A total of twelve skippers representing four states and one territory made the journey to Yarrawonga to compete in the 2023 Victorian Ten Rater State Championship held over the weekend of 12-13 August. The forecast was for very light winds all weekend.
Indeed racing was delayed until a consistent breeze was present in between bouts of drizzle. Scott Condie’s newly completed Trance and Steve Sedgeman with his latest iteration of his ‘Sanga’ design were the initial ones to beat, until others hit their stride also.
A 90 degree course change for lunch had Scott Condie find his groove for the afternoon, with mixed results behind him. A total of 7 races were completed for the day.
Most skippers met at the Mulwala RSL for dinner, and watching the Matilda’s triumph over France in the World Cup. This is the pleasant side of our sport, with great camaraderie amongst the skippers.
Sunday dawned with blue skies and light but consistent breeze, unlike the glass out which was forecast. Races were run in a timely manner, and relatively incident free, a credit to all skippers. This allowed a respectable 15 races to be sailed before the wind Gods knocked off for the day.
A total of 22 races sailed had Scott Condie emerge as our 2023 champion, ahead of Steve Sedgeman, and the ‘comeback kid’, Kirwan Robb.
A special mention to #39, John Brolese who sailed his immaculately built cedar strip planked Phoenix 8 design, a true work of art.
Overall the regatta was sailed in good spirit and demeanour, which made it a breeze to officiate. A big thank you to all the participants, VRYA organising members, and the Yarrawonga Yacht Club for their hospitality and venue to conduct our racing.