Healy Ryan at the Tassie ILCA States 2024
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Over the weekend Healy Ryan travelled to the Royal Yacht club of Tasmania, (the venue of the 2026 Australian ILCA championships) for the Tasmanian ILCA States. The Derwent River lived up to its reputation with variable wind speeds mixed with variable wind direction and a little current for good measure, to make for a great challenge to the competitors and officials alike. The Committee did an admirable job to get three races away after a 10:30 launch into glassy conditions, with 3 races completed a little before 2pm they hoisted AP over H (indicating a break on shore). A little under an hour later there was a return to the race track! It was a good call and by the days end 5 races had been completed. The motivation was to become clear overnight with the sailors waking up to a westerly gusting 70knots and a leisurely average of 40 knots on the mountain. On the Derwent the moored boats were struggling and the PRO made probably their easiest decision for the regatta and abandoned racing for the day.
The locals set the standard in the first races but sailing on Sydney Harbour means Healy’s no stranger to shifty westerlies and by the time the 5 races had been completed he was consistent enough to have climbed to the top of the leader board to win the overall championship ([5],2,2,1,4) as well as the U17 title. A huge thanks should go to the members of ‘The Royal” who not only found a ILCA for Healy to use for the event but also generously put us up for the weekend while we were there. The abandoned day was a showcase in what sailing is all about with a group of interstate and local teenagers all heading off to play indoor bowls and some Mini Golf, making new friends and sharing stories.
