Close-hauled right to the finishing line Our 139th Sailing Season provided a packed program of exciting sailing events, thanks to our fantastic Volunteers! As the past year opened, the weather gods continued their angry moodswings and, although this made for some challenging moments afloat and ashore, January 2024 saw the Squadron host the colourful and competitive 51st Hobie Class National Championships, split over two series, attracting over 60 entries with more than 100 participants. The following regatta saw the Flying Elevens on the water, filled with Olympic aspirations — an impressive field of 40 boats competed in a 10 -race series with our own Patrick boys (Lucas and Zachary) just missing Gold on countback. The ILCA Australian Open and Youth Championships in Adelaide had some impressive results for ‘Team RQ’ but the icing on the cake was that Queensland won the Battens Trophy for the Teams results for the first time. Credit goes to the boys and girls from the RQ Youth Squad who comprised the majority of the State’s winning team. For the rest of the fleets, February marked the return to action after the Christmas break, diving straight into Term 1 Brisbane Schools Fleet and teams racing. Foiling boards and Club Championships were all abuzz with activity — as were the eager OK Dinghy sailors keen to get in some water time ahead of their Nationals and the OK Dinghy Worlds at month’s end. The Squadron came alive as competitors from Europe and New Zealand arrived, transforming the grounds. Cars made way for shipping containers, international flags fluttered aloft, and camaraderie flourished among the 105 entries. The ‘wind-down area’ under the large marquee on the main rigging lawn certainly proved to be a great place to share stories of the days’ racing! In March, the annual Brisbane Women’s Keelboat Cup Regatta — aligned with International Women’s Day — brought together sailors and supporters for a weekend of competitive yet fun racing, celebrating women’s contributions to, and invoivement in, the sport of sailing. As 2024 drew to a close it was clear that, as usual, ‘winding down to the end of the year’ was something that happened to others, reflects Mark Dingley, as December usually marks the start of the ‘silly season’ for the Sailing Office, with variable weather and Summer holiday regattas galore. 16 Mainsheet 2024 Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Yearbook Sailing Manager’s Report
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