Hi Jeff,
I am not on the VMCA committee so was not aware of any discussion on this matter, but I have made enquiries with the committee and was told the matter has not yet been resolved.
He has not been "told to give the trophy back" (the perpetual trophy never left Victoria).
As far as eligibility is concerned it is all clearly laid out in the Notice Of Race which is still on the website here
http://www.theracingcat.com/index.php?page=state-titlesI have quoted the sections I thought applied to your question below.
" 2 Eligibility and Entry
Entry is conditional upon the following:
All skippers must be financial members of a State Mosquito Catamaran Association.
Any person who fulfils the above conditions shall be eligible to win the regatta but the title of ‘Victorian State Champion’ will only be awarded to persons who normally sail in Victoria."
Results on the website are listed as follows for 2014-15
MkII (Sloop rigged)
Outright
1st Peter Dunk, Kate Hyde, 1782 Sixth Element.
2nd - Victorian Champion Trevor Armstrong, Eliza Kimlin, 1828 One More Toy.
3rd Gordon Hyde, Jamie Wall, 1520 Air Apparent
I think the most important thing to remember is that assumptions have clearly been made without properly reading the NOR (it is a requirement that all competitors read the NOR) and the VMCA is run by volunteers and if mistakes where made they where just that, mistakes, made by people volunteering their time so we could all sail the State Titles and enjoy ourselves.
Also that there is no doubt that Peter Dunk and Kate Hyde where the best MkII crew sailing at the Titles and are and where acknowledged as such.
