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This year’s Nationals were held at the YMCA Sailing Club of Canberra on the grassy shores of Lake Burley Griffin at the foot of Parliament House in Yarralumla.  New President Pete Strong and his able committee embarked on an impressive marketing campaign with a glossy promotional poster sent to all clubs in Australia with Pacers and 3 half page advertisements in Australian Sailing. The result was a lift in numbers to 20 Pacers (5 Non Spinnaker) and 3 Pacer Pursuits who were attending for the first time. The class thrives on its strength as the perfect trainer class for Parent and child or 2 smallish adults. This year we had boats from Victoria, ACT, South Australia & NSW. The Nationals in 2012/13 are most likely to be sailed at McCrae Yacht Club on the Mornington Peninsula and we expect number to swell to 30 + boats given the interest from the Canberra and Adelaide fleets.

Photos from this event are in the Gallery.

The following report is extracted from Phil Chadwick's daily log (text messages to family and friends) showing the up’s and downs of a difficult regatta and the emotional roller coaster it was.

Read more: Canberra Nationals 2011-12 Report

Read more: Canberra Nationals 2011-12 Results

It’s early in my first season in a Pacer.   We’ve rounded the first windward mark up with the leaders, it’s a sparkling sunny day with a nice breeze and the prospect of skimming down the reach under spinnaker beckons.  Sure, my kids haven’t had much experience with the spinnaker, but how hard can it be?  After having the spinnaker flog the entire reach while waiting for my struggling 10 year old crew to get the spinnaker pole onto the mast, both our faces red with frustration and the rest of the fleet long gone, I realised it was much harder than it looked!  The problem was that neither my son or my (bigger and older) daughter had the strength to push the spinnaker pole out.  It took the rest of the season to work out how to make it possible.  We’re now doing much better, so for others experiencing the same frustration; let me share what I have learned.

Read more: Making Spinnaker Work Child's Play

This is an article that Darren Sherriff from Parkdale YC wrote for his club quarterly newsletter in 2010 after competing in his first championships competition.

He entered after only one and a half years of club sailing after meeting and being encouraged by Lisa Barrand of McCrae YC.

He learned that the qualification to compete in the National Pacer Championships is not to be a world beating sailor, you just need to have access to a Pacer.  A good sense of humour goes a long way too.

He submitted this to encourage others to become a competitor in a National Titles event. Click on "Read more" for an encouraging article about attempting your first Pacer Nationals.

Read more: Make this your first Nationals - Canberra 2011-12

34 Pacers and 2 Pacer Pursuits lined up for the 2011 Victorian Championships at Williamstown Sailing Club (WSC) on the Labour Day long weekend March 12-14. Thanks to the many volunteers from WSC who ran a fantastic series and catered to our every need. The weather was near perfect and the sailing fair although difficult in shifty breezes. The laughter from the kids on the water and around the club was a fair indicator that everybody had a fantastic regatta making new friends and catching up with old ones. Congratulations go to Simon Merritt and Jessica Vincent for an outstanding performance pushed all the way to the last race by the O'Brien family of Allan and Amy AKA 'under the radar' O'Brien's. 1st in B division was Stephen White & J White in Pace Maker. 1st Junior Skipper / Junior Crew was Mitchell Bird and Mackenzie Bird in Seize the day. 1st Junior Skipper / Senior Crew was Tom & Gary Davison in Manta. 1st Master Skipper was Allan 'under the radar' O'Brien in JAAS. 1st Non spinaker was Mark & Albert Smallwood in G Taylor. 1st Pacer Pursuit was Jim & David French in Pacer Pursuit. The quality of the racing on the water and the co-operative and friendly spirit at the club made this regatta one to remember. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the 2011/12 Nationals the YMCA Yacht Club Canberra and the 2012 Victorian State Titles at Black Rock YC.

Click 'Read More' for results and a summary of the boat owners meeting.

Read more: 2011 VICTORIAN STATE TITLES RESULTS

Home Builders Pacer Plans & Instructions

Detailed building plans and instructions for ply wood Pacers are being produced now by Pacer Australia Inc in conjunction with a professional boat builder and are now for sale for the bargain price of $220. Delivery is expected from April 2011. All enquiries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Final results and a race-by-race report by Phil Chadwick.

Photographs from the 2010-2011 Pacer Nationals at Robe are now available.

Videos from WIN TV Sport from the 2010-2011 Pacer Nationals at Robe are now available.

The following events are supported by the Pacer Australia committee and we invite all Pacer sailors to join in the fun:

January 2012

Sat 21st - McCrae Yacht Club - 50th Anniversary Southern Peninsula Regatta start 14:00, free entry and BBQ lunch

March 2012

Sat 10th - Mon 12th - Black Rock Yacht Club - Victorian State Titles

April 2012

Fri 6th - Mon 9th - Lake Boga Yacht Club - Easter Regatta