Fleet-footed with a Spring in their step

THE Australian SB20 fleet is contesting its national championship on Spring Bay on the east coast of Tasmania this long weekend in a first for the fleet.

The SB20 Australian Championship will be sailed over three days, in what will be an intense competition on the water.

The 2019 champion, Michael Cooper (Export Roo), will be defending his title without hot shot sailor David Chapman on board, who is sailing J70s in the United States.

Cooper also will face some tough competition from Andrew Smith (Imp) and Brett Cooper (Aeolus), who placed third and fifth respectively in the World Championship in France last October.

While these world class crews are not short of sailing talent, they will be short of racing practice, as they have missed most of the summer pennant series in Hobart after taking a break following their world campaigns.

Other teams in contention include Oli Burnell (Honey Badger), the current Tasmanian

summer pennant series leader; Victorian entry and current Tasmanian SB20 Champion Chris Dare (Ambition) and runner-up Stephen Catchpool (Rebellion).

Felicity Allison (Cook Your Own Dinner) is hot favourite to take out the Women’s Division, while David Graney (Wedgewood) is in good form to take the Masters title.

There will be plenty of young guns on the water, too, with the competition expected to be intense in the Youth Division.

Will Sargent (Taz Racing

Team) is a fierce competitor on the racecourse, but he will need to keep a cool head to hold off talented helmsman and 29er sailor Charlie Goodfellow (Obi Kenobi) and Howard Tapping (Warwick DeanTHSSA) to win the division.

“It’s great to be racing so close to some of Australia’s greatest natural attractions like Wineglass Bay, Freycinet Peninsula and the Maria Island National Park, as well as to have the opportunity to celebrate at the Spring Bay Mill,” Mr Catchpool said.

Details: www.dssinc.org.au