Leo Sharpe today won line honours in the 2017 Peel Island Marathon, beating home a foiling A Class catamaran and a raft of other high performance cats and monohulls. The Commodore of Cleveland Yacht Club (the host venue) did not anticipate that a windsurfer would win - but now faces the task of handicapping a bloke in 2018 that could win the race on a fence plank! Well done Leo ...

awesome well done

Didn't know it was on.
Were there any other boards competing?
Looks like an ideal course for Raceboards.

Where or was it advertised for windsurfing? or was it just for the Cleveland Yacht club members only?

Glad to see Leo win and good on the Cleveland Yacht Club have the race open for windsurfing!

If open to all windsurfers then book me in for next year!

The race has historically attracted yachts, cats, skiffs and dinghies. The events in 2015 and 2016 were both cancelled due to strong winds, hence promotion may have been limited. Leo was on his Formula with a 12.5m sail. Another extraordinary effort on the day was from the only other windsurfer - Hailey Lea on a 7.8 Techno - Hailey did two laps taking just over 4 hours - an amazing effort. The Commodore of CYC was vocal in encouraging more windsurfers to enter the event in 2018.

Great effort Hailey, 4 hours wow, did you have to pry your fingers from the boom at the end

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Mark (AUS-746) said..
The race has historically attracted yachts, cats, skiffs and dinghies. The events in 2015 and 2016 were both cancelled due to strong winds, hence promotion may have been limited. Leo was on his Formula with a 12.5m sail. Another extraordinary effort on the day was from the only other windsurfer - Hailey Lea on a 7.8 Techno - Hailey did two laps taking just over 4 hours - an amazing effort. The Commodore of CYC was vocal in encouraging more windsurfers to enter the event in 2018.

Never met the Commodore but like him already

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The Commodore of CYC was vocal in encouraging more windsurfers to enter the event in 2018.

That's great news.
There is an opportunity to have a series of events between the various SEQ sailing clubs over the year.

The combination of initiatives like the RQYS windsurfing training centre as well as coordination and publicity of some interesting and fun windsurfing events will ensure the future of the sport.

Would be helpful to have a calendar of events to let people know what's on, and when.
Perhaps this is something Windsurfing QLD could coordinate?

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azuli said..

The Commodore of CYC was vocal in encouraging more windsurfers to enter the event in 2018.

That's great news.
There is an opportunity to have a series of events between the various SEQ sailing clubs over the year.

The combination of initiatives like the RQYS windsurfing training centre as well as coordination and publicity of some interesting and fun windsurfing events will ensure the future of the sport.

Would be helpful to have a calendar of events to let people know what's on, and when.
Perhaps this is something Windsurfing QLD could coordinate?

An SEQ event calendar spanning sailing and windsurfing makes good sense Mark. There are a number of marquee club events across SEQ that could spur a Travellers Trophy series. Many local clubs would relish the thought that (for example) a bunch of Raceboarders would love to participate in their marquee event.

Cleveland has the Peel Island Marathon.

Southport YC have their Great Race.

Brisbane Valley have their Wivenhoe Winter Marathon.

Bulimba have their Yardstick Race.

Big River have their Annual Regatta.

Given that traditional sailing and yacht clubs are our target here, I'll reach out to Grant Willmott from Queensland Yachting to see if he can help pull together a list of marquee club events that we can then channel back via WQ.

Thanks Mark, I wasn't aware of these events. That sounds like a good plan.

Mooloolaba yatch club run a winter trophy series over a weekend in the bay and ocean for all the boats heading north for Hamilton race week. Another good option.

And as always well done Leo.

Congratulations to Leo.

What type of course is it? Upwind/downwind, round an Island, out and back etc?

What were the wind strengths on the day?

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sailquik said..
Congratulations to Leo.

What type of course is it? Upwind/downwind, round an Island, out and back etc?

What were the wind strengths on the day?

The course was a starboard course around the island - Leo took 1 hour and 45 mins to do 2 laps - total distance of circa 38 km. Monohulls or those with a yardstick of > 100 did 1 lap with a course distance of 20 km.

Winds were from the south at 15 knots with slower competitors having to contend with a healthy outgoing tide working up the lee side of Peel towards Dunwich.

A competitor on a cat got a little too close to a coral reef (tide was near to low) and ripped out a rudder gudgeon and limped back to the club with little time to spare before becoming a submarine.

All in all, an interesting course, suitable for Formula, WOD or Raceboards.