Unstable conditions impact second day of Sail Brisbane 2024
Unstable conditions saw racing postponed on the second day of Sail Brisbane 2024, with lightning and afternoon wind of up to 30 knots ensuring boats remained safely on shore under an AP over A.
After a glamour afternoon on the water yesterday, the foiling classes on Delta course didn’t leave the beach today, with Sam Costin (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron) noting the iQFOil fleet remains hopeful for tomorrow.
“We started racing yesterday with the wingfoils and got four slalom races done, which was good. We were actually pretty happy with how things played out yesterday; the wind was meant to be lighter than it was,” said Costin.
“We were aiming for four course races today as we wanted to get a nice balance between the two formats of racing that our class does, but the weather didn’t clear up, so we didn’t make it out.
“We only have a three-day regatta, so we’re looking forward to some racing tomorrow. It’s meant to be super windy, so we’re expecting it to be pretty lit up and intense, but it should be really good fun. It’s a nice way for us to end the summer season in Australia,” she said.
Lighter winds this morning saw boats in several classes, including the ILCA 7 class, take to the water in the hope of racing.
Australian Sailing Team athlete Ethan McAulley (Royal Perth Yacht Club) was among those who returned to shore in the early afternoon.
“We went out today after a little bit of a delay and tried to get a start away, but the lighting came through with a big right shift, so we came back to shore,” said McAulley.
“We waited around for a while, but there’s a big storm coming, so we’re done for the day.
“We’re not certain what the rest of the week will bring conditions-wise yet, but I think we’ll have some wind tomorrow, maybe some lighter breeze on Friday, and maybe even a sea breeze to wrap up.
With the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron also set to host the upcoming ILCA Nationals, McAulley will return to Brisbane in the new year, but not before a short trip home for Christmas.
“I’m heading home to Perth for Christmas, so I'm pretty excited about that.
“I’ll have a few days off, and then I’ll be back here for Nationals in January, which will be one of our last events before the European summer,” he said.
Sail Brisbane will run from 17-21 December at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.
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