It was, once again, an excellent turnout for an excellent event at Mannering Park’s Phil Johnston Memorial 14ft Cat Regatta. Over the weekend of the 18th & 19th of October, 28 Hobie 14s hit the water, joining the fleet of Maricats, Paper Tigers and Arrows. It was always bound to be a hard-fought bunch of races!
Firstly, a big shoutout to Mannering Park Amateur Sailing Club. To Emily, Danielle, and the rest of the team behind the scenes and on the water, thank you for giving us such quality in the racing, canteen, and rescue boats. The calibre of your event is what keeps us coming back year after year!
Another shoutout to our interstate competitors from QLD and VIC – you always bring that little bit of extra energy that makes these events so worth it!
This event was also the first part of the NSW State Titles, being the state championships for the H14-Turbos – the first time in a long time they’ve had a lone event. Many thanks to all those who dusted off their jibs to compete!
Saturday dawned with a sou’easter winding its way around the point, and the fleet made it onto the water for a very relaxed 11:30 start. There were four races and a mid-range sou’easter on the cards – the perfect first day.
In the H14Ts, Mick Butler and Andrew McKenzie took two firsts each, with Paddy Butler and Bloody Leon hot on their heels.
In the H14s, Fletcher Warren-Myers took two firsts, with Carmen Andrews and Emma Webb putting on an absolute masterclass and taking out a first each. The top 10 was all over the place, with seconds and thirds being wildly inconsistent, speaking to the immense talent at play. Stellar performances from Peter Breaden, Dave Fisher, Georgia Warren-Myers, and Courtney Smith rounded out the top end of the fleet.
Honourable mentions for Day 1:
- Sam Dalton with a best of a 4th
- Mads Gillard with a 9th
- Zac Poole with two 7ths.
Down the back end of the fleet, the racing was just as tight. Between the Vincentia crew, it was their first chance to properly pit themselves against each other, and the side-eyes between Marc Hooper, Hazel Raftery, Fionnbarr Sweeney, & Bridget Raftery were intense. Ed & Lottie on the Dragoon finished all the races for one of their first forays into regatta land!
Sunday was easily going to be the more exciting day as the competitors rolled into the rigging lawn to find the nor’easter already fairly well-established, with the forecasts indicating it was only going to pick up. A slightly anticipatory but mostly excited fleet hit the water running. Once the races began, it was again all to play for and a true test of keeping boat speed without finding yourself upside down or sideways.
Fletcher put on an absolute class in the H14s with a picket fence, and Fisher was 2/2/2 until he found himself sans tiller extension and headed home. Mentions of note on Day 2:
- Peter Breaden had three 3rds
- Georgia had a 2nd and two 4ths.
- Darren Schmidt came through in the first race with a 5th
- Sammy Dalton snuck in a 3rd
- Mads and Paul Pascall powered through the first two races with 13ths and 14ths respectively
In the Turbos, Paddy scored two 1sts, and MB and Macca got a 1st each. Bloody Leon got a 3rd, Craig Hatton had two 4ths, and Andrew Nelson snuck in a 5th. Mark Webb wins the most consistent for the weekend with a solid average of a 7th, closely followed by Jonjay Kersh and Michael Taylor.
A mention must go to the 28 x Hobie 14s, as 12 of them hailed from Vincentia Sailing Club – which made the competition more intense as they left their weekly training behind to truly pit themselves against each other. And we, as an association, must mention and acknowledge the efforts that meant we had 7 youth sailors, and 8 women sailors – the future is bright!!
We look forward to seeing you all back at Mannering Park for the 16 Open States on the 6th and 7th of December!
Final Results:
14 Turbos (State Championship)
1st – Mick Butler (9pts)
2nd – Andrew McKenzie (11pts)
3rd – Paddy Butler (11pts)
14s Open
1st – Fletcher Warren Myers (6pts)
2nd – Dave Fisher (17pts)
3rd – Peter Breaden (17pts)
14s – Womens
1st – Georgia Warren-Myers (20pts, 4th overall)
2nd – Carmen Andrews (21pts, 5th overall)
3rd – Emma Webb (33pts, 6th overall)
14s – Youth
1st – Emma Webb (33pts, 6th overall)
2nd – Sam Dalton (41pts, 8th overall)
3rd – Bridget Raftery (58pts, 9th overall)
Overall 14ft Yardstick
1st – Fletcher Warren-Myers (11pts)
3rd – Mick Butler (21pts)
4th – Andrew McKenzie (27pts)
