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Dare Wins Back to Back SB20 Tasmanian Titles at Beauty Point

Published Sun 31 Jan 2021

Dare Wins Back to Back SB20 Tasmanian Titles at Beauty Point

Chris Dare has successfully defended his SB20 state title in Ambition on the Tamar River at Beauty Point over the weekend. Dare, from the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club in Victoria, was in blistering form winning five of the eight races sailed in the 6ty° SB20 Tasmanian Championship, to finish the championship on 9 points.

Sailing with son Lockie Dare and former Etchells world champion Ben Lamb from Byron Bay, Dare’s victory is the second for the father/son combination and is perfect timing as the Australian SB20 fleet prepares for the 2021 National Championship in early March.

After a gloomy start to the final day of racing, Race Officer Peter Sluce got three races away in variable breeze and variable strength. Most boats were slow off the start line in Race 6, but Engine Reco & Parts (Rod Glanville) made the most of the light conditions winning off the line, leading the fleet back to the bottom mark. Rebellion (Stephen Catchpool), in second place at the start of the day, took the left-hand side of the course with local boat Rip Tide (Ross Edmunds), which paid off for them winning the first race of the day from Chris Dare.

Several boats were late to the start line in Race 7. Karabos won the start from Taz Racing Team (Will Sargent) and Mind Games (Phil Reid) and again the fleet split with Ambition favouring the boat end and Rebellion the pin. Rebellion and Taz Racing had a port / starboard incident at the top mark with skipper Catchpool in the wrong with his penalty turns costing the team several places. Karabos took Race 7 from Ambition and Mind Games.

The wind dropped for the final race of the series with most of the fleet struggling to fly a spinnaker. Mind Games did the best in the tricky conditions, taking an easy win. Taz Racing, Karabos and Rebellion finished in second, third and fourth place with only seconds between them at the finish boat. Ambition won the title from Rebellion (22 points) on a countback from Karabos and Taz Racing Team finished on 25 points. Karabos took out the Masters’ Division from Wedgewood (David Graney) and Persian Princess (John Joyce). Taz Racing won the Youth Division while Cook Your Own Dinner (Felicity Allison), won the Women’s Division.