Hat-trick for Warrren-Myers at Victorian Hobie Cat State Championships

Hat-trick for Warrren-Myers at Victorian Hobie Cat State Championships

by Paddy Butler, Bridget Raftery 27 Mar 18:46 EST
Sept. 11 March 2024

In what can solely be described as among the most profoundly erratic, fluky and taxing wind circumstances the Australian Hobie Family has ever seen on the Championship Tour, the 2024 Victorian State Championships was among the best we have seen but!

With a grand whole of 42 Hobie Cats on the water (consisting for 21 x Hobie 16s, 12 x Hobie 14s, 5 x Hobie 14-Turbos and 4 x Hobie 18s), the Hobie Cat Assoc. of Victoria, together with the superb group at Anglesea Motor Yacht Club have as soon as once more run an excellent Hobie Regatta, each on and off the water.

The Hobie Cat Association of Victorian wish to thank their proud supporters of the occasion, Soulful Living Real Estate, CTS Environmental, South Western Drilling and Anglesea Discovery Camp and all their help. An enormous cheers and acknowledgement goes to the Tutt household for his or her creativity and ingenuity in creating this 12 months’s trophies, created from garbage collected alongside the Victorian Coastline. Thanks to Emily Chiu for the excellent design on the occasion t-shirts.

Finally, due to Kate and the entire group at Anglesea, together with Race Officers Ron & John, for his or her instrumental efforts and organising of this distinctive regatta.

Saturday

With half the fleet already on location on Victoria’s Surf Coast, it was a busy begin to the morning at Anglesea Motor Yacht Club because the lots started swamping into city prepared for a weekend of truthful climate crusing. Already sweating buckets earlier than he made it to the seaside for his morning surf, Mick Butler had his Hobie 14 set to light-weather mode in step with the weekend’s forecast barely exceeding 10 knots. Likewise, Queenslander Carmen Andrews felt proper at home with a median of 38′ levels celsius forecasted for the three days of racing.

However, as we are inclined to be taught time and time once more, the forecast did not dwell as much as all of the hype with a scorching and dry north-westerly blowing fiercely down the cliff faces of the Surf Coast. Hitting the water straight after lunch, the fleet was a spectacle for the lots of of holiday-makers parked up on the seaside underneath their CoolCabanas.

Leading the cost within the Hobie 16s, Georgia & Fletcher Warren-Myers got here away with three bullets, all lower than a ship size in entrance of Cam Weddell & Pip Pietromonaco who completed with three seconds. Geoff Rowdon & Taylor Woodward had 4 keepers, beginning the day with a pair of thirds, while the Shue brothers, Kenton & Jonno, raced persistently. However, it was a strong pin-end begin to your Match Report authors, Paddy Butler & Bridget Raftery, who claimed the final race as their very own, splitting up the picket fence for Team Warren-Myers.

Martin Venter and reigning champion, Upu Kila, went head-to-head within the Hobie 14-Turbos, ending the day on equal factors. Likewise, Mick Butler and Rod Waterhouse completed tied on factors, with MB main on count-back. NSW hotshot Gav Luxton had a constant day, as did Leon Whitworth who made the journey to Anglesea all the best way from the Gold Coast. Finally, The Hobie 18s noticed a clear sweep from Jake de Rooy & Alannah Simpson earlier than breakage within the last warmth, leaving Torquay locals Chris Hordern & James Marsh the chance to win the final warmth of the day.

With anticipation mounting after Geoff Rowdon teased the ‘On the Couch’ session after AMYC’s roast dinner, it was lastly revealed that ANHCA President, Cam Weddell could be chatting to none apart from World Champion, bonafide Hobie Legend and Anglesea native Aaron Worrrall. Bringing alongside tales from the golden years of Hobie Sailing within the 90s, Azza spoke candidly about his life on Tour all world wide, from his early days on a Hobie 14, to his early retirement and crusing on his 40ft catamaran all world wide. Put the time in, park up on the sofa, activate Totally Immersed TV and take a pay attention your self.

Sunday

Relatively well-rested sailors arrived vibrant and early to search out themselves in an already-triple the forecast breeze. Both those that had are available in with the birds to get pleasure from a spot of browsing and the Anglesea locals knew that an intellectually-challenging day was forward, on account of the truth that the 15 knot nor-westerly was already gusting in at a strong tempo, but the hurry-up-and-wait protocol was enacted in anticipation of the inbound southerly breeze.

After a sweaty few hours spent half-dressed in wetsuits, in-between the membership’s air-conditioning and the cool waters of the Bass Strait, the AP was dropped, mainsails have been swiftly hauled up, and the surf was conquered. A majority of the fleet arrived simply in time to see their class flag raised, and the racing was underneath means. A shock lay in wait, although, because the true which means of a south-northerly was revealed.

It proved somewhat difficult as throughout one of many 4 races as there appeared to be no downwind leg – the wind would shift because the fleet rounded A-mark, letting the traveller go, solely to search out themselves sheeting again on. This did nothing to dissuade the Race Committee or any of the sailors, who merely gritted their tooth and glued their eyes to the telltales to complete 4 spectacular races.

Starting the day sturdy, Cam & Pip snuck in two bullets, earlier than Fletch & Georgia took one within the third, and Rowdy & Taylor claimed the final race in sensational vogue. Somers hotshots, Nigel Beddoe & Naomi Chiu have been crusing persistently within the variable circumstances, while Anglesea father/daughter group Tim & Elsa Tutt snuck in a second through the third warmth of the day, with the Shue boys and Paddy & Bridget following carefully behind.

Jake & Alannah had one other strong day on the race observe within the Hobie 18 fleet, with Shane ‘Chucky’ Norris & Rosie Marsh, his brand-new super-crew, giving Team NSW a run for his or her money. In the Hobie 14-Turbos, Victorians Herman Voorhoeve, Colin Bailey and Nick Price have been giving Upu and Martin one thing to struggle for on the water.

In the Hobie 14s, positions have been swapping and altering simply as a lot because the breeze, with Oliver Hordern profitable the primary warmth of the day, with Luxton and Queenslander Carmen Andrews coming in second and third respectively after some confusion within the race observe. MB and Hot Rod each had constant days, ending on equal factors as soon as once more. Tim Chiu shone within the third race, ending with a bullet after Kerry Waterhouse was seen rounding the top-mark in first.

Post-racing, the sailors have been handled to a feed from the native wood-fired pizza oven, and urged to gasoline up in anticipation of Rowdy’s latest sport. It was solely becoming that this sport would favour the Victorians, as residents of a state way more well-versed within the methods of Aussie Rules than maybe among the New South Welshmen. “Hobie Handball” was launched. The guidelines are easy: with an AFL ball, handball it in direction of a goal, aiming for the Hobie ‘H’ flag reduce out within the centre to attain your self factors starting from 1-10. With 5 makes an attempt and a top-5 playoff, it was anybody’s sport.

Monday

The last day of racing dawned vibrant and early, and fairly nonetheless. Compared to the earlier days, it was a aid to see a constant 7 knots on the wind readings, coming from a constant route. The fleet was off the seaside on time, and the calm journey out to the racetrack gave the sailors a real alternative to admire the gorgeous surroundings of the Surf Coast.

However, the weekend would not really be full with out one more sophisticated resolution from the wind gods. In-between the primary and second races, the gusts climbed considerably, and the beginning of the second race had the sensation of traveller out, maintain on, and pray. The racetrack shortly become capsize central, and the phrases “we’re in survival mode” have been distinctly uttered. With winds ranging between 5 knots and 35 knots, with solely two heats accomplished on the ultimate day of racing.

A strong day on the water for Leon Whitworth with a 1, 2, noticed him climb up the ladder within the Hobie 14s, knocking Gav Luxton off the rostrum to complete in third behind Rod Waterhouse and Mick Butler. Butler Snr. solidified the win after a 1, 2, within the last two heats of the sequence, while additionally solidifying himself the second athlete to win three Victorian State Championships within the class with Somers (2020), Portarlington (2022) and Anglesea (2024); the primary being Butler Jnr with Port Melbourne (2018), Safety Beach (2021) and Port Melbourne (2023). Finishing in fifth place total, Oliver Hordern cleaned as much as declare his first Victorian Youth State Championships, as Carmen Andrews backed up her 2023 Title as Women’s Hobie 14 State Champion.

Upu Kila got here away because the Victorian Hobie 14-Turbo Champion for the second 12 months working, narrowly beating Martin Venter by solely two factors in some very tight racing. The Hobie 18s noticed Jake de Rooy & Alannah Simpson win comfortably after the three days of racing. This was the primary time in a variety of years that the Hobie 18s have raced on the Victorian Championships, and we’re tremendous excited to see them return to the fold.

The Hobie 16s noticed an extremely aggressive occasion throughout the board. Victorian Assoc. President Mads Gillard & husband-to-be Zac Poole completed in fifteenth, just one level forward of Anglesea Commodore Kate Stanley & Ben Niblett. Nigel Beddoe & Naomi Chiu have been forward of Kenton & Jonno Shue by a single level, each pulling out of the ultimate race of the sequence.

Meanwhile, all three Morris-helmed Hobie 16s completed inside three factors of each other. Zoe Morris & Harry Taylor (Youth) completed on 84 factors; matriarch Emma Morris & Jemima Wilson (Women) completed on 82 factors; lastly, having solely sailed thrice previous to competing in Anglesea, Matilda Morris & Abi Beddoe (Women/Youth) completed on 81 factors, claiming their inaugural Youth and Women’s Victorian Championship within the Hobie 16s.

At the sharp finish of the fleet, Paddy Butler & Bridget Raftery missed out a podium end by just one level, as Grand Masters Champions Geoff Rowdon & Taylor Woodward completed third total of their greatest regatta up to now. Some imagine it’s his years of experience on the Hobie 16 that might be the reason for Rowdy’s distinctive efficiency, while others speculate his newfound crew to be the driving issue on the race observe. Locking within the Fossil Cup, Andy & Nick Meehan as soon as once more took home the title of Great Grand Masters after a constant efficiency in difficult circumstances. Fighting it out until the very finish and ending their regatta with a bullet, Cam Weddell & Pip Pietromonaco completed second total to Fletcher & Georgia Warren-Myers.

Taking out the Masters Championship and their third consecutive Victorian State Championships within the Hobie 16s, Fletch & Georgia completed their regatta with 5 bullets throughout the 10-race sequence.

Finally, we will verify that the 2025 Victorian Hobie Cat State Championships can be hosted by Rosebud Yacht Club over the Victorian Labour Day weekend, with dates being 8-10, March 2025.