Old sea dogs happily battled windy conditions on day one of the Australian National DF Radio Sailing Championships hosted by Austin Lakes Radio Sailing Club.
Sailors from across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Perth, and Albany converged on the pristine waters of Austin Lakes in the Peel Region for the five-day sailing spectacle.
The action began at Austin Lakes in South Yunderup on Friday, which is one of WA’s premier radio sailing locations, renowned for its strong winds and easy vantage points to witness the nation’s top DF sailors in action.
A fleet of 60 skilled sailors divided into two DF classes – the smaller DF 65’s (65cm long), followed by the larger DF 95’s (95cm long) navigated the choppy waters.
All boats feature the same one-design hull and sails, which means success is dictated by the skill of the sailor setting the sails and controlling the boat remotely onshore.
The surge in popularity of radio sailing has attracted mainly men of all ages, which allows seasoned sailors to extend their maritime pursuits well into retirement without going to sea.
However, three women held their own during the competition, including 38-year-old Jenna Salau from Victoria who has been racing for a year.
“I just want to give them a run for their money,” she said.
Ms Salau said she’d love to see more younger people join the competition.
“It would be nice to have younger people in general,” she said.
“Some of these guys can get a bit testy.”
Becoming a DF sailor is more affordable than the average yacht, a DF 65 can set you back just $300.
Andrew Donkin has been the club’s Commodore for three years and said many competitors like him were avid sailors before racing DFs.
“There are ocean sailors who learn how to set their sails using these,” he said.
Nick Jerwood from WA won the DF65 category, followed by Mike Jefferys and Daniel Bergan.
Jerwood also took out the DF95 category, followed by Austin Lake’s Donkin and John Wyatt from Sydney.
Salau finished up in the 17th position.
Up next, Austin Lakes club member and former world champion Andrew Donkin will join six other Australian sailors in Sweden for the World DF Sailing Championships in May.
Those eager to learn more about radio sailing should visit Austin Lakes Radio Sailing.