Treacherous weather made for extremely challenging sailing and travel conditions for the NSW Cherubs racing in Jervis Bay over the weekend.
Jervis Bay Sailing Club kindly hosted the third round of the NSW State Championships, with 28 competing boats packing out the grass and spreading into the adjacent rigging park.
The rain subsided briefly on Saturday, allowing for two successful short races to be held with minimal weather interference. Henry and Jordan Makin from B16SSC, in Huey and Dewey 3183, prevailed with the winning title for race seven. Adele and Dan Phillips from DSC quickly claimed second place in That Bad Girl 3118. Luke Sullivan and James Walters representing B16SSC placed third in Camel Toe 3147.
In race eight, the breeze steadily increased, making for fast-paced mark roundings, kite sets, and spectacular capsizes. Henry and Jordan Makin continued their winning streak, putting them comfortably in first place overall on scratch. They were closely followed by Nicole Barnes and Brett Lancaster from B16SSC in Gold Digger 3190. Once again, Luke Sullivan and James Walters crossed the finish line in third.
Despite having plans for an early race on Sunday, all sailing was canceled at 10 am with Jervis Bay Airfield measuring gusts of up to 30 knots. The southerly wind direction also predicted a large building swell and choppy water throughout the bay, adding another element of uncertainty for competitors. Incoming heavy rainfall saw many boats return to Sydney early to avoid increasing floodwaters and road closures.
The overall results on scratch at the end of three rounds are:
1st 3183 Huey and Dewey – Henry Makin and Jordan Makin
2nd 3147 Camel Toe – Luke Sullivan and James Walters
3rd 3187 Squealer – Jessica Swadling and James Glassock
The final round of the NSW Cherub state championships will be held at Abbotsford 12ft Sailing Club and Sydney Flying Squadron on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of April, respectively.
For a complete list of results, click here.
Head over to the Cherub National Council of Australia website or Facebook page for more information.
By Sarah Imlay / Cherub National Council of Australia
