Welcome to the Queensland NS14 Association. The NS14 is an Australian designed sailing dinghy, intended for competitive family sailing. It has a simple rig, is light enough to be lifted from a trailer into the water by 3 persons of average strength, requires only reasonable fitness to sail, and is affordable by the private sailor.
The northern stronghold of sporting silverware and a handful of NS14s enjoyed another picture perfect season in paradise. The members of the Queensland NS14 Association primarily loiter around South Brisbane Sailing Club (SBSC) near the Brisbane CBD and Darling Point Sailing Club on Moreton Bay. Other NS14s also live in garages in backyards on the Gold Coast, occasionally hitting the water to do very well at State and National titles. This report comes from my perspective at the front of “Restless Spirit” sailing with Steve Fletcher out of South Brisbane Sailing Club.
About an hour's drive into NSW is the Ballina enclave of the Queensland part of the NS14 family. As on many of our coastal rivers, the Richmond River's estuary expands before reaching the sea and offers a triangular course in some weathers. Luckily, nor-easters at Ballina are superb. And yes, we are tidal people!
The season saw three boats wandering away to interclub events: the Qld States on Moreton Bay in October, the Nationals also at Darling Point at Christmas and the NSW States at Gosford over Easter. Mark made it to the Nationals in #1857 Aphrodite but otherwise it was Duncan with various crew in #1945 in a frenzy, Chris & Nick Larsen in #1997 Don't Panic and Bob & Matty Engwirda in #1941 Space Invader.
When you come from Queensland, it is hard to be humble. Some of us manage it better than others. The Queenslander NS14 team thought that it was time to retain the Championship board - just to keep the annual series interesting.
Once upon a time (actually a little more often than that) Queensland NS14 sailors were delusional enough to invite all comers to compete for the Queensland State NS14 title. Challengers from far, far away rejoiced in the northern folly and embarked on epic journeys north across the border to the wondrous land where legends exist of lifestyles of unforetold … well obviously that’s a secret, it being unforetold and all.
The FASTWAY Gold Coast Queensland NS14 Titles was hosted by the Southport Yacht Club on Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th October 2008.
