Report on Nationals at Middle Harbour YC

The Finn Nationals was a well run and in some parts a hotly contested event. We thank and appreciate Middle Harbour for just how they can look after an event. We also thank Michael Jones from YA for his valuable coaching assistance.

We welcomed several new faces and the comment from all was just how even the boats are and how tight the racing can be. Certainly any racing on "the Harbour" requires a skipper to be always thinking and trying how best to get up and down the course. This made for great racing and an evenness of the fleet.

l think the 3 races a day over 3 days was a good format and sailed in lighter to medium winds made it a chance for all. The evenness was shown with many of the hulls, mast, and sails with over a wide range of ages still being "on the pace" [it hurts to see a rig you sold 5 years ago being hard to chase down].

Brendan Casey, class new comer and Olympic aspirant, won the regatta with some solid consistent sailing and gee that boy can hike, but importantly he conducted himself in a very proper and professional way, no doubt what it takes to be world class.Nik Burfoot, the Kiwi former Laser World Champion, was able to give Brendan some pretty tight opposition. John Shallvey was consistent and sail into 3rd.

The new faces in the class will no doubt with some more hours in the boat will give some pretty hot competition for many regattas to come. Certainly the racing amongst the others was interesting with many position changes.

Unfortunately with Josh Beaver still facing issues with his injury rehabilitation and Anthony Nossitter on Hobart duties the fleet was down on some high class. The interest in the class is again high as many talk up the Gold Cup and the chance to sail against an Olympic class fleet at Black Rock in 2008. We certainly are excited to have Brendan Casey join the fleet and congratulate him on a well-sailed event. Brendan has been a "world class" Laser sailer for many years and with this level of skill and a well run Olympic campaign should see him climb the ranks quickly along with the other Laser notables that have moved into the Finn Class. The comment from Brendan was one of being humbled by being able to add his name to the many famous names of Australian Yachting that grace the Perpetual trophy.