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26 April 2005, 11:18 am

Tasmanian Triumph

Shadforths Australian Team Racing Championship 2005

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania (RYCT) took first and second place on their home waters in the Shadforths Australian Team Racing Championship held in Hobart over the Anzac weekend.

Following the successful completion of two full round-robins in the preliminary series, the Championship went straight into semi-final mode yesterday morning.

Team Tasker from Royal Perth Yacht Club (RPYC) finished the preliminary rounds on top of the ladder and chose to take on RYCT One in the best-of-five semi-final. This left RYCT Two, which finished second, to take on Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) in the other semi.

In moderate to fresh conditions, both RYCT teams needed four races to eliminate their rivals to set up an all Tasmanian grand final.

The final started in solid north-westerly winds, around 16 to 18 knots, bordering the upper limit for good team racing. With one win apiece in the best-of-five final, the fleet was sent ashore while a front passed through with gusts up to 40 knots. A quick call to the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that the strong winds were to be short-lived, and after a postponement of an hour, racing recommenced.

The more experienced RYCT One team made it 3 - 1 in quick time, securing the Championship win after numerous runner-up finishes in recent years.

This event is the selection for the 2005 ISAF Team Racing World Championship in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, with at least one team and possibly two being invited to represent Australia in September this year.