Tasqua Youth dominate SB3 racing at Airlie Beach
Sunshine Coast school boy sailors proved to be the fresh wind sailing masters when they crewed Tasqua Youth to three convincing race wins in the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week championship on a wild and windy Pioneer Bay today.
'Dart SB3 action - Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week 2008'
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The crew of Matthew Jones (17) Kris Blanch (17) Sean Lindsell (17) and Levi Curtis (14) selected to represent the Oceanburo Youth Squad have progressively matured to become the Dart SB3 class championship favourites.
They entered this series with just one practice session off Mooloolaba before beginning the long road journey to Airlie Beach.
However despite being called the 'Schoolboys' by their more senior and experienced rivals the Tasqua Youth Dart SB3 has hit the major point score target in six of the eight races contested so far.
Naturally they are super energetic but they are obviously well coached and encouraged by the Oceanburo principles the 2007 Audi Australian IRC champions Rod Jones and Kai Timm.
Their personal enthusiasm and endless endurance paved the way for them to complete a very demanding test of fresh wind sailing skill by leaving their rivals to sort out who were going to fill the minor places.
The time spent cleaning and polishing the hull during Monday's rest day gave Tasqua Youth a slippery sailing surface.
"We take it in turn to swim and scrub the hull " said Kris Blanch.
Tasqua Youth was certainly fast on the wild downwind runs today where skipper Matthew Jones sailed safely to win race six by 2 minutes 29 seconds from Wagop (Michael McLean) they then backed up to win race seven by a similar margin from Joe Akacich in Claaka.
Akacich better known by his sailing mates as Black Joe cast a shadow over Tasqua Youth when he persistently tracked their course only to miss out on scoring an upset win by the slender margin of seven seconds in race 8.
After eight races Tasqua Youth with her commanding score of 2-1-1-1-3-1-1-1 holds a runaway lead while the battle for the minor places has turned into a family duel between Bowen's McLean brothers John in Marine Tech Electric and former Queensland State of Origin Rugby League forward Michael in Wagop.
They are separated by just 3 points which indicates the family feud could heat up on the course tomarrow.
Full results at www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au
by Ian Grant 
