News - Event Preview

Eighteen months ago, Grahame Southwick, the president of Fleet 252 approached the International Hobie Association to offer to run the Hobie 16 World Championships in Suva in 2007.The question to be answered was how twenty Hobie Cat sailors could put on a championship on a small Pacific Island with very few facilities.

Hobie Australasia came to the aid of the party with an offer of support and a commitment to supply the boats. Eighteen months later the IHCA council gave its blessing to the proposal and signed a contract to hold the Championships. The sailors immediately and enthusiastically supported the Fiji venue and within six months the World Championship entries were closed!

So here we are in Laucala Bay and the racing has begun. The site was once the old flying boat base and the locals are overawed at the transformation. A large area of land had been reclaimed, sand has been brought in to form beaches, a racing headquarters has been built and the whole area has been attractively landscaped.

To speed up the landscaping, Grahame Southwick recruited a team of “bara’ boys, the wheelbarrow and shoeshine boys from the streets of Suva and the markets. They then had a team on site, working rain or shine and getting an income as well.  Not only have they transformed the place but several of them have landed full time jobs in the landscaping industry once their contract on the hobie venue has been completed.

There is a mini arts village on the site. Several Bure (traditional thatched houses) showcase a diversity of Fiji’s cultural heritage and the exceptional talents of local contemporary artists. There is weaving, bark cloth making, carving, pottery and music and dance.

Daily shows present music and dance talent and activities for children include story telling and painting.

This is a family oriented class and so there are sailors of all ages. There are families who have been involved with the class for several generations. Like the Waterhouse family from NSW in Australia; Rod Waterhouse, sailing in the Grand Masters’ division of this regatta with his wife Kerry. Rod has sailed in twenty world championships and has always finished in the top ten. His daughter Bridget and her boyfriend Jeremy are competing in the Youth division which is at present being led by his son Jason.

Earlier this year Rod and Jason had a bet that whoever won the NSW title would be the skipper for this championship. Jason beat his dad and will now skipper in the open class!

And again on a family theme, Blaine Dodds, sailing with his daughter Roxanne, is leading in the Masters’ Class.

Like at many regattas around the world, the weather is “not like it normally is. It has rained steadily in the week proceeding the regatta and more heavy rain is predicted but the days have been sunny and the winds light. Yesterday the breeze was so light that sailing had to be delayed until the afternoon. Today it has kicked in strong and steady early in the day so we can expect some exciting racing as the women and the youth continue their contests.