Lake Keepit Sailing News

Sailing News from Lake Keepit

Lake Keepit Sailing Club was originally started in the early 1960s and the very popular Keepit Kool Regatta, on the June long weekend, began 52 years ago! The Club today is a very well run and popular sailing centre. Every Sunday, almost, during our sailing season our Club conducts a sailing race beginning at 1300 hours. Sometimes morning races are held as well and provide training sessions for contesting starts or focusing on beating to windward. These mornings also are an opportunity for anyone from 8year to 80+ to come along and find out what is involved. We do have Club boats available for training and for hire for members on Sundays. During the hot month of January we suspend formal races to conduct a 3 to 4 day intensive sailing school. This school is for all ages and abilities, the two prerequisites are to be able to swim 25m in a life jacket (PFD… personal flotation device) and most importantly “to have fun mucking about on the water!”

Our Sailing Calendar started in September and last Sunday was Heat #1 of our Club Championship Series of 7-8 races. This first Heat was hotly contested by the eight laser dinghies and the two Trailable/Yachts. (Laser dinghies are sailed one-up and are a current Olympic Class races by women and men)

The course for the day was set up with three large buoys in a big triangle. The start is always directly into the wind as the windward parts of the course requires skills of sailing close to the wind and picking the fastest zig-zag course to the windward buoy. Then followed the rest of the triangle three times and a single windward-return.

Mick Bradfield led the fleet from start to finish, and was our Club Champion for 2020-21, and looks to be in great form this season as well. He was never headed though his lead was reduced occasionally as the following competitors vied for the other placings. The race’s breeze was a quite gusty south-easter and ranged greatly in its strength from 5km/h to 35km/h (estimates only).

Results:

First to Start: Mick Bradfied, laser

Fastest Overall Time: Mick Bradfield

Corrected Time Results:

1^st Mick Bradfield laser

2^nd Botterill T/Y Doug Whiteman crew Raelene McLenaghan, Tamworth

3^rd  Tim Corben laser radial, Barraba

4^th  Patrick McLaren laser radial, Merriwa

5^th John Sumner laser radial, Gunnedah

6^th Robert Kelly laser radial, Tamworth

7^th Keith Garrett laser, Quirindi

8^th Robert Cull laser, Lake Keepit

9^th Kevin Overton laser, Tamworth

DNF Slippery T/Y, Tim Caslick Murrurudi

This coming Sunday’s race is Heat #1 of Head of the River with a 1300 start.

Yours in Sailing,

Tim Corben

Commodore LKSC