's races were characterized by frustrating conditions caused by tide and oscillating winds. The Black flag had to be used for some fleets.
Sunday saw improved sailing conditions with tight racing across all fleets and many photo finishes.
Consistency was key, and impressive performances from ILCA 4 sailors Miles Greenwood and Ben Costandi made for a scorecard resembling a picket fence shared equally between the two .
Winners:
Miles Greenwood clinched victory in the ILCA 4 class by a narrow margin of one point over Ben Costandi, with Ruby Carter from RQYS third.
Double Bay sailors dominated the ILCA 6 class podium, with Sylvie Stannage leading the pack, followed by Healy Ryan and Brooke Wilson.
In the Standard rigs, Fredrik Westman from WSC was First, followed by Alexander Bijkerk with Otto Henry securing third place despite losing count of the number of laps sailed and continuing to complete another lap whilst others were finishing. Conor Kellett claimed fourth and the title of first under 21
