Aussies take out the Air Pacific South Pacific Hobie 16 Championships

11:50 PM Mon 29 Jun 2009 GMT

'Pin end start - leading the fleet - Air Pacific South Pacific Hobie 16 Championships' Anthony Duchatel

Aussies take out the Air Pacific South Pacific Hobie 16 Championships. Aaron Worral and Bradley Wilson take out the Open event with almost a clean sweep. So dominating were they that they sat out the last two races, resting up for the Suzuki Challenge to follow the championships.

In second place and Masters champ was Bob Engwirda sailing with Slater. They were pressed to the end by Dave Lovel and Nick King who lost second on a count back. The Grandmaster champ, Kerli Corlette sailing with daughter Nicole came home fourth.

Kerli Corlette had plenty to celebrate having just turned 60. The weren't many sailors that thought so after the first day o

Grandmaster champ - Kerli Corlette with daughter Nicole - Air Pacific South Pacific Hobie 16 Championships - Anthony Duchatel

f competition when after five races in 20 - 30 knots Kerli and daughter Nicole, a renowned heavy weather team, were a clear second.

The second and third days of competition weren't as kind with the wind backing off.

The South Pacific titles is just the warmup for the real event. After a rest day the Challenge a 5-day ocean sailing race that visits some of the least developed and most beautiful parts of the Fiji coast and inshore waters will kickoff. It will be a 5-day endurance ocean race covering nearly 400 nautical miles that tested the fitness and sailing skills of all sailors.

by Anthony Duchatel