Sir Robbo in the fast lane

  The rumour drifting about the Sydney waterfront that Sir Robbo has hung up his sea bag and joined the ‘stink-boat’ set is only partly correct. 
  Yes, the self-proclaimed knight of Queensland will enjoy a winter cruise behind the twin engine controls of a new Riviera but he has not retired from ocean racing. 
  He will be again lining up to contest the 2008 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week in August with his modified Farr 40 OD Cracklin’ Rosie. 
  Meanwhile he and his understanding seafaring mate, wife Beverley, will enjoy running the coastal passages in the flash new sports cruiser Decadence. 
  While the flashy Riviera is registered in the family name Beverley is the owner and Sir Robbo is just simply known as Bev’s driver and he certainly looked the part decked out in the full Riviera rig when Beverley completed the traditional christening at the Raby Bay Marina on Saturday 10 May. 

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Dehler Magic wins Whitsunday Series 

  Greg Tobin and Charlie Preen proved the value of an extensive summer of ocean racing when they co-skippered the 11.8m sloop Dehler Magic to her impressive win in the three race Port Binnli sponsored WORC series in early May. 
  The wind tormented battle flag flown by the Dehler Magic crew when they represented the Whitsunday Sailing Club in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race in December and the 60th Brisbane Gladstone classic in March was again fluttering from the backstay when her proud crew added another major trophy to their impressive list of racing results. 
  Dehler Magic finished the 205 nautical miles of tactically testing ocean racing with and against swift flowing current and moderate 15-20 knot variable East South East winds to claim a deserved win, finishing two penalty points clear of the Chris Townsend helmed Harbour Lights and the Colin Pruden skippered Sandpiper. 
  Clever tactical strategy, combined with the decision to ‘shunt’ the current rather than tack along the shore in the 60nm Shute Harbour to Mackay race, allowed the Dehler Magic crew to ward off the challenge from the lower handicapped Idle Time and Sandpiper. 
  Idle Time returning to racing after being extensively damaged in the rogue storm which left Pioneer Bay resembling a marine graveyard, was in the hunt to feature in the honours when all three skippers continued with their slog against current and headwinds. 
  Ideal spinnaker sailing winds gusting to 22 knots provided the fleet with an exciting ‘drag race’ over the Mackay to Bowen course where the veteran Mackay skipper Nev Edwards and his Nautilass Too crew outpaced their rivals to record a six minute win over Harbour Lights. 
  Dehler Magic sailed clear of an expected tactical challenge when her crew cleverly reproduced their upwind sailing superiority, winning the 45nm Bowen to Airlie Beach race and the 2008 Port Binnli WORC trophy with a comfortable win over Harbour Lights and Sandpiper. 

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Racer XY a strong title contender 

  Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron’s Audi Australian Etchells champion Racer XY will head a strong fleet including America’s Cup champions, past Olympic medallists and World champions when the 2008 Musto Australia Winter series is contested off Mooloolaba over the Queen’s Birthday weekend from 5-8 June. 
  Racer XY, expertly sailed by skipper Jason Muir and crew, won the open Australian championship Gold Medal on Moreton Bay in January to command the pole position on the National rankings as crews from all states of Australia and New Zealand make their final preparation and sail evaluation for what promises to be a very exciting series of one-design racing off Pt Cartwright. 
  The Racer XY crew with a conservative 13 penalty points were the star performers in terms of boat speed during the 2007 series leading former World champion Cameron Miles (20pts) and Australia II America’s Cup crew member Michael ‘Skip’ Lissiman (27pts) after three tactically testing heats. But an unfortunate port and starboard breach and a maximum 53-point penalty in heat four virtually closed out their challenge. 
  However, both skipper Jason Muir and tactician/coach Adrian Finglas proved Racer XY was the fastest at the series, beating the eventual title winner, the Michael Lissiman skippered Band Wagon, in five of the six races with the only blemish being the disqualification in race 4. 
  The protest decision was sportingly accepted and the Racer XY crew have since expressed their crew skills to become the top Etchells crew in the nation with their consistent results in major regattas. 
  These results particularly their Audi Trophy win in January has gained valuable respect from the older and more experienced skippers including Skip Lissiman, Cameron Miles and former World champion Peter McNeill. Muir naturally values this respect and is fully aware that he will need to protect his sailing space during the starts and mark roundings when the battle lines are drawn for this series. 
  Starting space to command the critical first use of undisturbed wind and the chance to sail the more favourable line up the first windward beat, can never be guaranteed in this highly competitive class of one-design racing. In fact the battle invariably becomes an intense ‘dog-fight’, fortunately there is no torn flesh, but generally individual pride and championship winning chances emerge with battle scars as a result of the tactical jousting. 
  The test to maintain a clean point score is a priority and the younger Racer XY crew will have this in mind when they test the speed, crew technique and tactical strategy against a very classy fleet that all have the aspirations to win the prestigious 2008 Musto Australian Etchells Winter series. 

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Audi National IRC champions too classy 

  The Sunshine Coast’s Oxygen Sailing Team injected some fresh air into Queensland Ocean racing when they won their second consecutive State IRC championship on Moreton Bay last month. 
  Owner skipper Rod Jones combined cleverly with Glen Coulton, James Walker, Kai Timm, Gary White, Chris Annear, Ben Calder, Greg McAllansmith and Sean O’Rourke to win the four race series by a commanding eight points. 
  This was a repeat of their 2007 Queensland championship success when the crew cleverly sailed a variable wind system to pilot the 2007 Audi Australian IRC champion Oceanburo/ Alegria to another outstanding major championship win. 
  The result was a fitting reward for skipper Rod Jones and his talented crew who collectively completed the bay passage and short course series to beat the Luke McGrath skippered Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron sloop Brookwater Golf while RQYS Commodore Kevin Miller’s Farr 40 Bribie Star claimed third. 
  All three crews won a heat but it was the more consistent all-angle sailing speed of the committed Oceanburo/ Alegria combination sailing their final series aboard the high performance Archambault A35 class sloop that proved too strong. 
  At various times the crews on Brookwater Golf and Bribie Star showed they had the pace to press the Audi Australian champion Alegria but the Sunshine Coast crew answered the challenge with their more consistent boat speed. 
  Both minor medal winning skippers Luke McGrath and Kevin Miller can be exceptionally happy with their Queensland championship results, particularly the heat wins achieved against the 2007 champion pacesetter Alegria which outpaced the best in the nation during the Skandia Geelong Race Week and the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta to set up her Australian championship success by winning her class in the Sydney to Southport race. 
  The Oxygen Sailing Team will face their first serious test in a new European built Archambault A40 rc when they represent Queensland in the 2008 Audi Sydney-Gold Coast race starting on 26 July. 
  They will then enjoy a short break in the warm comfort of dry land before repacking their seabags to answer the August 1st start signal for the 348nm Brisbane to Great Keppel Island race which will be their final evaluation trial for 2008 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in late August.