Bunbury - Two Days of Fantastic IOM Racing

A fleet of 14 boats assembled for the championship, with competitors travelling from the Perth metropolitan area and across the South West, along with Queensland visitor Doug Allen from the Sunshine Coast Radio Sailing Club.

While the fleet may have been smaller than in previous years, the racing was certainly competitive, with some very close battles throughout the 22 races completed over the weekend.

The Bunbury venue is a magnificent location for radio sailing, offering a wide-open sailing area, excellent course visibility and the convenience of dry launching. With plenty of room to establish good racing courses, it provided an excellent setting for the championship.

Saturday – A Bit of Everything!

Competitors arrived on Saturday morning to an easterly breeze of around 8–12 knots, regularly clocking into the north and northeast, accompanied by rain that was at times quite heavy.

The forecast suggested the rain would clear and the breeze would eventually settle into the west-northwest at around 14–17 knots. With the wind direction constantly changing, it was a matter of waiting for conditions to settle sufficiently to establish a fair course.

As the rain began to ease and the easterly softened, the breeze suddenly swung into the north-northwest and increased dramatically to around 25–30 knots. Fortunately, this only lasted about 15 minutes before the breeze eased and settled into the west-northwest.

The wind continued to move around, eventually clocking further into the west-southwest, requiring another adjustment to the course before racing could get underway.

With the breeze now sitting around 12–17 knots, B rigs were the choice as the fleet headed onto the water.

Sean Wallis made an impressive start to the championship, winning the opening four races and quickly establishing a lead over the remainder of the fleet. Sailing his V12, Wallis continued to dominate throughout the day, recording 9 wins from the 11 races sailed, with his only results outside first place being a third in Race 5 and a second in Race 6.

Behind Wallis, the racing was much closer, with Ian Sherriff, Peter Buchanan, Ross Bennett and Greg Westerberg all producing some good results. The shifting breeze provided plenty of opportunities to gain or lose places, and with the fleet regularly bunching up around the marks, there was little room for error.

For Queensland visitor Doug Allen, the championship certainly didn't get off to the best of starts. In the opening race, Doug managed to find himself beached on the bank with electrical problems, facing the prospect of a rather long walk to recover his stranded boat. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of his troubles, with electrical issues continuing to plague him throughout Saturday. Despite the problems, Doug managed some good results, including a second place in Race 2.

As the afternoon progressed, the breeze eased and competitors changed to A rigs for the remaining races. The racing remained close, with the shifting breeze continuing to challenge competitors.

By the end of Saturday, 11 races had been completed, with Wallis holding a commanding lead while the battle for the remaining podium positions was still very much open.

Sunday – More Great Racing

Sunday morning presented another challenge for Race Officer Denton Roberts, with the breeze initially coming from the south, making it difficult to establish a suitable windward-leeward course.

Fortunately, the forecast proved reasonably accurate, with the breeze shifting sufficiently into the south-southwest to allow a course to be set.

With winds around 8–12 knots, A rigs were the order of the day, and competitors were treated to some fantastic racing.

The racing was close throughout the fleet, with plenty of position changes and tight mark roundings. The breeze continued to shift, and staying on the right side of those shifts was important, with places easily gained or lost.

While Wallis had established a substantial lead on Saturday, the battle for the remaining podium positions was anything but settled. Ian Sherriff, Peter Buchanan, Ross Bennett, Greg Westerberg and Doug Allen were all producing some excellent results, with very little separating them.

By lunchtime on Sunday, approximately five boats were separated by just six points in the battle for second overall. With the racing so close, every race had the potential to change the standings.

The afternoon racing continued to be competitive, with Buchanan, Bennett and Westerberg all recording race wins over the weekend, while Sherriff's consistency proved important in securing second overall.

For Doug Allen, Sunday brought some improvement, with his electrical problems finally resolved. Unfortunately, just when things were looking up, the sheets decided to start getting caught, creating another set of challenges. Despite all this, Doug managed to record two race wins during the day and finish sixth overall with 95 points. A true Duggy performance, and certainly one that provided plenty of entertainment throughout the weekend!

Wallis found Sunday's racing a little more challenging than Saturday, but still managed to add another three race wins to his tally. Finishing with 12 wins from the 22 races and 27 points, Wallis claimed the 2026 WA IOM State Championship.

Behind him, Sherriff finished second with 75 points, followed by Buchanan on 81, Bennett on 83 and Westerberg on 85. Just ten points separated second through fifth after 22 races, highlighting how close the battle for the podium had been.

A further 11 races were completed on Sunday, bringing the championship to a total of 22 races.

The Bunbury conditions were certainly enjoyed by the competitors, and the sportsmanship throughout the weekend was excellent. While everyone was keen to get the best possible result, the racing was conducted in a great spirit, with plenty of friendly rivalry both on and off the water.

Thanks to the Volunteers

A championship like this relies on the efforts of those who give up their time to ensure competitors can enjoy a good weekend of racing.

A special thanks to Race Officer Denton Roberts for managing the racing through some challenging wind conditions, and to Karen Buchanan for looking after the scoring throughout the weekend.

Thanks also to Robert Mews for his assistance with the rescue boat, and to Roger Paul and the Champion Lakes team for arranging and bringing the rescue boat to Bunbury.

Having the rescue boat available proved particularly valuable, not only in assisting with course setting but also helping Doug Allen with his electrical problems and Greg Westerberg with his multiple groundings during the weekend.

The efforts of everyone involved were greatly appreciated and contributed to a successful championship.

Bunbury once again demonstrated what a great venue it is for radio sailing. With its wide-open sailing area, excellent course visibility and dry launching facilities, it certainly has the potential to host an Australian IOM Championship in the future.

The weekend provided two days of excellent racing, good competition and great sportsmanship. Congratulations to all competitors, particularly the podium finishers, and thanks to everyone who made the trip to Bunbury for the 2026 WA IOM State Championship.