DINGHY racing returned to the Riverland last weekend for the first time in over nine months with the tightly contested Woolshed Brewery Amazon Sprint.
The non-championship event was the first race put on by the Riverland Dinghy Club since February’s Dinghy Derby, after the 2020 Stacer Championship Series was cancelled in July due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Scott and Zac Pogorecki took home the win in the 30hp sports class ahead of Shaun Jenke and Ben Kaye, while Brent Martin and Adam Price finished third.
Riverland Dinghy Club president Scott Jenke said competitors were excited to get back on the water.
“The boats had been gathering dust a little bit too long for our liking,” he said.
“This was a non-championship race just to get the boats back on the water and we recycled some historical trophies from different events.
“It was mainly just to get everyone back together and back out on the water, and we aim to hopefully return to racing at the start of next year.
“We only had about 45 boats come and race but we could only get competitors from around South Australia so it was a pretty good turnout given the circumstances.
“Some of the contests only had a couple of boats in them and there were a couple of classes with one team, but the 30hp standards had a field of 19 boats, and the supers had a good field of nine.
“In the sport class, the top three boats were separated by less than a minute.”
Mr Jenke said race organisers made several changes to ensure the event fit within COVID requirements.
“Our race control certainly had less people in it and one of our timing people who normally travels from Melbourne helped us remotely,” he said.
Mr Jenke said the Stacer Championship Series would return next year if COVID-19 restrictions allow.
“It’s a changing world, but I think we are well-placed should we be able to get people to come to the event,” he said. “We’d really like to be able to hold an event at the start of next year and we will work with the health advice at the time to get our COVID management plan approved.
“Thanks to all the competitors who took part on Saturday and to the small pockets of spectators watching on from different areas.
“It was good to finally see the dinghies back out there.”

RESULTS
30hp sports
S. Pogorecki/Z. Pogorecki (33:49.9), S. Jenke/B.