International Sail Brisbane event attracts 14 clesses and 13 countries

1:26 AM Wed 25 Nov 2009 GMT

'Audi Etchells World Championship 2009, Winning tactician Bucky Smith' Andrea Francolini / Audi &copy

Sunshine Coast sailors will face their first serious tactical racing test of the 2009 -10 championship season during the Yachting Queensland International Sail Brisbane regatta on Moreton Bay this weekend.

Collectively all clubs from Lake Cootharaba, Noosa, Maroochydore, Lake Baroon and Mooloolaba will be represented in the 14 class event which has attracted entries from 13 countries including the Chilean Beijing Olympic Laser skipper Martias Del Solar Goldsmith and World title winning Australian Tom Slingsby.

Predictably Tom Slingsby from Gosford (NSW) is the nominated favourite to win the Gold Medal following his success in the Skandia Sail For Gold regatta at Weymouth, England in September. His personal resume includes a long list of major International results including World championships and is currently rated as the seventh best Olympic Laser class skipper in the World. He has raced in the Sail Brisbane regatta before provisionally winning the class Gold Medal on the water but later losing the medal in the jury room.

No doubt the memory of that result remains however Tom Slingsby will be focused on protecting his sailing space while his championship rivals including Martias Del Solar Goldsmith and the talented Noosa River skippers Ryan Palk and Klade Hauschildt have every intention to match Tom Slingsby.

All of the Olympic Laser class dinghies are identical which places a huge demand on the individual athlete to sail smart with a faultless technique and tactical strategy to gain the marginal edge in boat speed.

As expected from his results Tom Slingsby is a master in racing Lasers at the International regatta level while the younger Noosa River skippers who have tested their technique and endurance with training in strong winds have logged the hours in training and are hopeful of scoring a result in the top six.

Laser racing will certainly become the topic of conversation when dedicated Maroochy River club members Mark, Mitchell and Madison Kennedy sit around the meal table this weekend.

Proud father Mark who won his class Gold Medal at the World Masters Games in Sydney has played a major role in encouraging his son Mitchell and younger daughter Madison to enjoy their sport will race against Mitchell in the Laser Radial rig series while Madison will compete for medal honours in the smaller 4.7 rig class.

Special interest will also surround the Olympic Finn dinghy class where 2009 World Etchells champion crew Bucky Smith makes his debut as a challenger to represent Australia at the 2012 Olympics in England.

Bucky already recognised as a clever tactician will sail alone for the first time in a class that is known as a sailor's torture rack with success determined by the endurance to spend long periods in the hiking straps while also having the mental stamina to lock out the pain and remain in control to produce a faultless strategy.

Bucky Smith is a very smart aquatic athlete and his career results in other classes from ocean racing yachts to one-design suggests he is well prepared to add another important entry to his already impressive resume.

by Ian Grant

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International Sail Brisbane event attracts 14 clesses and 13 countries

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