Kai Timm and Sean O’Rourke will have their personal friendship challenged when they contest the inaugural Dart SB3 Australian championship on Corio Bay, Geelong over the Australia Day weekend.
There is absolutely no evidence of feud between the two talented Sunshine Coast sailors who played a contributing role when Mooloolaba’s Rod Jones skippered Alegria to a runaway win in the Audi Australian IRC championship last August.
However they will become rival skippers when the battle lines are drawn to decide who is the smarter one-design racing helmsman.
Naturally personal pride is at stake and the tactical skills of the clever Kai Timm will stretched to the depth on his international sailing experience by the younger Sean O’Rourke.
They are both very good mates and are individually proud to be representing the Sunshine Coast.
However that friendship will be left onshore when the respected tactician and coach Kai Timm and his student Sean O’Rourke enter into a personal match race in what promises to be an exciting debut regatta ‘down under’ for the Dart SB3 which has recently gained International recognition as the World’s fastest growing sports boat class.
The battle between the two exceptionally talented sailors will be one of the highlights of the championship which has also attracted entries from champion English helmsman Jono Shelly and the experienced Victorian B16 skipper Guy Bancroft.
Based on his valued Dart SB3 racing experience in England and Europe Jono Shelly deserves his ranking as the title favourite however while he promises to set the speed sailing benchmark the title result remains in the melting pot simply because the clone nature of the class provides all the crews with an equal chance from the start line.
Sure Shelly has proved his sail-fast technique but his results will hinge on the ability to limit the mistakes in the important human applied elements of race strategy and crew technique.
Corio Bay has a reputation for being a tricky course and promises to test all of the crews irrespective of their career results which sets the pattern for an exciting series of races when the fleet of Dart SB3 one design ‘sprint machines’ duel for their important debut class championship in Australia.
Both Kai Timm in Oceanburo and Sean O’Rourke in Tasqua Youth despite their limited class experience have the temperament and the tactical skills to master the challenge but who will finish with the best place will only be decided during the final meters of the last race.
Sean O’Rourke has already proved his sailing talent winning the Australian Senior Sabot title before climbing the ranks as one of Australia’s best one on one match and fleet racing sailors.
He also has a good young crew of Nik Peate, Matt Jones and Mitch Kennedy who are well prepared to enter into a tactical title dog-fight under the Tasqua Youth battle-flag.
They all have the skill and determination to enter the battle and will not hesitate to test their combined talent and youthful endurance to win a medal against their older rivals.
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