The Lake Jindabyne Sailing Club’s recent regatta had just about every kind of weather- and Highlander Kylie Woods rode a storm front home to win the multihull division.
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“It was a case of nut guts, no glory and hope I didn’t roll my boat,” she said.
“I rode the storm front home and that’s what sealed the win for me.”
Woods, who is the first female Commodore of the Southern Highlands Sailing Club, said she sailed well at the event and was pleased to “bring home the bacon”.
Over four races, Woods finished with two firsts and two fifths to give her first place overall.
She enjoyed beating the men she raced against and said one of the reasons she loved sailing was that it was an equal sport where men and women could compete against each other “on the same footing”.
“I do love competing.”
Woods is a former member of the Lake Jindabyne Sailing Club before she moved to the Southern Highlands 15 years ago.
But it was not until a couple of years ago that she began sailing in the Highlands after she bought a Hobie 14 Turbo catamaran which was owned by a former Commodore Tony Sattler.
A few years ago Sattler gave the boat to the club.
It was offered for sale and Woods bought it.
Club member Gary Eisdale said Woods had progressed to be a very competitive catamaran sailor in the club’s competitions and placed third in the pointscore series for catamarans last season.
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In the 2017-18 season she finished equal third in the Commodores Cup Catamaran Division and equal fifth in the overall division of the Commodore’s Cup for Monos and Multihulls.
In the 2017-18 Catamaran Point Score series Woods finished third in the summer 2018 series and fourth overall in the spring and summer Point Score series.
In 2017 she ranked sixth in the spring.
Woods said with only a few women in the Southern Highlands club as well as some younger girls coming through, she hoped more females would take up the sport.
“There are quite a few sailors in the Southern Highlands that are world class.”
Club captain Michael Brindley said it was a great result for Woods, who was one of the leading female members of the club.
“Kylie is certainly a very confident sailor and does very well,” he said.
“She’s a bit of a star.”
Brindley praised Woods’ effort and commitment to the sport and said she was often the only female out on the water at club meets.
The club sails each Sunday at Fitzroy Falls Reservoir.
Woods said members could do more than just sail and visitors could get a day membership.
There’s also plenty happening out of the water at the club.
Woods said they were building a new ramp and were about to start financing a new jetty.
Contact Woods on the Southern Highlands Sailing Club Facebook page for more information on the club.
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