L to R: Sean Keen, Alex Blacker and Harry Fisher (2022-2023 Australian Sharpie Champions)
Q&A with newly crowned Australian Sharpie class national champion skipper Alex Blacker, who successfully took out the title sporting North Sails.
How does it feel to win your first Sharpie Nationals?
Honestly it really is the most amazing feeling, there’s people out there that try their whole lives to win one of these and for us to be able to achieve it so early in our senior sailing careers is just amazing. But also to be able to do it with two of your best mates makes it that much sweeter.
What was your secret to success in this regatta?
I feel like our boat set up, speed and high/low modes played a huge part in our success in Hobart. Having such a well-tuned platform allowed us to keep our heads out of the boat as much as possible and just watch what was going on all the time. As well as having such a close bond amongst the three of us, we were able to be prepared for all the tricks the River Derwent throws at you and give ourselves more options right across the race course. The crew work was key, to be able to sail with a couple of your best mates who are all on the same page when it comes to what you want to achieve was critical.
It was a very competitive fleet with a few past champions, were you doing anything different to them?
I wouldn’t say we have done anything drastically different to the other guys, but we’ve really focused on our weaknesses and ironed them out this past year. We also worked really hard on our consistency as we knew coming into this regatta everyone was going to have their fair share of bad races, even the good guys. But we knew if we could keep our heads up and keep pushing through the fleet to a salvageable result in every race, then it would pay off massively by the end of the event.
I assume your crew played a big part in it, tell us about them?
Absolutely, I’ve got Harry Fisher up front who I’ve been lucky enough to sail in Sharpies with for about four seasons, and for those who haven’t had the pleasure to meet him, he is a legend of the class, having competed in 14 Sharpie nationals over 17 years, starting when he was 14 years old. The knowledge of the class that Harry has brought to the campaign has been unreal. Then on sheets I’ve got Sean Keen who has done a bit of sailing with us over the years but we finally convinced him to jump on with us full time just more than a year ago. Since coming on board, Sean has brought a lot of energy to the boat as well as a really strategic way of thinking, which has helped us improve our regatta management. He is also a very driven bloke with a wealth of knowledge and is an absolute powerhouse in the middle.
What’s racing on the Derwent like?
I had never sailed on the Derwent before this nationals but now I can happily tick that box. I really enjoyed it, there’s some big shifts and big bends in the wind so there’s always opportunities and passing lanes. There’s also a lot of water movement from the tide and the river so it definitely throws up a lot of challenges, but once you somewhat get your head around it, it can be very rewarding if you sail well.
The top four were very close going into the last race, what was your strategy (for that race) and how did that play out?
Going into the last day we were just behind the lead, but the second drop was going to kick in after the first race that day, so we had to crunch the numbers on the water. After the second drop kicked in and our result in Race 9, we ended up taking the regatta lead ahead of Noah Taylor from Canberra heading into the last race. We’d done the math, but we pretty much knew as long as we kept sailing the way we had been all week and we stayed close to the three other boats behind us we would be fine. We also knew that we couldn’t finish worse than eighth, or else the drops would be recalculated and Noah would overtake us regardless. The Derwent certainly through some tricks our way and we got absolutely demolished up the first work of the last race, rounding the top mark about 20th with Mark Soulsby (third overall) in the leading pack and Noah Taylor (second overall) behind us. We thought to ourselves, the only thing we could control was to try and sail into eighth, keep Noah behind us and hope Soz (Soulsby) didn’t win the race. It was a short race with only two upwind legs and a downwind finish, so on the next (and last) upwind leg we managed to get into a real nice breeze pattern up the guts while everyone else was playing the left. We sailed the race of our lives after that first work and pulled through enough boats to round the top can in eighth. Then from there we just consolidated our position on the last downwind leg and went through the finish in the same spot.
You are using the North main and jib, what do you like about them?
I’m a huge fan of the North working gear, I find the main very responsive to controls and sheet tension, which has been huge for when we were changing gears. It knuckles up really nicely for when you’re chasing power and it flattens off and opens up nicely for the real light stuff and the windy conditions. The jib is fairly deep but is super responsive to sheet tension and opens up nicely when the breeze picks up. It’s a really nice sail to drive to and has some wicked grooves as well. It’s also been a real pleasure working closely with Sandy Higgins at Binks Marine who is our local North Sails agent in South Australia. The work he has done, as well as Andrew Harry in Western Australia, to get North Sails on the pace in the Sharpie class has been really pleasing to be a part of. By jumping on the North Sails program we have had full confidence in the manufacturing quality that comes with such a reputable brand, combined with the local experience to really ensure we gave ourselves every chance to be as quick as possible this season.
Where to from here? What goals do you have for the future?
All going well, we are keen to lock in to defend our title next year at the Mordialloc Sailing Club in Melbourne. From a Sharpie point of view it would also be nice to try and snag a State Title, as they are incredibly hard to win against a strong local fleet. There’s also some 505 sailing in the pipeline for me with the Worlds coming up in Adelaide in two years so I’m sure it’ll be a big couple of years on the water.
Great to catch up with you Alex and congratulations once again to you and your crew on a great victory, very well deservered.....
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Balanced and reactive, the new North Nova feels lighter in your hands. The 2022 Nova also features a progressive power delivery, more stability and a more powerful low-end.
For 2022 the Nova has moved from the soft loop handles to 2 long rigid handles to make you more connected to the wing and allow for easier adjustment.
NORTH NOVA v2 FEATURES
To enjoy your time on the water it is very important to make sure you have clothing that will keep you comfortable and protected no matter what the conditions.
Binks Marine offer clothing from sailing's major brands to keep you cool and sun protected in Summer or warm and dry in Winter.
It can be worth viewing clothing as 3 layers, combining layers depending on the conditions of the day.
Coming into the Australian winter (at least for Southern Australia) let's have a look at a few of the clothing options available to you.
Thermals are a fantastic option to really trap your body heat and keep you warm. They are often hydrophobic (water shedding) to prevent the loss of warmth and to stop them getting heavy. They can be used as an external layer or as a base layer inside wetsuits and spray tops.
https://binksmarine.com.au/collections/dinghy-clothing/clothing_top
Wetsuits are used by all year round, but in the cooler months they come into their own. Wetsuits are often available in 2 different thicknesses, 1.5-2mm and 3mm neoprene. The thicker it is, the warmer it is. The 3mm suits often also have a thermal or insulation liner on the chest for added warmth. There are even thicker and warmer garments available for those really cold locations (I'm looking at you Tasmania).
Wetsuit tops are also great at warming the top half of you body. They effectively turn your sleeveless skiff suit into a steamer.
https://binksmarine.com.au/collections/dinghy-clothing/clothing_wetsuit
One of the easiest ways to keep warm is to keep the elements out. Spray Jackets, Spray tops or Smocks keep wind and water out but still maintain breathability to stop you over heating or getting wet from the inside out.
There are different types of materials, seals and neck closures, but they are all designed to do the same thing, keep you dry.
https://binksmarine.com.au/collections/dinghy-clothing/clothing_dry-top
Keeping your feet warm is a great way to trap body heat. They can also help with ankle support, rub protection and grip.
https://binksmarine.com.au/collections/footwear/clothing_wetsuit-boots
If there is something you are after that we don't have please contact us and we can give you some options or talk to you about what will suit your activity best.
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Short finger gloves can offer more feel around the boat by having your finger tips exposed. This makes a big difference especially when working with small ropes or small shackles. Long finger gloves (Last 3 fingers covered) give more protection, but it comes with the trade off of reducing feel. Some people might use short finger gloves on dinghies and long finger gloves on keelboats.
Most manufacturers make gloves in a form of synthetic leather or Amara and also options in a stickier material such as dura-grip. The synthetic leather are long lasting and provide very good protection with a small increase in grip on the rope. The sticky palm gloves have tons of raw grip, they really grab on to the rope.
Binks Marine primarily stock the Ronstan and Gill brands of gloves in the short and long, and synthetic leather and sticky gloves. If you had a particular brand you prefer such as Musto, Zhik, Burke or Forward WIP, get in touch as we would be more than happy to get them in for you.
Ronstan gloves have been the go to glove for many people over many years. Durable, comfortable and effective they are hard to go past. Offered in short finger or long finger, and synthetic leather the sticky race glove we will be able to find one that works for you.
GSailingill have been doing great gloves for a number of years now, and the new range of re-designed gloves are no exception. The Gill range of gloves are cut with some shape to them, making them super comfortable and results in a bit less bunching in the palm. The velcro closure has been moved to the top of the hand and the glove shortened to give less restriction to your wrist movement. They are available in short or long finger lengths and in Amara (soft) or a sticky dura-grip palm materials.
Gloves are not only for sailing. We sell many pairs for kayaking, rowing and dragon boat paddling as well as general rope work, general hand protection and even as push bike gloves.
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Get in touch with us if you need any equipment of work done before the race.
We can help with standing or running rigging, sail repairs or servicing, yacht fittings and clothing and safety equipment.
All of this under the one roof.
Contact us to see how we can help your Adelaide to Lincoln preparation.
]]>Binks Marine is unique in that we have everything you need under one roof.
Yacht rigging is a specialty of ours. It doesn't matter if you come to us or we come to you, our Lloyd's approved swaging tool will give you the confidence to hit the open ocean. We also do rigging inspections, furler installations and rope splicing and running rigging replacements.
The Binks Sail loft is available for new sails, servicing, inspections and a wide range of repairs and modifications. It is large enough for the biggest of offshore sails. We are the North Sails Service and Sales loft for South Australia.
It's important to be safe and protected from the elements while sailing, especially offshore. We can sort you out with you safety and clothing equipment for any type of sailing, inshore or ocean. PFD's, safety harness systems, PLB's, Life jacket lights are all available at Binks. We can also give you a variety of clothing options to keep you warm and comfortable from all of the major brands.
Our knowledgeable staff are always here to help.
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With brands such as Naish, North and Severne we can supply you with top of the line equipment to get you on the water faster.
Our highly trained in-store staff can answer all your questions relating to equipment, leading brands, or lessons we provide.
Check out our comprehensive ACTION SPORTS COLLECTION
Contact us to start or get the most out of your watersports.
]]>The effortless speed of the MirageDrive 180 with Kick-Up Fins combined with the streamlined, sleek hull of the Lynx make for a truly epic ride.
Kick it up a notch, as you swiftly skim across the water's surface, carving turns and leaving the world behind. The Lynx's flat-bottom design provides confidence-inducing stability and ultimate manoeuvrability.
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The best seat in the house, designed for comfort with breathable, mono-mesh, elevated to keep you dry all day. The wide bow creates a smoother ride and ample storage for your gear.
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Contact us if you have any questions about the Lynx, or if you would like to have a look at a Lynx please com into the shop.
]]>Over 20 years ago, Hobie revolutionized kayak fishing with the introduction of the MirageDrive pedal system.Through constant innovation the MirageDrive has evolved over the years, continuing Hobie's dominance in the pedal kayak market.
]]>Over 20 years ago, Hobie revolutionized kayak fishing with the introduction of the MirageDrive pedal system.Through constant innovation the MirageDrive has evolved over the years, continuing Hobie's dominance in the pedal kayak market.
Announcing the new MirageDrive 360 with Kick-Up Fins that is taking the future of kayaking in a new direction - forward, backward, sideways and every degree in between.
The Mirage 360 will only be available on the PA12 and PA14 models for 2020. Expected release is October / November 2019, so only a few months away!
Check out this awesome video to see what the Mirage 360 can really do....
Please contact us for further information or to be put on our contact list for the latest updates.
(08) 8294 6211
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