BRENDAN LINES
ROUND two of the Riverland Dinghy Club’s championship series hits the water at this Saturday’s circuit race in Renmark.
The circuit race format will be held for the first time since 2019 and has attracted 124 entrants across 62 boats, including interstate boats from Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
Renmark brothers and business owners, Kris and Daryl Smith, have both taken a break from racing this year, but have stepped up as major sponsors of the event.
Daryl Smith said local businesses are helping to promote events that get “people travelling back to Renmark”.
“Coming off last year with COVID-19 and the Dinghy Club season being put on hold, it’s good to see all the boats back out on the water,” he said.
The brothers are also backing Renmark-based entrant Shaun Jenke.
Riverland Dinghy Club president Scott Jenke said support from local business wass essential.
“Both guys were competing in dinghy racing so I guess you could say it was a given they would take up sponsoring a round,” he said.
“I know I speak for the committee when I say we don’t take for granted the contribution sponsors make to our club and the local community.
“Sponsorship funding and stakeholder support is an essential component of our club’s survival.”
This year’s racing will feature a ‘joker lap’ which all competitors must complete at least once.
Grids for each race will be drawn randomly, with all competitors to race twice on the day.
The top four fastest boats in each class will enter the finals.
Mr Jenke said the addition of the ‘joker lap’ would make for interesting racing.
“I think the key thing is the circuit race has predominantly been won and lost in the hole-shot to that first-turn buoy,” he said.
“But I think what we’ll start to see this year is no matter where you are on track it comes down to that driver decision on when the right time is to actually make that call and do the long lap and when to do the short lap.”