The Australian Sailing Team Crowned ‘King of the Docklands’

Over the weekend of 19th – 20th January 2008, Victoria Harbour, in Melbourne’s Docklands was venue for the inaugural King of the Docklands event. With 20 competing in strict one design racing in SB3’s, battling it out for the title of King of the Docklands.

The sun was out briefly for a super Sunday of sailing on day two of the Skandia Docklands Invitational. While the ocean racing yachts raced out on Port Philip, twenty teams of elite sailors gathered to race in super-slick one-design sports boats as part of the Vectrix SB3 King of the Docklands event. The first prize of a high performance Vectrix electric maxi-scooter focused the attention of the twenty teams battling for the 2008 King of the Docklands trophy.

Anticipation was intense as crews prepared to take part in the high adrenaline competition at Victoria Harbour in Melbourne’s Docklands. The harbour was transformed to a hive of activity when boats of all shapes and sizes took to the water for various events, with many describing the blustery southerly wind as potentially chaotic.

Guessing the winner from any of the heats was always going to be difficult. One of the favourites for Heat One was Oceanburo, skippered by Kai Timm; tactician and top sailing coach in his own right and director of Oceanburo, distributor of the SB3 in Australia. However, with a field that included Skandia Team GBR, ten time world champion of various classes Mitch Booth and local sailors the Ridgeways it was not going to be easy for anyone. Early leaders in heat one, Skandia Team GBR appeared to have the race rapped up, until the on water jury judged them to have infringed class rules so they had to do a 720o turn that took them out of contention for the heat. This left Team Oceanburo and Mitch Booth to dual it out and it was Booth who came out on top.

In race two, the Australian Sailing Team, skippered by current 49er World champion Nathan Outtridge and crewed by Laser World champion Tom Slingsby took line honours and Andrew Campbell’s North Atlantic Sailing Team (NATO) raced to glory in the third heat. Campbell, a member of the US Olympic Sailing Team Pan American Gold Medalist was joined by Abil Torchinsky, and Dave Wright, both of Canada.
Race four had the biggest upset of the day with well-respected sailor and editor of Australian Sailing Magazine, Vanessa Dudley showing speed and technique to clinch the final heat from Olympic medalist Mark Turnbull and hot favoutite for Olympic Medal in the Tornado Class in this years Olympics. It was only on her return to shore that the commentators spotted she had enlisted the crewing abilities of Australian Sailing Team member Brendon Casey.
After the four heats there was star studded line up for the final race. Spectators gathered on shore to watch the race for the most expensive prize in a single days racing in Australian history.
Racing in short courses, there was no room for error as the experienced sailors pitted against one another, putting their boats to the test in a thrilling final. Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby, 49er World Champion Nathan Outteridge, 470 World Champion Nathan Wilmot and Radial National Champion Sarah Blanck, Captain of the Australian Sailing Team consolidated their considerable skills to outrace their opponents.

Arriving back at the dock Tom Slingsby was full of praise for the Dart SB3 sports boat, a relative newcomer on the Australian sailing scene. “It was nice to sail, it would get up and plane and was tactical to sail upwind” he said adding “we had a great time out there!!”
In a generous gesture, the four sailors of Team AST will donate their prize, a revolutionary Zero-emission Vectrix electric vehicle valued at $17,500, to the Australian Paralympic team and look forward to defending their “King of the Docklands” title at next years’ Skandia Docklands Invitational event.
The Vectrix SB3 King of the Docklands event was part of Skandia Docklands Invitational, which was proudly presented by Skandia, the Victorian State Government, the City of Melbourne, The Age and the organising authority, Royal Geelong Yacht Club.