International one design sailors for Mooloolaba
'Katie Spithill and the Wot Chicks crew training'
Andrea
Francolini © Photo
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World ranked one design yacht racing crews have begun their regatta preparations to contest two major championship series on the tactically demanding Mooloolaba Dinghy Club courses next month.
The International standard Musto Australian Winter Etchells title to be contested on windward-leeward courses off Pt Cartwright from June 5-8 will open the festival of sail while Mooloolaba based Oceanburo will host the Audi Centre Sunshine Coast sponsored Queensland Match Racing championship in their fleet of identical SB3 Sports boats from June 13-15.
As expected the opportunity to test their individual sailing technique in a warmer winter sailing environment has become increasingly popular with the Etchells title attracting the first entry from Japan while New Zealand skipper Alistair Gair hopes to emulate the career success of Russell Coutts by becoming the second Kiwi helmsman to win the prestigious Etchells Winter Nationals.
Gair has made several trips across 'The Ditch' and his most recent form including the Silver Medal in the Audi Australian open National championship held on Brisbane's Moreton Bay five months ago suggests he will be race ready to duel with the top Australian crews including the 2008 National champion Jason Muir in Racer XY.
Muir the unlucky Bronze Medallist from the 2007 Mooloolaba Winter Nationals deserves to head the list of title favourites from Americas Cup winning skipper John Bertrand, defending champion Michael 'Skip' Lissiman from West Australia and the New South Wales World title winners Cameron Miles and Peter McNeill.
However while the younger Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron skipper Jason Muir remains confident with his personal career results both he and his equally talented sailing mates are respectfully aware that Racer XY will need to compete with a 'clean slate' and avoid any title damaging rule breaches to improve on their 2007 Bronze Medal winning performance.
Interest will also be focused on the Etchells class racing debut of Noosa's National Laser dinghy champions Ryan Palk and Klade Hauschildt who have teamed up with the experienced Brisbane sailor Neville Willis.
Both Ryan and Klade are not expecting any favours when they enter into the intense tactical jousting however they have a good understanding to sail smart under pressure and will not be 'bluffed' out of protecting their sailing space.
This experience will be important for Ryan Palk who is the nominated skipper to helm the Tasqua Youth team entry in Audi Centre Sunshine Coast Queensland Match Racing series in the equally demanding SB3 sports boat.
Palk who has achieved his best results racing single handed in the Olympic Laser dinghy class heads into this Americas Cup type regatta with an open mind and is looking forward to test his match racing skill against Oceanburo Youth Team helmsman Sean O'Rourke and the World ranked female match racer Katie Spithill from New South Wales.
Katie Spithill the younger sister of Americas Cup helmsman Jamie confirmed her ranking among the World's best female match racing sailors when she steered Wot Chicks racing team into fifth place in the recent World Match Racing series in New Zealand.
She will stand as the skipper to beat when the Wot Chicks crew compete to protect their International match racing reputation against the class of Sunshine Coast sailors Ryan Palk, Kai Timm, Sean O'Rourke, Phil Gray and Lauren Calder.
by Ian Grant 
nedlands, WA
