New Zealand IOM 2006 LindauerNational Championship Report.

By Ian Hull-Brown

The trend of attracting Australian entries to the New Zealand IOM National championships continued again this year with the entry of four skippers (two from Victoria and two from Queensland), along with four from North Shore, two from Northern Maritime, three from Wanganui and five from Wellington making up the eighteen starters.  Jim Brown from NMMS who is always a keen competitor had put in a tentative entry in the hope of competing but unfortunately complications after shoulder surgery prevented him attending.  Our best wishes go to Jim for a full and speedy recovery, I know he would have enjoyed this competition.  Another who had to withdraw due to work commitments was our own John Brooks who we missed giving us the hurry up.

Wellington had been in a bad mood for about three weeks as she sulked after daylight saving ended and the Arts Festival dismantled.  Rain, gales, cold, overcast skies, generally most unpleasant conditions for sailing toy boats.  Come the Friday of the Lindauer IOM NZ Championship and she delighted everyone with a light southerly breeze around six knots maximum and steady in direction and strength.  Perfect conditions for A rig all day.  Craig Jones set an excellent course of triangle, windward leeward, triangle with nice long beats. 

The race management team led by Con Renner settled into a seamless routine, or at least from a competitors viewpoint it was seamless and trouble free and the regatta was off for three days of intense competition.

Some talk prior to the contest regarding the use of either one or two fleets was resolved by a show of hands at the skippers’ meeting in favour of two fleets with four promotions and relegations.

The support of our club members should be acknowledged.  The teams involved with setting up and placement of the buoys, race management, catering, rescue, observation, starting and finishing lines, weighing, and all the many other essential tasks needed to run a smooth contest are to be warmly thanked.  Without your effort guys the Wellington Radio Yacht Club would not have the reputation it has, of running the best contests in the country.  Those of you involved will know it is the attention to the details and the friendliness offered that enhances the club’s mana.

From a competitor’s point of view, which I was this year, it makes for a most pleasant experience.  We have already received some nice words from contestants.

Back to the sailing.  Some of the Aussies were keen to sail in a ‘Wellington Breeze’, say 18-25 knots,  B rig or even a C rig, as some had little experience flying the smallest rig the class allows.  This was not to be on the Saturday, although turning to the north, the wind freshened only to around 12 knots in the gusts necessitating a change by all to B rigs and finally lightening at the end of the day enough for two or three brave ones to change back to A rig.

The forecast of a front with rain and high winds for Sunday didn’t happen.  In fact the northerlies on Sunday were so light and flukey that being in the right place at the right time on the course was most beneficial for some and frustrating for others.

Without doubt the best sailor won.  Geoff Smale has been at the top of New Zealand radio sailing for many years now due not only to undisputed talent but also as a result of the time and effort put in to testing and researching of all things to do with radio yacht design and optimisation.  It is Geoff’s mantra that I repeat “four hours in the workshop for every hour on the water”.  Some have scoffed at this but here is the proof of it working.  Two of the Aussies did well and showed us we still have a way to go.  I was well pleased with my V5 design boat.  The fleet contained four V5s and they were as fast as any other design.  My theory is that it is the talent of the skipper that determines the placing at this level of event as all the yachts are pretty much equal.  More of this level of racing will help our club fleet to improve so that we may feature a little higher up the list in future national contests whilst enjoying raising the standard of all club members.

Well done to all, another fine club effort.