TROY Lewis only took up sailing the single-handed sabre class this season. Just a few months later, the 44-year-old Taree Aquatic Sailing Club member is the State champion.
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Lewis clinched the title following a three-race series held at Teralba on Lake Macquarie. He is also the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, securing a $50 open order at Iguana. He'd sailed the spiral class boats until this season. Like the sabre, this is a one-sailor operation. However, the decided to join in with a number of other sailors who switched to sabres.
So after just a handful of races in the sabre, Lewis lined up in the State titles against a field that included the defending champion. This was initially to be raced on over five heats, however, the opening day was called off due to strong winds, so it became a best of three shootout on the second day.
"The conditions suited me, there was a good breeze, so I thought I'd be in the mix,'' he said.
Lewis opened the campaign with a second placing before winning the next two races. However, fellow Manning sailor Warren Ruprecht was also a contender going into the last, with a win and a third, so Lewis's championship wasn't a fait accompli. Lewis secured the crown by taking out the last. Ruprecht secured outright second place to make a Manning quinella.
Lewis is believed to be the first Manning sailor in 20 years to take out a State championship. He's certainly the first to win a sabre title.
He started sailing as a boy on the Manning in sabots and vee jays. Lewis then moved to Sydney and had a break from the sport, resuming when he returned in 2006. By then the sailing scene here had changed, with the dominant classes from his earlier days, including the vee jays and vee esses, long consigned to history. Sailing single-manned boats presents a different challenge, Lewis said.
"There's no-one else to blame but the mug behind the stick,'' he laughed.
The national sabre nationals will be held in Canberra from January 5 to 12. Unfortunately Lewis won't be a starter.
"They go for a week and I can't get the time off work,'' he explained.
He'll sail locally for the rest of the season and he also fits in a practice sail when possible, but has no great desire to go looking for other major regattas.
"With COVID still around, I'm not interested in travelling too far away,'' he explained.
However he will be a definite starter in next year's State championship.
Sailing, Lewis contends, is good for both the mind and the body.
"I've always found sailing's good for my mental and physical health,'' he said.