Although a great fleet of almost 50 boards turned up for this year's One Design nationals, you could sum up the competition in four simple words - Robbie Treharne kicked it.

Soldiers Point at Port Stephens turned on some great conditions for an excellent fleet, including three former Olympic team members and sailors from North Queensland, SE Queensland, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Manly/Middle Harbour, Narrabeen, Dobroyd and Georges River in Sydney, Melbourne and Portland in Victoria, Hobart and Fiji.

In One Designs there's a lot of emphasis on having different disciplines and weight and age divisions to make competition fair for everyone, but this year no one could come close to overall (Pentathlon) champion Treharne.

Even Robbie couldn't say why he was leading most races all the way around the course. He did say that while he came into the series with little practise he had a high level of fitness, but for whatever reason he was simply at another level of board handling and general sailing. The two sailors who have pushed Robbie back to second overall at recent nationals couldn't make it to the regatta this year, but on the form Robbie showed at this regatta he would probably even have beaten perennial champ Dennis Winstanley. A highlight was an outstanding freestyle routine that included moves like landing a perfect somersault around the boom.

Second overall in another great performance was former wavesailing champ Rohan Cudmore. Rohan showed just how cheap and equal One Design racing can be when he rocked up to the regatta using a '70s vintage classic Windsurfer with fixed daggerboard and dacron sail that he had picked up from the roadside. He snapped that board clean in half on a practise sail, then dragged out another 'classic' for the first day's racing and freestyle, where he finished third.

Even Rohan couldn't get a 'classic' to hang in with the newer boards in the course racing once the wind picked up, so he borrowed a hard-used '84 board for the remainder of the regatta and pushed Robbie so hard in the slalom racing that the title could only be decided on a countback.

Third overall for about the 10th time was Stu Gilbert, who suffered a rare defeat in Heavyweights course racing at the hands of the in-form Greg Johns. Johnsy, the One Design manufacturer, picked up his first national title back in 1977 but his love for the sport remains undimmed.

Other outstanding sailors were Rob Howard, who returned to the class after many years away from racing (but not from One Design sailing) and was clearly second fastest Light and overall; Martin Stone, third overall and Lightweight in most of the races; Mark Dibben, who was an excellent second in freestyle with a routine of complex railrides and other snappy moves; and Paul Ivshenko, top medium weight in most races. Deb Apthorp won the women's title while Owen Long took out the Youth title from Harry Price.

The competition was supported by a small but hard-working team including Andrew McLachlan (PRO), Dominic Grundy and others from Corlette Point Sailing Squadron, windsurfing legend Scotty O'Connor from Namotu Island Resort Fiji, Phil and Deb Thompson, Deb Apthorp, Steve Barton, Jodi from White Caps Photography and others. Thanks also to sailors like Tim Jones and Darren Garner, who supported the class from coming from Hobart and Hamilton Island.


Results will be available soon. Thanks to White Caps for the photography.