Issue date
Local Dunedin brothers, Jake (25) and Ben Hawker (22) from the Macandrew Bay Boating Club, have for the first time up lifted the Sunburst National Champion title by an all Dunedin crew and boat.
The Sunburst National Championships were sailed on the Otago Habour from the Port Chalmers Yacht Club during January, 18th to 21st January 2013. Conditions for the regatta provided a good test for all the 30 registered boats for the event.
The stiff south-easterly for a few of the races proved very demanding for both boats and crews. After race one there was one broken mast, a broken main boom along with a few slightly more weary bodies. By the end of the third race on the first day ten of the original starters were not there to cross the finish line.
But it was very pleasing the boats were repaired, a new mast and boom rigged over night and a nearly full fleet faced the starters’ gun on day two.
Conditions were again challenging for the first race but eased as the day progressed. The conditions certainly provided a challenge to the Race Officer, Allan Todd, along with his team; with the shifting winds there was plenty of practice in shifting the top mark during the race.
Day three proved to be a spectacular day for the final two races in warm sunny wind which showed off the deep south as truly a summer holiday location.
Eight races were scheduled for the contest and all eight were completed.
The organising Chairman and Commodore of the hosting Club, Richard Hawkins, was very pleased with how the event went saying it was great to see a container of four boats from Auckland arrive on the Club’s door step.
A strong contingency from Worser Bay Boating Club, Wellington also made their presence felt on the race track. Other boats came from the Christchurch area, the West Coast and the southern lakes, Marakura Yacht Club along with plenty of interest from the top local sunburst sailors.
Jake and Ben Hawker won five of the eight races along with a second and two sixths.
Bruce Yarnton sailing ‘Good News’ from the Wakatere Club was second overall with a first, two seconds, a third, a fourth, a fifth and a seventh.
John Kliffen sailing “Plum Crazy’ from Worser Bay was third with a first, two seconds, a fourth, two sixths and a seventh.
Full results will be available on the Sunburst Association website along with the Port Chalmers Yacht Club website.
