News

Day 1 – Shifty Winds and Close Racing
Racing began under a fluctuating north-westerly breeze, ranging from barely 2 knots to gusts nearing 15. For most of the day, conditions hovered around 8–10 knots—enough to challenge sailors without overwhelming the boats. B rigs were the unanimous choice, with no one willing to risk the nose-diving potential of the larger A rig in the gusts.

Race Officer Geoff Beacham (Mawson Lakes MYC) set a classic windward-leeward course, rewarding clean lanes, tactical awareness, and good downwind judgement. Unfortunately, weed was a persistent problem throughout the day, unexpectedly catching foils and rudders and compromising more than a few races.

Daniel Bergan opened the regatta with a clinical win, while Brad Hein edged out Darren Cathie in a tight finish for second. Apart from a tricky Race 2 for Brad, those three consistently featured at the front of the fleet. Adam Chambers was the only skipper outside the top three to claim a win, pairing that with a string of solid fourth-place finishes to remain in contention.

Throughout the fleet, there were fierce mid-pack battles and plenty of close-quarters action. Grant Gillespie, Peter Murfett, and Peter Trenorden each posted a second-place finish and featured strongly in individual races.

After 10 races, the overnight leaderboard read:

Brad Hein – 13 pts
Daniel Bergan – 17 pts
Darren Cathie – 27 pts
Adam Chambers – 27 pts (on countback)

Day 2 – Gusty Wind, Weed, Strategy Games, and the Final Push
Day 2 brought a wind shift to the south, prompting a revised course layout. With the sun now sitting low behind the bottom gate, visibility became a factor—particularly for the right-hand mark, which became a critical and often risky choice.

Some sailors experimented with A rigs during practice, but quickly reverted to B rigs for the opening races. Daniel Bergan came out firing, claiming four straight wins to start the day and erasing Brad's overnight lead. Meanwhile, Darren and Adam were locked in a tight duel until a low battery warning forced Adam to retire from Race 2 of the day.

Adam returned to take a win in Race 5, holding off Darren, who secured another consistent second. But the weed issue worsened as the day went on. Sailors were forced to check or clear their boats after nearly every race, and several were caught out mid-race by the dreaded green hitchhikers.

As conditions strengthened in the afternoon, gusting to around 15 knots, C rigs made their appearance. Most of the fleet opted to switch—except Brad Hein, who stuck with his B rig, suspecting he may have fallen behind overall. In a last-minute move, Daniel also switched back to B rig just 30 seconds before the gun, aiming to match Brad’s setup. It may have backfired—Brad won the race, while Daniel managed only fifth.

Gary Hein saved his best for last, taking the win in the final race and earning bragging rights over son Brad, who finished second. Jeff Burford posted a best result of 4th, and Peter Lyons and Des Hein both sailed their best races late in the day, rounding out a very competitive regatta.

Final Standings
After 18 races, two sailors stood out—Daniel Bergan and Brad Hein—rarely finishing off the podium across two days of changing conditions.

1st – Daniel Bergan – 28 pts (second successive Victorian title)
2nd – Brad Hein – 30 pts
3rd – Darren Cathie – 48 pts
4th – Adam Chambers – 55 pts

Acknowledgements
A big thank you to the team who made this event possible:

RO Geoff Beacham (Mawson Lakes MYC) for calm and consistent race management
Scorers Dianne and Leesa Hein for keeping the results running smoothly
Rescue boat skippers Luke and Mick for their invaluable on-water support

The 2025 RC Laser Victorian State Championship delivered on every level—challenging conditions, close competition, and top-notch sportsmanship. Congratulations to Daniel Bergan on a well-earned victory, and to all sailors and volunteers for a successful and memorable weekend of racing at Portland Yacht Club.