Regatta Report – 2025 State Titles
The 64th Western Australian Flying Fifteen Championships have been run and won in the pristine surroundings of Champion Bay in Geraldton. The weather forecast didn’t look pretty for the first 2 heats on Good Friday but, as is often the case, the booming breeze didn’t materialise although still a solid day of sailing. Greg Tonnison and Nick Robinson settled into their work quickly to win the first heat and then follow up with a third in heat 2. Brothers Mike and Paul Dunbar kicked into a very consistent pattern with 2 second places and Philippa Packer and Dean McAullay started slowly with a sixth but warmed up for the second heat to win.
Pre-regatta favourite Nick Jerwood teamed up with Ian Lane and had to overcome a couple of early jitters before getting into gear for day 2 with 3 straight wins. The minor placings were fought out between the Dunbar boys, Tonnison/Robinson, the Glamour Buoys (Leavo and Baddy), the other Glamour Buoys (Ashley and Teague) and Packer/MacAullay. Perfect conditions for sailing Flying Fifteens and typically close racing from the front to the back of the fleet.
Day 3 dawned with an easterly pushing up over 20 knots and, being an offshore breeze, very flat seas. Team Dunbar won by a large margin with David Yu/Chris Nelson second and Jerwood/Lane third. The breeze was dying and the Dunbars were needing another win with Jerwood/Lane no better than third. Local sailors, Mark Millman and Nigel Moffat held the lead for a lap and a half before running out of breeze. The Dunbars held the lead around the last mark with Jerwood/Lane in fourth. The breeze was variable to say the least and Jerwood/Lane held the pressure longer to cross the line first with Leavo/Baddy second.
A great regatta on and off the water with plenty of refreshment post-race to discuss what might have been. The Mug-of the Day was also hotly contested with Philippa the eventual winner for successive years and different reasons. Obviously, what happens in Geraldton stays …………
Travel to these events is always appreciated and we were pleased to welcome Ashley Smith from Queensland as part of his preparation for the Worlds later this year and 2 boats from Port Bouvard Yacht Club, Luke and Mike Storey sailing Two Dogs and Colin Bartley and Jason Norton in Boris making a healthy 22 boat fleet.
Geraldton Yacht Club assembled an awesome team of volunteers and special thanks to Commodore John Gummery, long term sponsor Chimere Pearls, organising Chairman Nigel Moffat and Race Officer John Rooke.
The Championship results can be viewed here.
The Consistency results can be viewed here.