The Doyle Sails Akarana Series is well underway at the club, and the opening race days have already offered a contrast of conditions, followed by some tight, tactical racing in lighter airs. Opening Day brought a fresh, gusty westerly that kept crews on their toes, especially across the juniors, while the following two race days demanded patience and slow-boat speed in the shifting, lighter conditions.
12-Foot Skiffs After three scored races, it is DE Group (Matt Metson) who leads the overall standings with a 4, 2 1, with early leaders C-Tech (Alex Vallings) already posting two bullets. Meanwhile, Monkey Wrench (Jono Clough) remain firmly in the mix with strong finishes across all three races. With no discards yet, every point continues to carry weight. The 12s are just two weeks out from their Interdominion Trials at the end of the month which promises to be a greatly contested based on the season so far.
Optimist Open: The race for supremacy in the Open fleet is heating up. Michael Schierhout and Jock Morrison are now tied on nett points after seven races with 13 points each, Michael grabbed early wins in the opening breeze, while Jock has come charging back in the lighter breeze later in the series, taking two wins on race day 3. Lucy Fenwick rounds out the top three, having sailed consistently well with several podium finishes including a bullet of her own.
Optimist Green is the largest junior fleet (18 entries), Tommy O’Connor has asserted an early lead, winning four out of eight races sailed so far. His wins in both breezy and light conditions have him well deserving of his lead at the moment. Hot on his heels is Charles Cashmore, Oliver Sun & Sammy Corcoran – trading wins and podiums all around. Hana Pinedo rounds out the Top 5 as the first ranked girl at this stage.
Starling: The Purdie siblings continue to shine in the Starling division, Stavro Purdie has claimed six race wins from seven, while Niko Purdie sits second overall thanks to a string of high finishes. The gap between the Purdies and the rest of the fleet is already widening, though several competitors are still finding their groove.
29ers: The 29er fleet has now completed three races in the series after getting involved from race day 3. James Currell and Jack Harker & Lachie Gillies and Robert Abel-Pattinson have traded wins all day long. With such a tight two-boat fleet, every start is proving pivotal.
