Australian Hobie Championship
28 - 31 December 2003 Moreton Bay, Manly, AUSTRALIA
Fresh Breeze Delays Start
The Race Committee delayed the start of racing when showers swept across the race course and the breeze increased to 30 knots. When the showers left the course the postpone flag went down and racing was on.
With the fresh breeze World Champion Hobie 17 sailor Steve FIELDS showed his experience in the moderate to fresh breeze. Field formally from Perth showed all the Tigers a clean stern as he raced away for a comfortably win. Brad Sumner the Hobie 18 World Champion was second.
While Olympic Silver Medallist and Tornado World Champion, Darren BUNDOCK managed 3 capsizes as he came to terms with the Moreton Bay wave patterns.
Puerto Rican sailor Pedro COLON sailed out of the Manly boat harbour and decided to retire. As Colon commented from the bar 'that was the smartest sailing decision I have made.' The former Olympian has decided it was too dangerous to risk damage on a chartered boat.
In the Hobie 16 Youth Robbie Lovig won but had some luck when race leader Michael PETERSEN'S rigging broke leaving him in front.
Taylor BOOTH finished a creditable third after a capsize. Taylor said "it was a lightning fast righting effort; we were sailing in under a minute"
Taylor leads the Yachting Australia selection for the ISAF Youth Worlds in Poland.
The Hobie 16 Women fleet decided that discretion was the better part of valour, with half the fleet staying ashore. Only former Hobie 18 World Champion Donna KENNEDY finished the racing.
While in the Hobie 18’s it was tight battle between Steve KYLIE and Andrew NELSON. Kylie had the a slight lead coming into the finish but Nelson got the advantage and just managed to edge past for the narrowest of victories.
With the breeze increasing the Race Committee decided to finish early for the day much to the relief of many of the sailors.
Event Website
www.hobiecat.asn.au/
A perfect Hobie Day at the Australian Championships
Mon, 29 Dec 2003
With the predictions of strong winds and the famous Moreton Bay chop, the Race Committee moved the race course behind Green Island for protection. This created a much more enjoyable race course for the competitors. As the wind did not reach the predicted strength but a very enjoyable 12-18 knots it was a perfect day of Hobie racing.
World and Olympic sailor Daren Bundock had a much better day on the race course today. After finishing yesterday in the very uncustomary position of last, he sailed the race course today in style. He has now set himself up with early series leader Steve Fields in a great on water battle. In the last race a few centimetres separated these two as the hit the finish line at full speed. With Fields just taking victory. Bundock worked hard today “this fleet is tough and one simple mistake and your right out the back door”. Fields echoed the sentiments “it is hard racing out there and with so many top sailors it is to slip back and with Darren and Brad Sumner so close on points anything can happen.”
The Hobie 16 Youth saw Robbie Lovig break the start but recovered for some top three finishes in the next two races. All the youth have a drop race with the exception of Taylor Booth who had a consistent day. Taylor would lead the Australian Youth selection to the ISAF Youth Worlds in Poland. As some of the other youth do not qualify in the age limit for ISAF.
Belinda Zanesco had a perfect day on the water with three wins with arch rival Donna Kennedy having three thirds. Kennedy made the error of de-powering the boat too much expecting the breeze to increase. “Before we left the beach this morning we thought it was going to blow harder than it did. Add to the fact we hit the top mark and had to do a 360 penalty turn. It just was not our day out there.”
Husband and wife team Steve and Lesley Kylie had two first places and have extended a handy lead in the Hobie 18 fleet
by David Brookes
Australian Hobie Nationals - Rain and strong winds reduce the number of races
Tue, 30 Dec 2003
With rain squalls increasing the breeze strength, the Race Committee reduced the racing to three races today. The contrasting sailing conditions give mixed results in the Hobie Australian Championships today on Moreton Bay.
A moderate breeze for the first race gave all the competitors some great racing. During the second race of the day a rain shower, with winds gusting at over 25 knots, put the fleet in survival mode. When all the boats had finished and in the interest of safety, the Race Committee then abandoned racing for the day.
In the Tiger fleet, overnight leader Steve Fields made the first mistake of his great series with a bad tactical error. This gave Formula 18 National Champion Neville Thompson the first win of his series.
In the second race, newcomer to the Hobie Tiger fleet Scott Sanderlands had his first win in a Hobie Tiger.
While reigning Tornado World Champion and Olympic Silver Medallist Darren Bundock remained consistent with a two, four finish, he was relieved that racing was cancelled. 'It was hard work out there and we probably would not have gone back out for more racing.'
The Tiger leader board is bunched tightly with the top three boats within a few points.
The Hobie 18 fleet saw David Bent win both races to take a slight lead ahead of Steve Kiely. The series is now a real battle on the race course between these two, long time Hobie 18 sailors.
Hobie 16 brothers Shane and Michael Peterson from the Sunshine Coast have taken the top two spots in the Youth. With racing concluding tomorrow it will be a family battle to find the the ultimate winner of this class.
Taylor Booth still leads in the Yachting Australia selection series for the Youth team to ISAF Youth Worlds in Poland.
In the Hobie 16 Womens, Katie Spithill showed her skills today when she finished with two second places. Belinda Zanesco and Donna Kennedy have a point separating them and they are followed closely by Katie in third.
With racing concluding tomorrow the battle will be on in all the classes.
Hobie Cat Australasia is the major sponsor of this event. For further information, visit their website at
Event results :
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by David Brookes
Hobie National conclude in great sailing conditions
Wed, 31 Dec 2003
Racing concluded today in the first series of the Australian Hobie Championships. The sailors had a variety of winds from light/moderate to survival. It was a great series and a credit to the hosts Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. But the success of any championships can be measured by the sailor’s faces and there are plenty of smiling faces around the boat park.
The Hobie Tigers has shown itself to be the show case of Formula 18 racing in Europe and Australia has shown it no different here. The competitive fleet attracted three current world champions. In the first six races there were five different heat winners. The results showed the same tight sailing with Darren Bundock and Brad Sumner tied for first place, with Darren winning on a count back of the overall results. Darren believes the Hobie Tiger has some of the toughest competition in multihull racing, “just seeing the different heat winner showed that nobody dominated the series. It was a real tough series.” Steve Fields Managing Director of Hobie Cat Australasia finished third. Steve was please that factory team finished first, second and third. “We never thought that our whole team would do so well, the boats are just standard Tigers and Darren to his credit put his boat together on the first day of the regatta and won. As the major sponsor and podium finisher we are overjoyed at the results.
In the Hobie Youth it was an all family affair with brothers Shane and Michael Peterson fighting for first place. With older brother Shane becoming the eventual winner. These two young sailors will now continue their battle in Cancun, Mexico at the Hobie 16 Youth Worlds. For selection series for the ISAF Youth Worlds in Poland Lachlan Gibson edged out Taylor Booth. This now sets up and exciting series at McCrea Yacht Club next week when the selection series will be held.
David Bent sailed a perfect last day of the championship to win all three races and the championship. Husband and wife team Steve and Leslie Kiely tried valiantly to close the gap but could not match the boat speed of Bent. Andre Nelson hung on to claim third place overall after winning the first race of the series.
Making a return to women’s racing Belinda Zanesco won the Hobie 16 Women’s National Championships. Donna Kennedy kept the pressure on Belinda with a first and second in the last two races.
It was a great series with the sailors enjoying the racing and the hospitality of Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. The Hobie 16 Open and Masters start on the 2n January.
Hobie Cat Australasia is the major sponsor of this event. For further information, visit their website at http://www.hobiecat.com.au/ Event results : http:/