Some on the forum may be aware of the weather in Queensland at the moment.

Unfortunately the first 4 days of the Nationals have had to be abandoned due to extremely strong winds, due to an intense low pressure system sitting off the coast.

Regards

Yikes! That's an organizational nightmare! What's Plan B?

BTW, how many boats entered?

Mike

Very bad luck, and the Brisbane weather forecast for today (3/Jan) doesn't look too good either: "Showers increasing to rain. Squally S/SE winds". With only tomorrow scheduled I doubt if they will be able to sail the minimum number of races.

The nasty low pressure system has impacted a number of National titles being held along the Queensland coast including A class, cherub, contender, 16 ft skiff and MG14 skiff.

Sounds like another blowout again for the Taipans. From the RQ website:

03/01/08
Frustration has well and truly set in…
The Official Flag Pole has never seen so many N over A’s, L’s or AP’s before…
Today racing was abandoned for all class again.
The Taipans will be lucky to even have an Australian Championship with all bar one interstate competitor choosing to head home. The Taipans do have 4 races scheduled for tomorrow however with an upper wind strength of 22 knots in their class rules, almost rules out sailing for tomorrow morning.
The Contenders have 5 races scheduled for tomorrow.
The Cherubs start racing at 0600 hours meaning competitors and volunteers will be at the Squadron from 0430 hours tomorrow morning. 4 races are scheduled for this class.
The 16’s Skiffs are racing as per the original schedule.
Fingers crossed…

The A's however seem to be able to get some sailing in further north at Hervey Bay. Steve Brewin on fire with 5 bullets from 5 races. No Ashby due to Tornado commitments at the other end of the country.

And not to forget in the last race Steve capsized and made his way back to the lead.
I also heard a lot of mast damage due to capsizing.

Didn't know that. Recieved phone call from Willy when in process of trying to install rudder cables for quadrant of new yacht I am sailing on (besides the A-cat program), so couldn't get the low-down of details. Trying to be on phone whilst in really small carbon sauna in the stern of the yacht tying knots and trying to get geometry right for twin wheels not great for converstations. Should have more info tomorrow. But do know only 10 boats finished last race.

They should have had it in New South Wales -- oddly enough, the Hobie Australian Nationals are going on all this week...at the same time as the Taipan. Judging from the photos of everyone sitting on their tramps, they have had relatively benign conditions.

Australian Hobie Nationals

Nationals are on a rotation system between the states, for both As and Taipans and most other classes. Qld's turn. I believe NSW are next year for the Taipans.

Problem was that a low pressure system (almost cyclone class) has sat off Fraser Island for the past week and has refused to budge and has affected weather systems all the way down to Sydney. Heaps of wind, but no rain. They couldn't run the annual Pittwater to Coffs Harbour yacht race due to the conditions, which shows how bad the conditions have been. Can't plan for this, and unfortunate that it happened.

Do I dare blame global warming? <duck>

22 knots? I'd bet they'd all like to waive that rule at this point... What were the actual winds?

Don't think there are too many dogs on chains in Brisbane at the moment.

Winds were 30 to 40 I believe from what my bro was telling me. When the 16ft skiff guys don't race, you know it is windy.

07/08 Taipan Nationals abandoned according the RQYS website.

Amazing that they couldn't get in a single day of racing due to the big low off the SE Qld coast.

Atleast the taipans can now say that Toukley wasn't that bad

Richard,

I think your beginning to show your age.
Wasn't Toukley was 10 years ago.

Regards,
Phill

I know that Phill, but if you mention that you sail at Toukley to anybody,they still remember the nationals at Toukley?? And the organiser's of that regatta still have a bad taste in their mouth

The host site appeared to report racing for some of the other classes at the event, so I was curious. But, 30-40 is definitely pretty nuts. We've done it with Hobie 16s, but the carnage is pretty intense (for those of us who are crazy enough to even leave the beach).

We once lost a Hobie 20 nationals to a hurricane in Florida, didn't we?

Mike