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Audi --- 'King of the Docklands ' Event
Google the words Docklands invitational

Click on the Skandia -- Docklands Invitational then on 5 races.

Click on Audi --King of the Docklands then click on the the Draw.

You will then see that Darryn Dyer the current Australian Trailer Yacht champion and swing keel rl24 champion, has been drawn to race against three others in the first heat starting at 1830hrs on Wednesday the 21st of January. Only the winner will go through to the final

All twenty specially invited competitors will be racing in identical one design Laser SB3 sportsboats. I am hoping that if I log into the Docklands Invitational web site at that time they might give the positions at the buoy roundings in the very short course they will race on. If the sailing press say that this type of event is sailboat racings answer to 20-20 cricket, why is it not televised???

Darryn and his crew are going to be up against hot shot teams during this two day event and I wish them all the best and hope that everything goes well for them.

Alastair Russell17-Jan-2009    Edit    Delete 
Re: Audi --- 'King of the Docklands ' Event
Darryn's crew consists of all RL24 sailors.

With Darryn, is his son Mitch off "Whatever" RL159, Simon Walsh off "Ohau Rua" RL199, and Pete Hacket who grew up sailing on"Sasha" RL102.

Follow the racing at Docklands Invitational website.

Keith Merkley19-Jan-2009    Edit    Delete 
Re: Audi --- 'King of the Docklands ' Event
I read somewhere that in the King of Docklands Invitational event, the winner takes all. He receives a top line Audi car as a prize and his club gets one of the 50,000 dollar Laser SB3 sports boat!! The same article billed the series as an event that puts the club racers up against the professionals.

For those who live in Melbourne, you are all supposed to go down to the marina complex in Victoria dock and watch the race from there. Darryn and his team are in the first heat starting at 6.30 pm on Wednesday night.

Fingers Crossed

Alastair Russell19-Jan-2009    Edit    Delete 
Re: Audi --- I can not find any results!
What happened? Someone told me that the second day was blown out and postponed. How did Darryn and his team go?
Alastair23-Jan-2009    Edit    Delete 
Re: Audi --- 'King of the Docklands ' Event
I have pasted bits of a Skandia Geelong week media report below.

Organisers were forced to cancel the Audi King of the Docklands this afternoon due to big northerly winds which blew in excess of 25 knots constantly throughout the day forcing the cancellation of all sailing events at Skandia Geelong Week.

There was much disappointment among the sailors who were vying for Australias richest prize in sailing, an Audi A4 2.0-litre sedan TDI donated by Audi and an SB3 dinghy, donated by Oceanburo. The prize, valued at over $100,000 was due to be presented to the newly crowned Audi King of the Docklands this evening at Waterfront City, Docklands.

Three heats were held yesterday evening and a further three were to be held this evening starting from 6.00pm, after which the six heat winners were to race-off for the prize.

Whilst the outcome was a no result in 2009, we look forward to a return of this highly competitive event in Docklands next year, Mr Hofmann said.
Alastair24-Jan-2009    Edit    Delete 
Re: Audi --- 'King of the Docklands ' Big Day Out
Wednesday 24th Jan Ohau Rua was launched at Newport and motored to the Docklands by Simon, Mitch & Pete, sails were hoisted and many laps of Victoria Harbour were done to get a feel of wind direction etc. inside the harbour.
1300hrs I arrived at the Docklands after finishing nightshift that morning and being driven to Melbourne by Rebecca. I stepped straight onto Ohua Rua and we continued to cut laps of Victoria Harbour.
1500hrs we all stepped onto an SB3 for our 1hr practise session learning heaps about the boat and getting used to sailing her.
1600hrs we stepped off feeling we had used our time well.
Pete's 16 foot skiff experiance was invaluable for us to learn quickly on how we needed to manage the big asso kite.
1800hrs back on the boat for a 1830hrs start.
1830hrs got a good start - 2 boats to leeward 1 to windward on a starboard tack. First round the windward mark, first to get kite full and away we went. First back through the gate then down into the corner of the harbour and ran out of wind, bugger. The boat in 2nd place ghosted down and rounded the mark before us.
He led us back through the gate then the battle was on up to the windward mark. We were 1st around and got the kite up OK only for us to again run out of wind just before the finish. We finished 2nd by about 1/2 a boat length.
The entire race went for about 11 minutes a real drag race, with adrenalin pumping hard.
All in all, it was a great experience we learnt heaps and had a ball. It's a pity that the next day was blown out so the series was abandoned.
Spectators really enjoyed the close proximity for viewing the racing as one end of the start line was one of the marina fingers.
I hope they try again next year.
As the president of the RL24 association, I feel proud that we have been able to provide an RL24 crew to compete on a SB3 in such a positive way. (current SB3 R/U Aus champ didn't head us for the race).
We then went to Geelong Week regatta where Simon & crew won the trailable division on Ohua Rua and we were 3rd on Whatever.
A big 6 days were enjoyed by all
Darryn29-Jan-2009    Edit    Delete 

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