2:41 AM Thu 29 Oct 2009 GMT
The Australian Sports Boat Association (ASBA) in conjunction its major sponsor Meridien Marinas is holding the inaugural ASBA Qld State Sports Boat titles at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) on the weekend of the 5-6 December 2009.
It's been three years since the ASBA was formed and the Sports Boat Measurement System (SMS) was first introduced nationally. Around the country there is now over 85 SMS'd boats racing under the ASBA banner and over 30 of these are based in Queensland. The SMS system is the first ever measured handicap system for trailerable boats and is generating huge interest and most importantly close results in a fleet of boats that varies in size from 6 to 8.5 metres.
A fleet of close to 30 boats is expected to line up for the 5 race series. The winner of the 2009 ASBA National Titles in Geelong, Heath Walters from Sydney, is making the trip to Qld along with the 5 time National Champion Chris Williams, also from Sydney, to give the event a State of Origin edge.
The winning crew from the 2009 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week, have also chartered a local boat and will fly in for the regatta from Geelong. Skipper, Cam Rae and his crew, are aiming to fly under the radar and snatch the series for Victoria but most think to also find some warm weather.
The Qld fleet has had some great racing over the last 12 mths and is well prepared to ensure the winner's SLAM jacket stays in Qld. The Gold Coast contingent of the 8mtr Vivace (Ben Leigh-Smith) and the 6mtr Evolution Sails (Graham Sherring) should be at the pointy end of the SMS results despite the boats being radically different in size and performance.
RQYS boats Raptor (Mark Buchbach), Business Time (Nick Moriarty) and Alien Biopsy (Andrew Turner) have shown some great form lately as well and are expected to stake a claim for the title.
Boats and crews from Central and Nth Qld are also making the trek south for the event and their success in the past, Guilty Pleasures (Leon Thomas) finished 3rd in Airlie Beach this year, will ensure they will not just make up the numbers.
With all this Sports Boat talent at one event and a fleet of close to 30 boats, the Qld Titles will be the largest and most competitive Sports Boat fleet ever assembled in Australia.
All competitors will also be using the event as a warm up for the ASBA National Titles to be held on Lake Macquarie at Easter 2010.
Entries close on the 27th of November but if you enter by the 5th of November, you are the draw for a weekend for 4 staying in one of baccommodated.com.au managed units on the Gold Coast.
Meridien Marinas ASBA Qld Sport Boat Titles
Saturday 5th December
Sunday 6th December
More Information:
www.rqys.com.au
and
www.asba.org.au
by Darren Spence
|
Troughton Island, WA
