Lake Cootharaba is the largest natural lake in Queensland , located just above Noosa Heads, close to Tewantin and Pamona. Boreen Point is a quaint little holiday hideaway with only the sailing club, a pub, a store, and a coffee shop “The Loose Goose” where much to my relief, they did serve drinkable coffee! Worth knowing as it is being considered as a venue for the 2008 Nationals at this stage.

Race 1: 15 entries for the Championships, largely from the SBSC, 2 local boats, 3 boats from the RRS&RC, and “Wildfire” from Lake Macquarie , we got underway with a steady NE breeze of about 10 knots and all settled in. Duncan and I had just returned from a 3 week trip in the UK , for Duncan to meet The Focker’s, and we hadn’t been on the water since the NSW States at Lake Macquarie . Sailing in the UK hadn’t really appealed to us with water temperatures of 3-5 degrees!!!!!!!!! We had gained additional love handles from my mom’s cooking and sheer over indulgence, and had decided to sport our brand new Gemmel sails for the series … after all they had been in the shed for 3 weeks itching to get out!

“Wildfire” started the series as they meant to go on. Vastly improved and far quicker on the water compared to the 2006 Championships … I have my own theory and a sneaky feeling that serious coaching has been in progress from this year’s NSW State Champions, Steve Jones and Sharon Calwell on their own Lake. Chris has shed pounds and found form and sailed almost faultlessly, strongly supported by a very experienced crew Daniela (whose old Aero 6 was also sailing). They form a great partnership. Steve Jones had been left at home at Lake Mcquarie babysitting Chris and Daniela’s Children and being a soccer parent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Race 2: Back to back with Race 1, on day one, Race 2 saw the breeze build from the NE and reach about 15knots, blue skies and very pleasant conditions. The wind did fluctuate, which kept you on your toes looking for the shifts, and not sailing through the start/finish line and avoiding the Impulses and Herons also sailing State Championships on the Lake , made the course more challenging. Interesting to see boats capsizing and skippers and crew able to stand up, water only chest deep, in the middle of the Lake . Jim Reglin was seen hosing mud out of the end of his mast late Saturday arvo after his swim.

Race 3 & 4: Sunday, and with a sensible 13:00hrs start time, back to back races again,  when the wind did finally have the chance to come in, it only managed about 5 knots for us. “Wildfire” leading and winning every race and easily, with “Meltdown” Chris and Nikki Noyes (ex-champions) performing well, along with “Aphrodite” Mark Goltz and Callum Bowles, the lighter breeze suiting the Aero’s. The Murray Clan, or the Good ( Nev ) The Bad (Neil) and The Ugly (Bob) as they call themselves, (hope I got that the right way round guys), also very strong in the fleet, and heightened family rivalry evident. Bob easily convinced that he needs to get out of the Brisbane River and sail on open water ways more often.

Sunday night, saw Team Richmond River, all housed in a party house, (which The Good The Bad and The Ugly liked to frequent after their evening trip to the pub….) with priorities in order, we organised a barb-b-q, a Thai masseur for the team, and a game of 500! A great time was had by all…..

Race 5: With “Wildfire” the clear Championship winners and deservedly so, three boats started the race on equal points for second place. The last race was a fight to the end for places, in a 10 knot SE (almost southerly) breeze …. Duncan and I were fortunate to get the breeze on the reaches that favoured us, and Chris Noyes’s experience in “Meltdown” held “Aphrodite” off, to take 3^rd. Chris claims that he is back in the class, after 2 years, and is well fired up! We look forward to seeing more of him on the water in his very shmick boat #1976, an Aero 11b. Congratulations to Chris Larson and Darcy Woodward “Dr Who”, RRS&RC, who were first on handicap. The smile on Chris’s face made my weekend! Well done guys….great to see….And word on the street is that Iain Reinton “Summertime Blues” will be getting a new wetsuit for next season! And not before time Iain….

Thanks go to the Queensland NS14 Association for organising the series and to the Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club for hosting the event. A huge thank you to the Murray Brother’s for the trophies (that both Skipper and Crew were given), mine has been displayed all over the John Flynn Hospital (where I work!!!!) and photographed and sent to Pom Land to the folks!!!! Rob Hyland “Unleashed” presented with the encouragement trophy, in his acceptance speech commented that sailing an NS14 was like having an extended family….if that means that I am related to Bob Murray…I will have to reconsider renewal of my membership!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How the two Jesse’s and Brittany put up with those Murray Skippers is commendable! I hear that Bob will be selling Numb Nuts, and replacing the dark-blue “him” with a bright-pink “her” hull … wonder if she will be named “a Tiger in a Virgina”? Not sure if he has spoken to Mark Thorpe about the new hulls, but do know that he is wanting to get in touch with his feminine side!

Well, with the end of our club season imminent, and having attended the NS14 Nationals, the NSW States , and the Queensland States since Christmas, our lives have been very dominated by the development class. We have had a ball and have made some fabulous associations and friends, and it has been a wonderful year for me personally, especially being relatively new to the class and to dinghy sailing. It’s pretty special and I already look forward to the start of the new season, growth of the class, development of the boats. I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT ALL AND QUITE UNMANAGEABLE! I would like to congratulate the Lindisfarne Sailing Club of Tasmania and their race committee as the Nationals were a credit to them. All that is left to say is Happy Winter Sailing all and “Hello neoprene skiff suit and thermals for me….” I am a pom after all!

 Janet Allured #1783 “whatever…”