F18 AUS: 2020 Cat Classic for Colby & Coleman
Racing activity is returning in Australia, although some restriction between states remain. Still the top Aussie F18 crews had a close match up at the 2020 Cat Classic. Read report below sent by Gavin Colby.
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F18’s take hold of the 2020 Cat Classic
“Gavin Colby and Kai Colman winning the event sailing ‘GUMA’ an Exploder Scorpion F18.
The 2020 Catamaran Classic, is run by the Hobie Class and sailed at the Nedlands Yacht Club in Perth, Western Australia. It is the first major event after winter and proved to be hotly contested. With several Cat Classes entries like James Clark Sailing a foiling eXploder A, Darren Smith & Cam Own racing Hobie 16’s , Gavin Colby and Brett Burvill on F18’s, together with Tornado’s, Windrush 14’s and even a Nacra 14sq there was no shortage competition.
The Cat Classic is a yardstick event where all the boats are on the same course with one start line separated in the center by a buoy with fast boats at the pin and not as fast at the boat end.
Extremely testing conditions for the race officer with huge shifts, rain squalls and the tricky geography of the Swan River meant he and the support boats had to stay on their toes. As did the competing crews with the varying conditions meant some races turned into an intergalactic reach-a-thon, drag race from one end of the river to the other!
Ultimately it came down to a battle between the Hobie 16 of Darren and Claire Smith and the two F18’s of Colby/Colman (eXploder) and Burvill/ Putman (Windrush Edge / Nxt Gen Sails).
Unfortunately for Clarkey there simply was just not enough consistent wind to foil and stretch the A’s legs. But the Foiling A’s sure did provide some entertainment with some big nose dives and pitch poles for the non foiling boats to watch and enjoy!
Going down to the final race the event was won for the 4th year in a row by Gavin Colby and Kai Colman sailing GUMA (eXploder F18 Scorpion, Brewin Sails) by two points to Burvill/ Putman (Windrush Edge, NG Sails). Third by just half a point was Darren and Claire Smith on a Hobie 16.”
Photos courtesy of Lindsay Preece. Ironbark Photos. And HCAWA.
Attached Results (jpg file)
