Among the talk around the bar in most clubs is a discussion around who is the best all round skipper.  Whitsunday Sailing Club took this as a challenge, with their inaugural Champion of Champions regatta on Saturday 5 March.  

The 2021 club champion from each division within the club (Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, SheSails, Off Beach, Start Sailing), together with representatives from the Sailing Committee and the Management Committee were given complementary entry into the regatta, while other club members were able to enter under a pay to sail “Wild Card” system.  Racing took place in the club’s RS Quest dinghies, ensuring that all competitors were on equal footing, with crew in each boat supplied by the club. 

The format for the event is a round robin elimination series, with four boats competing in two races in each flight.  At the end of the round, the worst scoring boat in each flight was eliminated, with the balance moving on to the next round, gradually working down to a 3 way final which was a “best of 3 races” shootout.

Sailed in a 10 knot northerly breeze and lumpy seas, the event ran smoothly with over 30 short races conducted over the day.  The final ended up with Greg Hammon representing Division 3, Joshua King representing the Offshore Division and Scott Trewavis, a wild card entry from Mackay Sailing Club. Joshua King, a 14 year old Laser 4.7 sailor, took the honours, and with it the title of the Whitsunday Sailing Club Champion of Champions.

It is planned for this to become an annual event on the club’s calendar, with planning underway for an interclub challenge event, involving 4 local clubs, in the near future.