Who’s going to stop Bosker Build?

That’s the question being asked down St George way as the Sarah Lee-skippered 16-footer continues to dominate the early stages of the 2024/25 season.

Coming off the back of a historic Australian Championship/club championship double last season, Lee and crew Pete Mackie and Kurt Warner have picked up where they left off.

A win in last Saturday’s third heat of the Riley Fittings Club Championship on top of victory in the Port Jackson Championship has some St George veterans likening Bosker’s hold on the fleet to Penrith’s grip on the NRL.

It’s also drawn comparisons with the dominance enjoyed by 16s greats Trevor Barnabas, Greg Hyde and Dennis Tanko in the 1970s, 80s and 90s – albeit Bosker’s winning run is only in its infancy.

As St George Sailing Club race secretary Brad Andrew put it: “The reality is if you put together a good team and put in hours and hours on the boat and look after your body and health, the wins will come. “That’s not just in sailing – that’s in any sport.”

So back to our original question: who’s going to stop Bosker?

Noakes skipper Tom Dawson is up for the challenge.

While he has great respect for the Bosker team, Dawson is not willing to concede defeat. Noakes was pushing Bosker during various stages of last Saturday’s club championship until a 25-cent shopping bag wrapped around their board, slowing progress and seeing them drift back to third. Toogara pounced to claim second with Lee crossing the line almost three minutes in front of the pack in a race held in a fickle nor’easter with lots of chop and a big run out tide.

“They are definitely beatable,” Dawson said when asked about Bosker’s recent dominance. “You need to be on top of them from the start. We let them get away on the weekend and straight away Sarah took advantage.

“You can’t give them an edge. They’re a quick boat and they don’t give you anything.

“We just need to find the little things that work for us and keep building on that.”

Asked about Bosker, Toogara skipper Tom Clout admitted:

“There are not too many weaknesses.

“They just don’t make any mistakes. They’re pretty flawless.

“You’ve just got to hang in there and stick as close to them as possible.

“They’re the national champions and they’re proving why.

“To come second to them…we’re treating a second place like a win.”

Bosker’s win has given them the early advantage in the Riley Fittings Club Championship pointscore after heats one and two were abandoned and set for re-sail at a later date.

IGD (Paul Linnett) is the early handicap leader after a win on Saturday, with 11Teen (Matthew Mullholland) and R. Beauchamp Metal Workers (Sam Featherston) in close pursuit.