Australia's Douglass Team take second Tasar World title

10:28 PM Sun 4 Oct 2009 GMT

'Douglass Team leading Heat 2 - Tasar World Championships' Bulkhead Magazine

Rob and Nicole Douglass - father and daughter team are now dual World Champions having taken the 2009 Tasar World Title at Wakayama, Japan from a fleet of 78 boats.

Hotly contested, the lead switched many times throughout the initial stages of the regatta. The Douglass team taking hold until mid way through with a strong line of podium finishes in the second half. The Japanese team of Sato and Muragishi (former 470 sailors) were looking to be the first Japanese Tasar World Champions, however, an OCS and a few finishes in the teens took the pressure off the Douglass team who won the twelve race series with a day to spare.

Two other Aussies made the top 5; Craig McPhee and Phillipa Arevalo in second, and current National Champ Shane Guanaria and Felix Grench in fifth showcasing the dominance 'downunder' in the Tasar Class. The Japanese were very fast on their home waters with Sato in third and Japanese Tasar stalwarts, the Tanakas taking fourth.

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Tasar0425 - Tasar World Championships - Bulkhead Magazine

cole and Rob have secured their place on the World Tasar scene not finishing out of the top two since 2005.

They were last World Champions in 2005 over a fleet of 131 boats at the Darwin Sailing Club, Australia. Jonathan and Libby McKee alluded their defence of the title in 2007, winning the Worlds that were held out of Cape Panwa, Phuket Thailand. They have been sailing together since 1997.

'We have been working really hard over the past seven years in particular on our techniques and teamwork. We just know each other so well - and it all clicked again for this regatta where consistency was key.

The Worlds Trophy back with the Douglass team - Tasar World Championships - Bulkhead Magazine

'I just loved getting back into Tasars to sail with Dad after a big campaign in Women's Match Racing this year' said Nicole Douglass. She has had a great season with the Australian Sailing Development Squad Women's Match Racing Team, winning the Kiel World Cup and Swedish Match Cup events with Katie Spithill, as well as the Australian Women's Match Racing Title with Nicky Souter.

Rob will enjoy some time off travelling through Europe over the coming month, Nicole is back out on the water helping teams prepare for the World Masters Games - to be held from Woollahra Sailing Club from the 12th to the 16th October in the Tasar as the double handed class.

Near to 100 boats will be on the course including the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, multiple sailing greats such as Tom King (Gold medalist 470 Sydney 2000) and Malcolm Page (Gold medalist 470 Beijing 2008) and a large Farr 40 contingent including Martin Hill, Richard Perini, Chris Meehan and Jeff Carter.

Not to go unnoticed is a representation of Tasar regulars including Payne, Macfarlane, Quirk, Warnes and Ridgways who have all won Tasar Masters titles.

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Tasars have been taking off with over 50 new boats produced worldwide in the past twelve months. For further information - see www.tasar.org ; www.tasarworlds.sakura.ne.jp/ ;

www.2009worldmasters.com/Sailing/default.aspx

Rob Douglass - loved being thrown in a day early! - Tasar World Championships - Bulkhead Magazine

A Tasar is a super light yet durable, efficient dinghy designed to be sailed by two adults, originally a man and a woman. The superior design enables sailors to race the boats at the level they are comfortable with.

A Tasar offers technologically advanced Mylar sails and a hull that reaches the plane with crew normally hiked.

Principal Dimensions:

LOA: 4.52 metres (14' 10')
Beam: 1.75 metres (5' 9')
Sail Area: 14 sq.m. (126 sq.ft)
Hull Weight: 68 kg (150 lb)
Min. Crew Weight: 130 kg (20 st 7 lb)