Terrific Tasar effort

By Cmdr Bruce Eddes

Cmdr Martin Lindsay and Flt-Lt Nick Grey in Tasar 2482 at the start line. Photo provided by Cmdr Bruce Eddes

SINCE 1984 the ADF Sailing Association (ADFSA) has been represented at the biennial Tasar World Championships, and this year was no exception.

With the event being held in Canada, planning and preparations had been ongoing for over 12 months.
The best of the ADFSA Team, Cmdr Martin Linsley with Flt-Lt Nick Grey, and LS Wayne Hale with Spr Dan Turner, managed a creditable 18th and 19th positions respectively.

The final ADFSA Team comprised Cmdrs Martin Linsley, Bruce Eddes and Mark Barnes, Ft-Lt Nick Grey (Team Manager), LS Wayne Hayle, ABSM Jason King, Spr Daniel Turner and Mr John Erickson.

The team joined forces with an Australian contingent of some 40 competitors to send 20 Tasars to Canada by shipping container, including the four dinghies to be sailed by the ADFSA team.

Farewelling a cold Australian Winter, the team spent a very long day travelling to Vancouver Island, crossing the International Date Line.

Cmdr Bill Macdonald (retd), RCdre of the Canadian Forces Sailing Association (CFSA) and host of the team’s visit, then took the team to its accommodation at the Canadian Forces Base, Esquimalt.

The ADFSA team first practised in local waters for a competition against the CFSA and for the Tasar Worlds being conducted afterwards.

Racing against the CFSA proved both exciting and unusual, in that competitors sailed the Tasar and three different classes of dinghy specifically designed for disabled sailors.

These dinghies included the Australian Access 303 Dinghy, the International 2.4 ‘mini 12m’ Yacht, and the Canadian designed Marten 16ft Dinghy. Three races were held in strong breezes on Esquimalt Harbour.

The ADFSA team convincingly won the challenge match and brought home the inaugural ‘Cock of the Walk’ trophy.

The 2003 Ronstan Tasar Worlds was hosted by the CFSA in conjunction with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, and held at Victoria, on Vancouver Island, Canada. The event attracted over 60 boats from Canada, Australia, USA, UK, Holland and Japan.

Victoria’s waters, home of the Orca killer whale, remain at about 10º C throughout the year. The experience of sailing in these cold waters, in Canadian summer air temperatures of about 25 degrees C, and with a backdrop of the snow-capped Olympic Mountains nestled behind Port Angeles on the US side of the Juan de Fuca Strait, was nothing short of surreal for the Australian competitors. Capsize recoveries, however, were effected very quickly indeed!

It was clear from the beginning that racing would be of the highest standard. Each competing country was represented by its national Tasar champion, and the fleet included Olympic medallists, former world Tasar champions, and five world champions from other dinghy classes.

A full program, comprising 12 short-medium length races, was completed during the six days of competition. Conditions were excellent, with winds varying between 5-24kts, and prevailing in the 8-15kt range. Windward-return courses were the norm, but were occasionally varied by the inclusion of triangles.

Tide induced currents of up to two kts down the course caught out many competitors, particularly the Australians, who lacked practice in such conditions.

Two-time Olympic medallist and Americas Cup competitor Jonathan McKee, sailing with his wife, Libby (herself an Olympic competitor in the 470 Class) won the Championships by a clear margin.

Current Australian champions, Craig McPhee and Kevin Kellow, from Adelaide, gained fourth place overall.

The versatility of the Australian- designed and produced Tasar dinghy was well reflected in this World Championship series.

The fleet included 19 married couples and 8 parent/child crews.

Competitors’ occupational backgrounds ranged from brain surgeons and psychologists, to factory workers and school students. Ages ranged from the mid teens to over 70. Such diversity in life came together at the 2003 Tasar World Titles, in competition at the highest level, while also incorporating fun, family involvement and international friendship.

The ADFSA Team arrived home much enriched by the experience of ‘rubbing shoulders’ with world class sailors, and the culture of host nation Canada.

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