Victorian Tasar State Championships 2021 at McCrae Yacht Club

Victorian Tasar State Championships 2021 at McCrae Yacht Club © Sue Sly

Victorian Tasar State Championships 2021 at McCrae Yacht Club © Laura-Jane Evans

The pristine waters at McCrae Yacht Club on the Mornington Peninsula provided the ideal setting for the Tasar Victorian State Championships 2021 on the labour day weekend of 6-8 March 2021. This year's regatta saw extremely close quarters racing, with the title going down to the final race!

The first day of racing provided above forecast, gusty 15-20 knot conditions for the first 3 races of the regatta. Tensions ran high as some "enthusiastic" starts quickly brought the black flag into use. Heather Macfarlane and Chris Payne took the first two races of the day with Michah Schwalow and Taj Duff successfully taking the top spot in the 3rd race. Consistent sailing left Michah and Taj leading the fleet after the first day, closely followed by Heather and Chris, with Chris and Mandy Green 3rd.

Sailors made it out onto the water on the second day, optimistic for a light weather day in the stunning setting and 25 degrees, however the wind did not last long. As the wind continued to fade with little hope of coming back, the call was made to go back to shore. Whilst it did not return for the remainder of the day - sailors made the most of the scenic McCrae grounds, enjoying cheese and bubbles in the evening sun.

In spite of the cloudier conditions on the final day of the regatta, sailors were keen to get out on the water (especially those in need of a discard!) and sure enough the wind filled in right on schedule. The final 2 races were held in much lighter, tricky 6-9 knot conditions, causing some further upsets across the fleet. The title was in reach for multiple boats going into the 5th and final race of the regatta, after Paul and Bronwyn Ridgway won the 4th race, and in the knowledge that the discard would come into play upon completion of 5 races. Heather and Chris won the 5th race, clinching the regatta win, and successful defence of their title to become back-to-back State Champions.

Victorian Tasar State Championships 2021 at McCrae Yacht Club - photo © Maddi Crawshaw

The Tasar class continues to show its unique ability to attract exceptional talent across wide-ranging age categories and this year's States was no exception. Tim and Estelle Davis won the Masters category, with Heather and Chris also taking home the Grand Masters trophy. The event also saw a heartfelt goodbye from Tony and Julie Creak who have been the longest running competitors within the class.

The youth segment of the fleet saw impressive performances with the awarding of the Under 30 Helm trophy to Harrison Sly and Zara Challis and the 20 / 20 trophy to Michah and Taj. The 20 / 20 trophy was one of the most hotly contested categories - seeing a record number of 12 boats entered (comprising one team member over the age of 20 and one team member under the age of 20). It has been fantastic to see the rapid growth of the youth categories since their recent introduction!

Congratulations to Heather and Chris and all prize winners! Many thanks to McCrae Yacht Club for running a fantastic regatta in addition to Ronstan and Felco for their support of the event.

Overall Results: