The 2026 Tasmanian A Class State Championship delivered two vastly different days of racing across the weekend of 16–17 May, with competitors battling everything from drifting conditions and tidal traps through to long downwind surfing runs on the River Derwent.
A fleet of nine yachts assembled for the championship, greeted on Saturday morning by an almost glassy river and a light 2-knot northerly breeze — far from the famous katabatic conditions many had hoped for. Despite the marginal conditions, PRO Ray Joyce had racing underway right on schedule and, in a bid to maximise sailing before the breeze disappeared entirely, competitors elected to push straight through without the usual morning break.
The decision proved worthwhile. Four races were completed before an early lunch break, although the final race before the break only narrowly finished inside the time limit, with just three yachts completing the course within five minutes of the winner. Ironically, as soon as sailors settled into lunch, the breeze filled in beautifully across the course.
What followed was a superb afternoon of A Class racing in 6–11 knot north to north-westerly conditions, with the long fetch of the river producing exciting surfing conditions downwind. The improving breeze transformed the regatta, although a change in tide brought with it troublesome weed that would become a recurring talking point throughout the afternoon session.
Despite the challenges, racing continued right through to the scheduled 4pm finish, and in typical fashion the breeze shut down almost immediately once boats came ashore.
By the end of Day 1, thirteen races had been completed, with Kyle Stewart emerging as the overnight leader on 21 points after a remarkably consistent opening day where even a third place became one of his discards. Stuart Dawes sat second on 27 points, with Lisa Blackwood a further five points behind on 32.
Sunday morning again began under threateningly light conditions, and there were doubts as to whether racing would commence on time. However, Ray Joyce and his volunteer team worked tirelessly relaying course marks as subtle shifts moved across the race area, and sailors were eventually greeted with the news everyone wanted to hear — racing would start as scheduled.
The opening race of the day was slow and tactical, but Ted Stevens mastered the difficult conditions to claim victory and effectively bookend the end of Saturday and the beginning of Sunday with consecutive race wins. Soon after, a light but stable 4-knot breeze settled over the course, providing excellent racing through the morning session.
One of the more amusing moments of the regatta came just before lunch when a sudden tidal reversal caught almost the entire fleet by surprise during the start sequence. Having spent the previous races comfortably holding position below the line with favourable current, skippers suddenly found themselves helplessly drifting over early as the tide changed direction moments before the gun. A general recall and restart followed, along with plenty of laughter and head shaking from the competitors.
As the afternoon approached, the river again looked ominously calm and competitors debated whether to continue or call the championship complete. Thankfully, several sailors were keen to press on and were rewarded with a final session of quality light-air racing, complete with subtle shifts, tactical passing lanes and — importantly — no weed.
Across the fleet there were plenty of close personal battles. Ted Stevens and Ian “Dicko” Dickinson enjoyed a spirited duel throughout the championship in what became dubbed the “Battle of the North”, with Ted eventually prevailing overall, although Dicko claimed the final race victory between the pair for late bragging rights.
Further down the standings, Rod Marshall mounted a strong comeback over John Hall, overturning a five-point overnight deficit to finish comfortably ahead by the regatta’s conclusion.
At the front of the fleet, the championship quickly developed into a contest between Kyle Stewart and Lisa Blackwood. Stuart Dawes remained consistently competitive and firmly in podium contention, but Stewart and Blackwood regularly traded blows at the front of the fleet in a fascinating technical battle between setup, sail selection and changing breeze strengths.
Blackwood’s lighter Cuben fibre jib proved highly effective in the sub-4 knot conditions, while Stewart’s setup came alive once the pressure increased slightly, allowing him to point higher and power through the chop more efficiently.
In the end, consistency across both days proved decisive. Stewart remarkably counted only podium finishes across the entire regatta, with several third places discarded, to secure the 2026 Tasmanian A Class State Championship on 38 points sailing his Blister 4.
Blackwood was never far away and showed excellent pace throughout the weekend, finishing a deserved second on 50 points, while Dawes completed the podium in third aboard his Venom on 66 points.
The championship also highlighted the strength of volunteer support behind Tasmanian radio sailing events. Ray Joyce’s work as PRO was instrumental in keeping the regatta moving smoothly through difficult and ever-changing conditions, supported throughout the weekend by Peter Sylvester, Ian Hey and Andrew Wardrop. Their efforts ensured competitors enjoyed a successful and enjoyable championship despite the challenging forecast.
Special mention also went to the three northern sailors — Ted Stevens, Ian Dickinson and Malcolm Watson — for making the trip south and contributing strongly both on and off the water. With the championship heading to the north-west coast next year, southern sailors will no doubt be eager to return the favour.