The second day of the 2024 Finn NSW Championship at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club brought much lighter and shifty winds, drastically changing the dynamics from the previous day’s strong conditions. With forecasted westerlies of just 8-10 knots, competitors had to navigate a more technical race in the light air.
The first race of the day was marked by a general recall due to a significant wind shift, which caused much of the fleet to jump the starting line. As the breeze weakened further, the competitors faced near standstill conditions at the second attempt to start. In response, the race committee made the decision to shorten the course, moving the finish line closer to the wind. Despite the challenges, Rob McMillan, sailing with sail number AUS2, clinched victory in Race 1, with Matt Visser (AUS5) securing second place and competitor James Bevis (AUS330) taking third place.
Race 2, didn’t get underway till 1:00 pm as the race committee waited for the breeze to sailable. Race 2 started with another general recall, seeing the race committee restarting the race under a black flag.
AUS24, Greg Solomons was caught over the line early and subsequently disqualified, highlighting the heightened pressure under these conditions. The light wind remained a constant obstacle throughout the race, demanding focus and patience from all sailors.
In Race 3, AUS21, Bucky Smith took the win with a tight finish over series leader AUS26, Ian McKillop with just 50 seconds separating the top four sailors. McKillop’s second-place finish in this race secured him the overall championship title, benefiting from the discard rule after six races were completed. AUS32, Rob McMillan took second place overall in the championship standings, while Bucky Smith’s strong performance placed him third.
With challenging winds on Pittwater and tight competition, the 2024 Finn NSW Championship proved to be a showcase of skill and perseverance for all sailors involved.
The presentation for the 2024-2025 NSW Championship had a fantastic vibe going with summer well on the way today together with longer daylight so that competitors could relax after a great weekend of racing back at the Clubhouse lawn.
Congratulations Ian McKillop (RPAYC) for taking the overall win, with 3 firsts from 6 races.
In 2nd place overall and 1st Grand Master, Rob McMillan (WSC) and 3rd overall and 1st Master, Bucky Smith (LCSC).
1st Legend was Greg Clark, 1st Great Grand Master was Trevor Martin and 1st under 29’s was Sam Ede.
Pointscore results and images from the weekend for the 2024 Finn NSW Championship can be viewed below.
