Condie Bags Another One at Eagleby

Sailing his Grunge for Canberra MYC, Condie was the standout performer across the two-day regatta, finishing comfortably ahead of Garth Halton from Redlands RSC, with Eagleby RYC’s John Gower completing the podium.

Day one greeted the 10-boat fleet with cloudy conditions, a temperature around 20°C and a southerly breeze ranging from 5 to 25 knots.

Condie wasted little time establishing himself at the front of the fleet, opening the championship with four consecutive race wins before Halton broke the sequence with victory in Race 5.

Despite the varying breeze, racing progressed well and in a friendly atmosphere, with very few incidents or protests throughout the day.

The first DNF of the championship came in Race 7, while Race 9 saw Jimmy Mee and Trevor Fisher retire. Peter Sherwood was awarded average points following a successful request for redress.

John Gower claimed his first win of the regatta in Race 11, while Bruce Deane encountered electrical problems during the day. In a great example of the camaraderie within the fleet, a fellow competitor provided a loan radio and receiver that allowed him to continue racing.

Sixteen races were completed by the end of the opening day.

Conditions were somewhat lighter for the second day, with a south-easterly breeze of around 5 to 15 knots and another 20°C day.

Halton started strongly by winning Race 17, but Condie quickly reasserted his authority. The Canberra skipper won the next five races in succession, effectively putting the championship beyond reach.

Deane's run of equipment problems unfortunately continued when a winch issue forced him from the regatta after Race 21.

There were a couple of minor altercations during Races 19 and 23, with those involved reportedly “pleading the fifth on the advice of counsel”.

Sherwood collected his first bullet of the championship in the penultimate race, before the final race provided perhaps the most memorable moment of the weekend.

Following a course change to accommodate an easterly breeze, racing resumed with Sherwood's F6 sitting in second position when he suddenly called that he had lost control of his boat. With the yacht apparently refusing to turn and no response from the rudder, the mystery was eventually solved.

He was sailing the wrong boat.

By the time the situation was realised, the eventual regatta winner had sailed away and Sherwood found himself being lapped — providing an entertaining conclusion to an otherwise highly competitive weekend.

Scott Condie finished the 24-race series with a remarkable 22.0 nett points, having accumulated an extraordinary number of race victories throughout the championship.

Garth Halton sailed consistently to secure second overall on 56.0 points, while John Gower took third with 63.0 points. Jimmy Mee was close behind in fourth on 68.0, with Peter Sherwood completing the top five on 93.8 points.

The championship was sailed in a friendly spirit throughout, with competitors contributing both on and off the water to make the event a success.

A big thank you goes to everyone involved in organising and running the championship, and particularly to John Gower for his contribution across the weekend.

With 24 races completed across two days and conditions ranging from light to testing, the championship provided plenty of racing — but ultimately there was no stopping Scott Condie, whose consistency and remarkable run of victories made him a thoroughly deserving Queensland RM State Champion.