Dare wins five of eight to keep title

CHRIS Dare has successfully defended his SB20 state title on the Tamar River at Beauty Point.

Dare, from the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club in Victoria, was in blistering form winning five of the eight races sailed in the 6ty Degrees SB20 Tasmanian Championship, to finish the championship on nine points.

Sailing with son Lockie Dare and former Etchells world champion Ben Lamb from Byron Bay, Dare’s victory is the second for the father/son combination and is perfect timing as the Australian SB20 fleet prepares for the 2021 National Championship in early March.

After a gloomy start to the final day of racing, race officer Peter Sluce got three races away in variable breeze and variable strength.

Most boats were slow off the start line in Race 6, but Engine Reco & Parts (Rod Glanville) made the most of the light conditions, winning off the line, leading the fleet back to the bottom mark.

Rebellion (Stephen Catchpool), in second place at the start of the day, took the lefthand side of the course with local boat Rip Tide (Ross Edmunds), which paid off and they won the first race of the day from Chris Dare.

Several boats were late to the start line in Race 7. Karabos won the start from Taz Racing Team (Will Sargent) and Mind Games (Phil Reid) and again the fleet split with Ambition favouring the boat end and Rebellion the pin.

Karabos took Race 7 from Ambition and Mind Games.

The wind dropped for the final race of the series with most of the fleet struggling to fly a spinnaker.

Mind Games did the best in the tricky conditions, taking an easy win ahead of Taz Racing, Karabos and Rebellion.