The final round of the Hobie Wave Grand Prix Winter Series was by far the biggest yet, with 13 competitors hitting the water for the tightest racing we’ve seen over the four-round series.
A huge thank you must go to Hobie Asia Pacific for making it possible to get four brand new Hobie Wave mainsails on the water in time for the weekend.
We’d also like to acknowledge and thank our four Gold Level Sponsors who helped make these sails possible:
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Matthew McKenzie – Klefend & Vincentia Shopping Village
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Scott – Bewong River Retreat
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John & Jason – Sandbar Huskisson
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Nathan – Mountainside Meats
With John joining MB on the start boat, racing got underway at 13:30. The course featured both a windward and leeward gate, with the pin end of the line marked by The Getaway, anchored at the bow. This floating grandstand proved to be the perfect spectator vessel for athletes between races—and on a sunny day, it might just rival the prime viewing from the club balcony.
Across a two-and-a-half hour racing window, 10 heats were run, giving competitors 4–5 races each. Average points were awarded for heats in which sailors were not racing. With the series on the line, consistency was the key to success.
Series Podium
🥇 1st – Andrew McKenzie
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8 heat wins
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Finished just 1 point ahead of second place
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Average race score: 1.8
🥈 2nd – Paddy Butler
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6 heat wins
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Equal average race score of 1.8
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Missed the title by a single point in the countback
🥉 3rd – Matthew McKenzie
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4 heat wins
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Consistent all series, average score 2.6
After a post-presentation review, Paul McKenzie was confirmed in 4th place on 74.2 points (avg. 3.4). A fantastic finish for someone who only started sailing this season.
Just two points behind, Dobbo finished 5th with an average of 3.8, edging out Adrian in 6th (also averaging 3.8) by eight points.
Jocelyn & Rebecca wrapped up the series in 7th, securing the title of Highest Placed Female Team—a huge effort in their first regatta together.
After a close review, Hazel narrowly overtook Fionnbarr in the rankings. Fionnbarr missed rounds 2 and 3, while Hazel only missed round 3—setting up what’s already shaping up to be a grudge match in September between the two junior talents.
Round 4 also saw new sailors hit the WaveGP race track: Courtney, Joel, Howard, and Doug all had a crack. Courtney picked up a win in the final heat, while Joel—crewed by Paddy—took out Heat 5 ahead of Andrew.
Final Results
Winter WaveGP Series Final Results
Next Stop: State Championships
At the time of writing, there are only 10 spots left for the Hobie Wave State Championships, 6–7 September. If you’ve been thinking about entering—now’s the time to lock in your spot!
WaveGP State Championships - ENTER NOW