One Victorian Titles
Travellers dominate at Royal Brighton Yacht Club
The VX One Victorian State Titles at Royal Brighton Yacht Club delivered a full range of conditions across six races, with visiting teams from interstate claiming the entire podium.
A strong fleet of 13 boats took to Port Phillip, with four races completed on Saturday in fresh, shifty breeze and a lumpy sea state, followed by two races on Sunday in light and testing conditions that demanded patience and precision.
Teams that were able to stay fast while adapting their setup to the conditions found the most success. Among them, Dollop (AUS319), sailed by Rob Douglass, Nicole Douglass and Josh Griffith, struck a balance between maintaining speed in the breeze while keeping enough power in the rig to work effectively through the chop on day one, before switching gears to hunt the puffs and maximise every skerrick of breeze on day two.
Consistency proved decisive across the weekend, with Dollop (AUS319) securing overall victory on 10 net points. The team showed strong progression through Saturday’s breeze before backing it up with composed execution in Sunday’s light air.
Rob Douglass said the weekend was about quickly building cohesion in a new-look crew and adapting across very different conditions.
“New to the team this weekend was Josh, so we spent time early talking through our experiences, strengths and weaknesses to get clear on how we wanted to run the boat,” Douglass said.
“Saturday was breezy but easing and shifting all day. We started like a rusty, new team with a bad first beat and even an MOB from the new crew that we hadn’t really planned for, but we gradually found some rhythm and built momentum from there.
“We set the rig slightly softer than you normally would for 15 knots, which seemed to work well, and really focused on wave work downwind and keeping speed through the chop upwind.”
“Sunday was completely different, very light and all about speed. The goal was to minimise manoeuvres and sail straight lines wherever possible. We probably managed the shifts and a bit of luck better than most.”
Douglass also highlighted the strength of the visiting fleet and the welcome from the local class.
“It was great to see four interstate teams make the trip, and pretty telling that three of them ended up on the podium.
“Big thanks to the Victorian VX One fleet for making us feel so welcome. And it was a fantastic experience using RaceSense across the weekend.”
South Australia’s Dave Alexander, Mitch Young and Harry Shlager aboard Gidget (AUS359) secured second place, staying firmly in contention throughout the series with a mix of race wins and steady finishes.
Fellow South Australians Doug Watson, Thomas De La Perelle and Matt Morris completed the podium on Yaffayat? (AUS358), rounding out a clean sweep for travelling teams.
Just off the podium, Craig Garnston, Paul Fleming and Paul Newman on Barney (AUS337) were the top Victorian crew, showing flashes of pace but unable to match the consistency of the visiting teams.
The regatta highlighted the depth and competitiveness of the VX One class, with tight racing across the fleet and significant shifts in pressure and direction keeping teams on their toes throughout.
Thanks to the volunteers and Royal Brighton Yacht Club for hosting, it is always a fantastic venue for racing and onshore activities.
The VX One calendar continues to build momentum, with upcoming events including the Oceania Championship (Midwinters) at RQYS from 6 to 8 June 2026, Airlie Beach Race Week from 8 to 12 August, followed by state championships across Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia later in the year. The season will culminate in the VX One National Championship at CYC of South Australia from 10 to 15 January 2027, before the class heads to Miami for the Bacardi Cup and the inaugural VX One World Championship in March and April 2027.
More information www.vxone.org.au
