posted march 23, 09

Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club members Paul Blundell, Chris Annear and 15 year old Ali Blundell travelled to Southport last weekend with 4 other Noosa Yachts to contest the 2009 Blazer 23 Sportsboat Queensland Class Championships.

Some of Queensland's best sportsboats sailors were racing in the seventeen boat fleet and the conditions kept the tacticians busy with inconsistent shifty breeze and massive outgoing tidal currents.

With 'Crash Test Dummies' owner, Granville Snowden, currently overseas the crew joined with Southport local and renowned sailor, Neil Sheering, to sail Crash into the record books with an amazing 1,2,4,1,3,4,3 score card over the seven race two day regatta. Second was 'Still Crazy' skippered by Southport local Peter 'Pedro' Lahey with 'Musto' in third skippered by Southport Yacht Club's Sailing Manager Shane Smith. Noosa yacht 'Something Offensive' skippered by Phil Crawford sailed into a very credible forth position.

This is only the second time a Noosa yacht has won this prestigious event, the last time being Chris Annear aboard 'Ferel' in 2007 and the only time that a yacht leading after day one has gone onto win the regatta.

Paul Blundell commented that "the teamwork on Crash was what kept us at the head of the fleet with Neil's local knowledge of the course coupled with superb spinnaker work on the foredeck by Ali Blundell and the sail trimming and tactics of Chris Annear it meant that we had all the ammunition to sail fast. The Blazer 23 Sportsboats are a great yacht but you still need a great crew and faultless teamwork to win regattas in a fleet like this with so many top notch sailors".