Tough test ahead in Derwent Showdown

MANY of Tasmania’s most talented sailors, from emerging juniors to adults who have competed internationally this year, will be racing on the River Derwent this weekend.

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania has received more than 100 entries for its annual BMW Showdown, the state’s major regatta for off-thebeach and one-design keelboat classes.

Today could be a tough test for crews, with fresh to strong westerly winds forecast on a wet and chilly day. Sunday’s forecast is much better.

Heading the fleet are 25 SB20 one-design sports boats in hard training for the World Championship on the Derwent in January. Early next month, the Australian championships will also be sailed in Hobart.

The fleet includes the two top-placed Australian SB20 skippers at this year’s World Championship and Cowes Week Grand Slam on the Isle of Wight, England.

Michael Cooper, skippering Export Roo, finished a close second in the worlds while Elliott Noye, helming Porco Rosso, was runner-up in the Cowes Week Grand Slam.

They face competition in the Showdown from leading SB20 helmsmen including Greg Prescott, Paul Burnell, Rob Gough, Scott Brain and Nick Rogers. Four women crews are competing, skippered by Colleen Darcy, Claire Brown, Felicity Allison and Issi Declerk.

The SB20 one-design sports boat class heads a dozen different classes represented in entries for the BMW Showdown, with back-to-back races scheduled for today and tomorrow. Spectacular sailing can be expected from the SB20s and also from the senior B14 and 29er skiffs off-thebeach classes.

Southern Tasmanian B14 sailors are using Showdown in preparation for their National and World championships to be sailed on the Tamar River at Beauty Point over Christmas-New Year.

The single-handed Laser is well represented in the 4.7 and Radial divisions.

Heading the NS14 adult dinghy class is Peter Davis.

The SB20 crews will sail on their mid-river World Championship courses while other classes will race in the Battery Point, Sandy Bay area, with racing scheduled to start today at 10am.