More dash than Ashes
WORLD champion in the SB20 one-design sports boats class, Britain’s Jerry Hill is among the skippers of a fleet of more than 60 yachts expected to contest the 2018 world titles on the River Derwent in January.
Hill got a lucky wind break in the final race to defeat Tasmanian Michael Cooper by just two points in this year’s world titles at Cowes, England.
The two clash again for the 2018 title on the Derwent from January 7 to 11, with Hill at the helm of Sportsboatworld.com and Cooper in Export Roo.
The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and the Derwent Sailing Squadron will jointly run the event, with 12 overseas entries already received. More are expected with the arrival of a container load of SB20s from Europe.
It will be one of the largest and most spectacular one- design championships on the Derwent in recent years. Overseas entries so far lodged include five from France, two from Great Britain, two from Ireland and one each from Italy, Russia and Singapore. The French and Irish teams include youth crews who will be up against several local teenage crews.
Also coming from Britain is Richard Powell. Sailing with Powell for Britain will be Tasmanian Tim Burnell, an international rival for his Hobart brother and prominent SB20 skipper Paul Burnell.
Australian entries include at least four women crews from the strong Hobart fleet, skippered by Clare Dabner, Clare Brown, Issi Declerk and Colleen Darcey.
In the lead-up to the worlds, the SB20 Australian championships will be on the Derwent from December 8 to 11, with a three-day pre-worlds regatta from January 3 to 5.