ADF sailing teams battled shifty winds and experienced rivals at the Police and Emergency Services Regatta held in Newcastle, NSW, in early March.
Racing was fast and furious, conducted over a short course in extreme southerly winds.
At times the wind changed direction through 30 degrees and gusted between five and 15 knots, making it difficult for helmsmen to navigate.
For Chief Petty Officer Nicholas Greenhill, the winds didn't affect his sailing as much as he thought they would.
"A bit trickier than the usual. It was a bit harder to lay a line," Chief Petty Officer Greenhill said.
The short courses and changeable conditions produced constant lead changes throughout each race.
"The course was about 700m long and we completed two laps each race, which is considered short," Chief Petty Officer Greenhill said.
Three ADF teams competed in a fleet of seven Elliot 6 keelboats supplied by the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club.
The ADF teams proved competitive despite unfamiliarity with the boats.
A lack of experience with symmetrical spinnakers eventually worked against them as more experienced crews dominated the results.
Personnel rotated between helm and skipper every second race.
In the final results, a combined Air Force and Navy team came third, with Army in fifth and Navy sixth.
The Port Services team was first and NSW Fire Service second.
Most regattas of this nature would only have six races, instead of eight.
The event provided an excellent warm-up for the upcoming interservice competition, which starts on March 25.
