Dulon wins first race of Oceanburo SB3 One-Design sports boat series

11:44 PM Tue 24 Mar 2009 GMT

Sunshine Coast skipper Phil Gray continued to apply his successful tactical sailing skill when he helmed Dulon to a first up win in the Oceanburo SB3 One-Design sports boat series off Mooloolaba last weekend.

His career racing log book lists a host of major results in a wide range of classes from ocean racing to winning the Australian championship in the highly competitive International 505 dinghy class.

He was also the principal helmsman on the Ross and Yvonne Rayner owned Mooloolaba Yacht Club sloop Nortruss G-Wizz when she won the Brisbane Gladstone Race line honours trophy in 1999 and 2000.

This skill and experience was again evident when he returned to race in the strict one-design SB3 for the first time.

Skipper Gray and the Dulon crew mastered the gusty 20-25 knot breeze and white crested wind waves to complete the physically demanding seven race series with a four point advantage over Lauren Calder's all female crew in Audi Centre Sunshine Coast while Noosa's Kai Timm helmed Oceanburo into third place.
The compact nature of the racing where Dulon, Audi Centre Sunshine Coast and Oceanburo almost shared the same sea room proved to be an exciting spectacle for the interested spectators and tourists who witnessed the racing from the natural amphitheatre on Alexandria Headland.

They witnessed the spectacular fleet match racing in a relaxing environment as the seven crews presented high action entertainment when they duelled for the decisive clear wind advantage on the torrid up wind slog before leaving a speed sailing wake on the sea surface when they sail-surfed on the edge between distinction and disaster in the heavier gusts during the spinnaker legs of the course.

Regatta Director Rodney Jones was impressed with the standard of close tactical racing in conditions which tested both physical endurance and heavy wind sailing skill.

'The spinnaker runs were spectacular with several crews recording thrilling rides in excess of 20 knots on their digital Tack Tick instruments'. He said.
As expected skipper Phil Gray and the Dulon crew were physically tired but excited and happy with their maiden SB3 class result however they will need to be aware that Lauren Calder's crew including the talented Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club champion Elke Hacker who scored a 3-1-2 in the final three heavy wind races will be fully prepared to match their male rivals in the second leg of the series on May 23-24.

Meanwhile Lauren Calder will prepare her crew for an extensive on water training program to represent Australia at the SB3 World fleet racing championships to be held in Portugal in July.

They have every reason to be happy with their results so far and the tough program of match racing against their male rivals in Dulon and Oceanburo will continue to improve with the all female crew in Audi Centre Sunshine Coast showing the promise to climb the national ranking before the head to Portugal to race against the best in the World.

by Ian Grant

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