S.A. Sailability State Championships 2005/2006
The Sailability State Titles were held over the Easter weekend at Adelaide Sailing Club, Barcoo Road; West Beach. 13 sailors and their Access dinghies came from all over the state including two sailors from Victoria.
Racing on Saturday was scheduled to start at 2.00pm but was delayed as the gentle 10-12 knot breeze oscillated through southerly points of the compass making it very hard to set a true start line at right angles to the wind. The Liberty dinghies sailed a triangle and two loops with a downwind finish and the 2.3 and 3.03s raced a triangle plus one loop with a downwind finish. The courses were small and tight and as the visibility was poor on-water coaching was encouraged. The support boats told some sailors where to go! The second race was immediately after the first race finished and the wind was up to a fresh 15 knot breeze and knocking the tops off the 1 metre waves making a fairly wet race. The majority of sailors had not sailed in open water before, usually sailing on inland lakes or harbours so the space and waves were a new experience, except Neil from Pt Lincoln who found the strong tide disconcerting. At the end of the two races all headed home wet, cold and tired having had a great time.
Eleven o’clock was the first start for Sunday’s three races and everybody was ready to go in the beautiful sunny day, perfect for sailing. The wind was from the north meaning that there were no waves and the seas were flat. The courses were the same as the previous day, with the first race conducted in 10 knots of wind, the second race in an exhilarating 15 knots (boats go faster in flat water) and the third race in a peaceful 8 knots of wind. Race Officer Bob Schahinger who has managed several Sailability events praised the boat handling skills of the sailors and encouraged them to participate in racing at their sailing clubs.
Allen Walters President of Yachting SA presented the YSA Perpetual Trophy for first in the 3.03 division to Craig Mildred and Dennis Henderson from Pt Adelaide Sailing Club; David Fabro President of Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association presented the PQA Perpetual Trophy for first in the 2.3 division to Martin Waller from Victoria and Terry Peek Vice-President Australian Access Class Association presented the SPARC Perpetual Trophy for first in the Liberty division to Christopher Riordan from Adelaide Sailing Club. The Deirdre Schahinger Interclub Teams Perpetual Trophy was won by Adelaide Sailing Club and presented by ‘Jonno’ Johnston President of Sailability SA. At presentation Mick Bowley the Commodore of Adelaide Sailing Club received with thanks a sponsorship cheque from Allen Walters of YSA.
Sailability events could not happen without the dedicated volunteers. A very special thanks to those people on the on-water race management teams and the marshalling teams on the pontoons, your hard work and cheerful enthusiasm made the event.
Deirdre Schahinger
Rear Commodore
April 2006
