GP Series Winners for 2020

IOM Start IOMs still attract the most entries18 December 2020

In 2019 the QRYA trialled a Grand Prix Series for the IOM fleet. Similar to series run in other states and countries, the aim was to encourage sailors to compete in events they otherwise might not, to qualify for the series. State Championship Titles are won at just one event, while the the GP Series recognises the sailors ability to do well across a range of conditions and venues. So three of the usual championship events were identified for each class and the combined results used to calculate the winner. There is always a catch and in this case there are several. There is no 'drop', you have to do all three (this year just two) and the title is only available to sailors belonging to Queensland clubs. Rons pic1 Ten Raters & Marbleheads have seen 50 to 100% growth in enties in Queensland in the past two years

The 2019 IOM trial was successful and a decision was made to roll the concept out to the other classes, then came COVID-19. When sailing finally resumed in near normal form there was not enough of the year left to hold three events but some classes managed two, so the call was made to go with that number for this year. In 2019 the top three places were recognised in the Open and Masters divisions, but with only two events in the series the decision was made to just award to winner in each category of the GP Series. Finally, just to complicate matters, Masters was not awarded in some classes due to a variety of issues from the division not being on the entry form on the website to not e LasersWindwardClipped RC Lasers maintain a strong following in SE Queenslandnough entrants qualifying. David Brundson was the only DF95 sailor to compete in both events in the series, so the only one to qualify in that class, but that is what the GP series is about, participating beyond your club waters.

The Masters Division was and will be next year, hotly contested in both the DF95Dec19Start2 DF95 and DF65 Fleets have boomed in north and south Queensland GP and normal Championship level. We now have good information from a number of different sources about the age groups participating in Radio Sailing. At several Championship events this year the Masters Division was at least half the fleet and that did not include a few who did not register even though they qualified. Entry in the Masters is voluntary, some apparently prefer not to recognise that across all sports age does affect performance to some degree. If you need confirmation just look at the State, National and World Champions, see if they are younger than you. Almost every major amateur sport in the world uses age based divisions including the Radio Sailing World Championships, we are too, at State level. Next time you enter an event remember that you can win both Open and Masters if you sail well.