Much more manageable conditions greeted sailors for the first day of racing in the 2026 Australian Championships. The venue is the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia and the crystal clear waters of Saint Vincent Gulf.
The southerly breeze was a very pleasant 12 knots at the start of the first heat building to around 18 knots by the end of the third race.
Nick Jerwood and daughter Enfys got out of the blocks quickly in heat 1 and were never headed although hotly persued by Mike and Paul Dunbar, who ended up second and Peter Groom and Phil Epps in third.
The breeze shifted slightly left and put on a couple of knots for heat 2 and it was the Dundar boys who maintained a healthy lead from Nick and Enfys with Guy Bancroft and John Radnell third.
Still more breeze for heat 3 and Nick and Enfys got back to the front ahead of Mike and Paul, second, and Guy and John third again.
A couple of boats had jib problems and performed the difficult and high risk maneuver of lowering and re-hoisting the offending sail in a lumpy sea without bending the mast.
All repairs to boats and bodies to be completed before 2 more heats starting from 1300hrs tomorrow.
