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News Archive
December, 2009
Women's Match Racing Observation regattas The Australian Sailing Development Women's Match Racing Squad will be conducting two Match racing 'Observation' events on February 6 and 7 and March 6 and 7, 2010. Held on Sydney Harbour, and sailing the Elliott 6 metre yachts which the 2012 London Olympic Games event will be contested in, these regattas will provide opportunities for individual sailors or teams of three (with a maximum crew weight of 204kg) to race with and against the Women's Match Race sailors of the ASDS. If you have aspirations of competing at the Olympics and would like to participate in either event, please contact the Australian Women's Match Race coach Dayne Sharp at daynesharp@hotmail.com
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Merry Christmas and Office Closed Merry Christmas Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the staff of Yachting Australia and the Australian Sailing Team. The Yachting Australia office will close at 12pm on Thursday 24 December & re-open on Monday 4 January, 2010. | ||||||||
Australian Sailing Team finish top of the Sail Melbourne podium Jessica Crisp in the RS:X women's medal race at Sail Melbourne The Australian Sailing Team has finished Sail Melbourne in spectacular fashion, with three class victories to kick off the 2009/2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup. After the unpredictable weather of the last few days Melbourne turned it on for the medal races with a south-easterly wind between 12 and 15 knots for the majority of the day. Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page finished the regatta as they started it, with a win over Americans Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl. Belcher and Page went through Sail Melbourne undefeated, the first time either of them had done that in the 470 class.
“We had a good medal race, we went consistent on the start and it paid off,” said Belcher. “Our goal was to stay close to the Americans and we got some good speed on the first leg and found ourselves in the lead.”
“Once we got there we said to ourselves that it was up to them to try and do something special to knock us off,” he said.
Belcher and Page finished the regatta on eight points, ten ahead of McNay and Biehl with Australian Sailing Development Squad crew Sam Kivell and Will Ryan third.
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen finished third in the 49er medal race, enough to give them a four point win over New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, with Will and Sam Phillips third. Outteridge and Jensen now head to the 49er World Championships in the Bahamas with their 100 per cent win record still intact.
“Our goal was to stay close to the Kiwis and go for the low risk options, make sure that we kept it upright,” said Outteridge. “There were some pretty big waves considering the wind was only around 12 knots, anymore and it would have been quite tricky.”
“The 100 per cent win record is a nice thing to have but it’s not affecting us in any way, we know it’s not going to last forever and we’re just going out there and enjoying our sailing,” he said.
ASDS crews Will and Sam Phillips and Euan McNicol and Tim Austin finished third and fourth respectively in the 49er class.
Jessica Crisp came out on top of the RS:X women’s fleet, her second place in the medal race enough to give her a six point win over Norwegian Jannicke Stalstrom with Angeliki Skarlatou third.
It was the first time that Crisp had finished at the top of the podium at Sail Melbourne, winning five out of the eight races on her way to the title.
ASDS James Paterson won the Finn class, 11 points clear of Henry Bagnall with Tim Castles third.
“I didn’t have a great start, I was a little worried that I’d end up being over the line so I held right back and kept an eye on everyone,” said Paterson. “Maybe I was a little too conservative but I did enough to get the result and the win.”
“I’m really happy to win the regatta, to tell you the truth it hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said.
In the 470 women’s class ASDS crew Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall finished the regatta second to New Zealanders Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie, while in the Laser fleet Ashley Brunning was the top placed Australian in eighth. Laura Baldwin was ninth in the Laser Radial class with Rachel Cox eighth in the 2.4m class and Daniel Fitzgibbon and Tim Lowe second in the Skud 18 class
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Classes decided on medal race day at Sail Melbourne Sail Melbourne 49er class winners Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen The Sail Melbourne medal races have been run and won with the crews greeted with great sailing conditions for the final day of racing. After the unpredictable weather of the last few days Melbourne turned it on for the medal races with a south-easterly wind between 12 and 15 knots for the majority of the day. Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page finished the regatta as they started it, with a win over Americans Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl. Belcher and Page went through Sail Melbourne undefeated, the first time either of them had done that in the 470 class.
“We had a good medal race, we went consistent on the start and it paid off,” said Belcher. “Our goal was to stay close to the Americans and we got some good speed on the first leg and found ourselves in the lead.”
“Once we got there we said to ourselves that it was up to them to try and do something special to knock us off,” he said.
McNay and Biehl were happy with their performance, staying in touch with the Australians for the entire regatta.
“Mat and Mal sailed an excellent regatta, they were very quick upwind all week and incredibly hard to get around,” said McNay. “The medal race was quite good for us, the start line was short which was a challenge but our second place was a good way to cap off a great week of sailing.”
Belcher and Page finished the regatta on eight points, ten ahead of McNay and Biehl with Sam Kivell and Will Ryan third.
In the 470 women’s fleet New Zealand crew Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie took the overall victory with their win in the medal race giving them a six point buffer over Australians Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall with Singaporeans Dawn Liu and Siobhan Tam third.
“We were a bit shaky at the start and got jammed up with a few boats but we came back pretty well,” said Aleh. “We managed to get into the lead by the top mark and from then on kept the others in check.”
“We had a good range of conditions all week, though we really enjoyed it when there was plenty of wind out there,” she said.
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen finished third in the 49er medal race, enough to give them a four point win over New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, with Will and Sam Phillips third. Outteridge and Jensen now head to the 49er World Championships in the Bahamas with their 100 per cent win record still intact.
“Our goal was to stay close to the Kiwis and go for the low risk options, make sure that we kept it upright,” said Outteridge. “There were some pretty big waves considering the wind was only around 12 knots, anymore and it would have been quite tricky.”
“The 100 per cent win record is a nice thing to have but it’s not affecting us in any way, we know it’s not going to last forever and we’re just going out there and enjoying our sailing,” he said.
Burling and Tuke took the medal race victory on the final gybe, just getting past brothers Will and Sam Phillips as they hit the finish line.
“We were kind of hoping that Nathan and Iain were going to capsize but they’ve been consistent all week and that was never going to happen,” said Burling. “We had a pretty good medal race, getting past the Phillips’ on the final gybe which was a good way to put the bad day we had on Friday behind us.”
Canadian Michael Leigh claimed victory in the Laser class, with his fourth place in the medal race enough to give him a two point win over American Clayton Johnson, who finished the final race seventh.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better medal race,” said Leigh. “I kind of figured that Clayton and I would have a little bit of a pre-start match race, we were playing cat and mouse out there. But once we got underway he went left and I went right and I just had him at the top mark.”
“It was tight the whole way and came right down to the final downwind, there was nothing between the ten of us the whole race,” he said.
Marit Bouwmeester’s fourth in the Laser Radial women’s medal race gave her victory over American Paige Railey who crossed the line ninth, with New Zealander Sara Winter winning the race and finishing third overall.
“It was a crazy race,” said Dutch sailor Bouwmeester. “I got hit by a big wave off the start and the cockpit was full of water and I found myself a long way behind the rest of the fleet at the top mark. But on the downwind everybody else seemed to slow and I went left while they were on the right and managed to pick up a lot of positions.”
South Australian James Paterson won the Finn class, 11 points clear of Henry Bagnall with Tim Castles third.
“I didn’t have a great start, I was a little worried that I’d end up being over the line so I held right back and kept an eye on everyone,” said Paterson. “Maybe I was a little too conservative but I did enough to get the result and the win.”
“I’m really happy to win the regatta, to tell you the truth it hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said.
Jessica Crisp came out on top of the RS:X women’s fleet, her second place in the medal race enough to give her a six point win over Norwegian Jannicke Stalstrom with Angeliki Skarlatou third.
Columbian Nicolas Lozano jumped into the overall RS:X men’s lead after the medal race, with his race win enough to put him three points clear of Australian Tim Gourlay with Singaporean Leonard Ong third.
Canadian Paul Tingley won the final 2.4m race, and in the process won the regatta ahead of Michael Leydon with Peter Russell third.
“Today was great, I won the race and won the regatta,” said Tingley. “The wind was a little more consistent and it was more about boat handling out there, going into the race I kept it simple, I knew if I could win the race the overall win would be mine as well.”
“I started at the pin end and had good speed off the start, I made sure I protected the left and covered Michael throughout the first half of the race until I had a good lead,” he said.
Duncan and Peter Macgregor won the Skud 18 class, with final race winners Daniel Fitzgibbon and Tim Lowe second overall, ahead of Ame Barnbrook and Lindsay Mason. Byron White and Thomas Koerner won the 29ers, with Adam Lahey and Troy Rushton second and James Sly and Andrew Gillies third.
In the 420 class Angus Galloway and Andrew Gough came out on top, nine points clear of George Davies and Timothy Hannah, followed by Sasha and Jaime Ryan. Singaporean Seng Leong Koh won the Laser Radial men’s, ahead of New Zealander Josh Porebski and Tasmanian Christopher Jones.
Jack Graves won the Optimists while Jacqueline Stokes and Katie Mullins were first in the International Cadet and Michael Williams won the OK Dinghy.
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Close racing sets the stage for final day of Sail Melbourne Canadian Paul Tingley in the 2.4m class Clear blue skies greeted the sailors on day five of Sail Melbourne but unfortunately the heavy winds of Thursday afternoon was nowhere to be seen. The Paralympic classes, along with the invited classes, got racing underway at 12pm in light breeze between five and seven knots. Unfortunately the wind disappeared before the afternoon’s racing could begin, with the Laser, 470, 29er and 49er fleets spending the number of hours sitting on the three race courses waiting for the breeze to fill in. When racing finally got underway the light, shifty conditions kept all the crews on their toes with close racing throughout the fleets meaning that a number of classes will go right down to the wire in Saturday’s medal races.
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page continue to build their lead in the 470 men’s class, with their win today making it seven straight, giving the Australians an eight point margin over Americans Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl.
“The wind was very variable today, the pressure was up and down and there were plenty of holes on the course,” said Belcher. “There were a fair few shifts as the wind swung around and came of the land, suddenly you’re planning along and then suddenly you’re not.”
“The Americans came back at us today, we had to keep an eye on them but on the final downwind we had them in check and they didn’t get any more ground on us,” he said.
Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall made it two wins in a row over Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie, leaving the Kiwis with a four point lead heading into the medal race.
“It’s still far from over with the medal race left to run,” said Omay. “We’ll be fighting had to get a boat between us and the Kiwis, and I’m sure they’ll be working hard to stay ahead of us.”
Aleh and Powrie were happy to finally get a race in after spending a number of hours drifting around in light wind.
“We had a good battle with the Aussie girls today, there’s not much between us and we’ll be keeping our eye on them tomorrow” said Aleh. “It was quite tricky on the course but we still managed to get in a good solid race.”
World Champion 49er crew Iain Jensen showed no effects from the illness which kept him off the water on Thursday as he and skipper Nathan Outteridge dominated the fleet to take two comprehensive victories. Second placed Peter Burling and Blair Tuke had a tough day on the water, with two fourth positions giving the Australians an eight point margin heading into the final race.
“It was a long day today, we sat around on the water for two hours before heading in to shore and then back out for another go,” said Outteridge. “The breeze was much lighter than what we had yesterday but there was a side swell out there which make sailing tricky but played to our advantage quite well.”
In the Finn class James Paterson continues to lead the class, with his two third places today giving him a seven point lead over Warwick Hill with Tim Castles a further four points behind.
The Laser Radial women’s class will go right down to the wire with just one point separating Paige Railey and Marit Bouwmeester, after Bouwmeester took the honours in Friday’s only race.
“There was a bit of chop today, the wind started off somewhere around 12 knots but fell away pretty quickly once we were racing, it was all about banging the left” said Bouwmeester. “Tomorrow will be very close between Paige and I but I’m going to approach it like a normal race.”
Railey said, “It’s winner takes all tomorrow, we could play around out there and treat it like a match race but there are still eight other boats who will keep us busy.”
Clayton Johnson had a tough day with a 14th position, though he still has the Laser class lead, four points ahead of Canadian Michael Leigh with Matias del Solar third.
Peter Russell and Michael Leydon shared the honours in the 2.4m class, winning a race each. Leydon now has a slender one point lead over Canadian Paul Tingley with one race left, with Russel third overall.
2008 Beijing Paralympic Games Gold medallist Tingley had a less than perfect day, picking up two fourth positions.
“We’ve got one more race tomorrow so anything is possible,” said Tingley. “Michael and I will certainly be fighting to the last tack and gybe.”
“This is my first time in Melbourne and the race has been good quality and very close. We’ve seen a bit of everything with the weather but it shows that the most versatile sailor will rise to the top and you have to really know what you’re doing to win out there,” said Tingley.
“Today picking sides was harder than picking a broken nose,” he said.
Duncan and Peter Macgregor continue to lead the Skud 18 fleet, with a win and third place today allowing them to open up a sizeable 12 point gap back to Krista Bailey and Michael Lewenhagen in second with Daniel Fitzgibbon and Tim Lowe one point behind in third.
Fitzgibbon and Lowe have raced up the leader board since joining the regatta on Wednesday, winning three of the five races their contested so far.
“I’m a bit rusty but definitely enjoying being back out there in the boat,” said Fitzgibbon, who hasn’t sailed a Skud 18 competitively since winning Silver with Rachel Cox at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
“I haven’t trained since the games, taking time to recuperate and get that mongrel back, now I really keen to get back into racing and head towards the next challenge,” he said.
“The conditions today we very inconsistent and variable but if you kept your eyes out of the boat and got to the pressure lines you could get a good jump,” said Fitzgibbon.
Jessica Crisp continued her good run of form in the RS:X women’s class, winning the day’s race to lead Jannicke Stalstrom by eight points with Angeliki Skarlatou third. Singaporean Leonard Ong continues to be the sailor to beat in the RS:X men’s, four points ahead of James Gourlay with Columbian Nicolas Lozano third.
The Laser 4.7 fleet completed one race with Stephen Collings taking the win to consolidate third position. Lloyd Collings continues to lead the class with Ella Evans second.
Jack Felsenthal leads the Optimist class by two points over James McLennan with Klaus Lorenz a further 11 points back. In the International Cadet fleet Marcus Sasson leads the way, just one point ahead of Anton and Julian Sasson with William Kelly and Joel Lay third.
Michael Williams won the opening OK Dinghy race of the day to hold down his overall lead ahead of Andre Blasse and Tim Davies
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Limited racing on day four of Sail Melbourne 49er skipper Nathan Outteridge Day four of racing had a stop-start feel with the weather having a major influence on proceedings. The morning fleets headed out in a 20 knot breeze making for some tricky sailing conditions and as the morning wore on a storm front moved across the bay, initially dropping the breeze before the boats were sent to shore and racing postponed. After an hour break the afternoon fleets hit the course to try and get some racing in amongst the shifting breeze and driving rain. The 49er and 29er fleets were the only ones to complete any racing, both getting a race in before the conditions worsened and all the fleets were sent back to shore, with the Laser, 470 and RS:X classes unable to complete a race on day four.
Reigning 49er World Champion Nathan Outteridge was left crewless today with Iain Jensen stuck on shore due to illness. All was not lost for the Australian pair with an experienced stand in crew available in Irish sailor Matt McGovern. McGovern and skipper Ryan Seaton broke their mast racing on Wednesday and retired from the event.
By the time racing started the wind had dropped off significantly, to just six knots, with New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke getting the early jump up the first beat. Outteridge and McGovern were close behind and moved into the lead on the first downwind and held onto the lead from then on. Before a second race could be started a new front hit the course and as the wind got up around 30 knots the crews headed for shore.
“It was interesting out there with a different crew,” said Outteridge. “Matt certainly talks a lot more than Iain and sometimes I struggle to understand him! Unfortunately Iain’s not too well so we made the decision to keep him out of the conditions today as our worlds are just around the corner.”
“Matt and I just tried to keep it simple and were second on the first downwind, we gybed a different way to the Kiwis and managed to pick up a 15 second lead by the time we got to the bottom mark.”
For McGovern the race was a great chance to get some more sailing in after he thought his regatta was over.
“Getting on board with the current World Champion is a pretty good start to any day, and to pick up a win was pretty good,” said McGovern. “I tend to talk a lot more than most people out there but with Nathan the boat is quite calm, he talks things through really well and allows me to concentrate on getting the boat right.”
“Maybe I should look at getting my citizenship and do Iain out of a job,” he said.
The win by Outteridge and McGovern mean the Australian now has a two point lead over Burling and Tuke with Victorian brothers Will and Sam Phillips third.
The 2.4m class completed one race before being sent ashore with Canadian Paul Tingley’s consistent run continuing, his second placing giving him a one point lead over Peter Thompson with race winner Michael Leydon holding down third position.
2008 Beijing Paralympic Games Silver medallist Daniel Fitzgibbon hit the course for the first time this regatta and was instantly at home aboard his Skud 18 as he took out the day’s only race alongside crew Tim Lowe. Duncan and Peter Macgregor continue to hold down the lead, eight points clear of Krista Bailey and Michael Lewenhagen.
Queenslander Josh Franklin won the Laser 4.7 race and holds down third position overall, four points behind Ella Evans and Lloyd Collings who are tied for the lead.
The Optimist and International Cadet fleets joined the regatta today and completed one race each before being sent back to shore. James McLennan won the opening Optimist race, ahead of Klaus Lorenz and Anna Philip. While Jacqueline Stokes and Katie Mullins won race one of the International Cadet class, with William Kelly and Joel Lay second and Anton and Julian Sasson third.
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page continue to lead the 470 men’s class, with Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie first in the 470 women’s. Canadian Michael Leigh is first in the Laser fleet while American Paige Railey is in front in the Laser Radial women’s.
Jessica Crisp has a five point lead in the RS:X women’s class and Singaporean Leonard Ong is first in the RS:X men’s. James Paterson has a handy eight point buffer in the Finn class while Angus Galloway and Andrew Gough lead the 420s and Seng Leong Koh is first in the Laser Radial men’s.
Full results can be found at www.sailmelbourne.com.au
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Leaders in safety and survival equipment to sponsor Yachting Australia programs Yachting Australia CEO Phil Jones with RFD Managing Director Mark Barker Yachting Australia has signed a new sponsorship agreement with safety and survival equipment specialist RFD which will see the company play a role in Yachting Australia's Sports Services and Training programs. RFD’s involvement is a significant boost to Yachting Australia’s Sports Services and Training departments and will assist in the delivery of a number of key programs. In the Sports Services area RFD will work with Yachting Australia on the IRC Rating System certification program, providing IRC certificate holders with a range of offers and opportunities surrounding RFD products. The IRC Rating System has now been operating very successfully in Australia for over 9 years with approximately 530 boats rated each year. Australia is one of the most competitive IRC countries in the world with our fleets pushing hard to win with all major yacht racing events in Australia determined on IRC.
The new agreement will run for two years and will see RFD’s involvement in Yachting Australia’s Training programs include the National Yacht Training Scheme, Sea Safety and Survival Courses (SSSC) and Student Course Packs. RFD will be heavily involved with Yachting Australia Instructors, including a presence at the RYA Yachting Australia Yachtmaster Annual Conference, hands-on product presentations and special offers to Yachting Australia Training Centres. Around 30 instructors from the highly successful joint RYA Yachting Australia Yacht Training Scheme will be in attendance at the conference.
Currently around 6000 people hold SSSC certificates in Australia with the course playing an important role in making all forms of racing safer, with many sailors now taking the course to feel better prepared in the case of an emergency.
Yachting Australia CEO Phil Jones welcomed RFD’s new association with Yachting Australia and looks forward to working closely with the company in the future.
“Our Sports Services and Training and Participation programs are an important part of the service which Yachting Australia provides and with RFD coming on board to support these programs we can increase the level of service offered throughout Australia,” said Mr Jones.
“RFD has a long history of supplying quality safety and survival equipment to the yachting industry and we’re very happy to have the company backing a number of important Yachting Australia programs into the future,” he said.
Mark Barker, Managing Director of RFD Australia said, “RFD Australia is proud and pleased to have entered into an agreement with Yachting Australia to support the ongoing training of instructors for the Yacht Master and Sea Safety Survival Courses and ongoing support of the IRC certification program.”
“RFD and Yachting Australia are leaders in their respective fields and the long term association between the two organizations , through this agreement, will foster improved services and training resources for the safety of all those who participate in sailing activities. RFD are world leaders in the manufacture and supply of maritime safety survival systems and are most commonly known for Liferafts, Lifejackets, EPIRBs and associated marine safety equipment,” he said.
“RFD looks forward to bringing our expertise to these areas of YA and growing our relationship with YA and its trainers and members,” said Mr Barker.
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Australian Sailing Team keeps the pressure on the competition on day three of Sail Melbourne Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page on day three of Sail Melbourne As the temperature rose in Melbourne the Australian Sailing Team’s athletes lifted a notch, with race wins aplenty on day three of Sail Melbourne. In the 49er class current World Champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen had a fight on their hands all day with New Zealand crew Peter Burling and Blair Tuke winning the opening two races. The Kiwis led the fleet from start to finish in race one before Outteridge and Jensen hit back in race two, only to be beaten over the finish line by the smallest of margins by Burling and Tuke. Heading into the final race of the day the New Zealanders had a slender one point lead but the final honours went to Outteridge and Jensen with Burling and Tuke third behind brothers Will and Sam Phillips. So after nine races it’s the World Champions one point ahead of the Kiwis with the Phillips brothers third.
“We had to fight all day to stay up there,” said Outteridge. “In race one the Kiwis didn’t make a mistake and we had to follow them around the course, while in race two we led the whole way only to have them get past us at the last minute for the victory.”
“In the third race the Kiwis had a bad start which we were able to force on them and they got to the top mark in fourth with us in second. Will and Sam Phillips had the lead and on the final lap we went left and he went right and we managed to gain 40 seconds. We followed them down the last beat and when they gybed we gybed and we managed to roll them and cross the line about a boat length ahead,” said Outteridge.
The Australian Sailing Team’s Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page kept their 100 per cent record intact, moving out to a seven point lead from American’s Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl with local sailors Sam Kivell and Will Ryan moving into third position after a strong day.
“The racing was very win orientated today, instead of the fleet based racing we had in the opening two days,” said Belcher. “It was all about risk management on the course, you had to be very careful and weigh up all the consequences before making any decisions, and then after all of that sometimes you can’t always get it right.”
“But in saying all of that we still had two wins and have a comfortable lead so we can’t complain too much,” he said.
New Zealanders Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie continue to lead the 470 women’s class but they suffered their first race loss today, to West Australian’s Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall. Aleh and Powrie now have a five point lead over the Australian crew with Singapore’s Dawn Liu and Siobhan Tam third.
“We’re pretty happy with our efforts today,” said Omay. “In the second race we got a great start and finally got that first win of the regatta.”
“We feel we’re finally closing the gap to the Kiwis and with five races left there are still plenty of opportunities to close the gap and catch them. Now that we’ve turned it around we need to build on that momentum tomorrow,” she said.
The Australian Sailing Development Squad’s James Paterson continues to lead the Finn class, having a first and a fifth today to move eight points clear of Henry Bagnall, Tim Castles and Warick Hill, all tied on 14 points.
“Overall I sailed pretty well today, it was just the start of that first race where I lost concentration a bit and found myself last at the top mark,” said Paterson. “I managed to fight back pretty well and ended up in fifth.”
“The second race was a different story, it was pretty tricky when the wind drop but it shifted left a bit and luckily I was on the left side and managed to win by well over a minute,” he said.
Australian Jessica Crisp overcame a tough opening race in the RS:X women’s class to hit back with a win to open up a five point buffer over Norway’s Jannicke Stalstrom with Angeliki Skarlatou third.
For more information go to www.australiansailingteam.com.au
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Session two: Conditions rule the afternoon at Sail Melbourne New Zealand 470 crew Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie Shifting winds dominated the afternoon racing on day three of Sail Melbourne, with the conditions keeping sailors on their toes and forcing them to work hard for every position gained. The Australian Sailing Team’s Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page kept their 100 per cent record intact, moving out to a seven point lead from American’s Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl with local sailors Sam Kivell and Will Ryan moving into third position after a strong day. “The racing was very win orientated today, instead of the fleet based racing we had in the opening two days,” said Belcher. “It was all about risk management on the course, you had to be very careful and weigh up all the consequences before making any decisions, and then after all of that sometimes you can’t always get it right.”
“But in saying all of that we still had two wins and have a comfortable lead so we can’t complain too much,” he said.
New Zealanders Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie continue to lead the 470 women’s class but they suffered their first race loss today, to West Australian’s Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall. Aleh and Powrie now have a five point lead over the Australian crew with Singapore’s Dawn Liu and Siobhan Tam third.
Canadian Michael Leigh has taken the lead in the Laser class, moving two points ahead of American counterpart Clayton Johnson. Both Leigh and Johnson had a mixed day with a 20th and 11th respectively in race one followed by a one and six in race two.
“It was very shifty out there today,” said Johnson. “It seemed like the left was very good on the first beat of each race but then the right came on in a huge way.”
“These shifty and puffy conditions are a bit of fun as long as you stay calm and don’t get frustrated by what the wind is doing. At one stage it was blowing about 20 knots in the first race and then died down to about five so transitioning well was really important,” he said.
In the Laser Radial women’s fleet American Paige Railey continues to lead the class, with a win and seventh today leaving her two points clear of Marit Bouwmeester from the Netherlands in second with German sailor Franziska Goltz third.
“Pretty much wherever I went today the wind didn’t,” said Railey. “In the first race I managed to start at the wrong end but fought back well to win, at one stage there were less boats behind me than in front. Then in the second I managed to bang the wrong corner each time and slipped back a bit.”
“It was a bit weird out there today, one side was favoured on one beat and then the next one it was the other side, at one stage I headed out by myself and got a huge shift and ended up reaching into the winward mark,” she said.
The Australian Sailing Development Squad’s James Paterson continues to lead the Finn class, having a first and a fifth today to move eight points clear of Henry Bagnall, Tim Castles and Warick Hill, all tied on 14 points.
Leonard Ong has a one point lead over Columbian Nicolas Lozano in the RS:X men’s class with Australian Tim Gourlay third. While in the women’s class Australian Jessica Crisp overcame a tough opening race to hit back with a win to open up a five point buffer over Norway’s Jannicke Stalstrom with Angeliki Skarlatou third.
Singapore’s Seng Leong Koh is in control in the Laser Radial men’s class, ten points clear of Elliott Noye with Christopher Jones one point further back.
Full results can be found at www.sailmelbourne.com.au | ||||||||
Session One: Heat turns up on competition on day three of Sail Melbourne New Zealand 49er crew Peter Burling and Blair Tuke Summer has hit in Melbourne and as the temperature headed towards the high 30s the racing stepped up a notch on the water in the first session of the day. The 49er, 29er, 2.4m, Skud 18 and Laser 4.7 and OK Dinghy classes started racing on day three at 12pm, with the remainder of the fleets heading out from 3pm. In the 49er class current World Champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen had a fight on their hands all day with New Zealand crew Peter Burling and Blair Tuke winning the opening two races. The Kiwis led the fleet from start to finish in race one before Outteridge and Jensen hit back in race two, only to be beaten over the finish line by the smallest of margins by Burling and Tuke.
Heading into the final race of the day the New Zealanders had a slender one point lead but the final honours went to Outteridge and Jensen with Burling and Tuke third behind brothers Will and Sam Phillips. So after nine races it’s the World Champions one point ahead of the Kiwis with the Phillips brothers third.
“We had to fight all day to stay up there,” said Outteridge. “In race one the Kiwis didn’t make a mistake and we had to follow them around the course, while in race two we led the whole way only to have them get past us at the last minute for the victory.”
“In the third race the Kiwis had a bad start which we were able to force on them and they got to the top mark in fourth with us in second. Will and Sam Phillips had the lead and on the final lap we went left and he went right and we managed to gain 40 seconds. We followed them down the last beat and when they gybed we gybed and we managed to roll them and cross the line about a boat length ahead,” said Outteridge.
Peter Thompson had a much better day three in the 2.4m class, winning both races ahead of Canadian Paul Tingley, with the pair tied for the lead on ten points, with Michael Leydon third.
In the Skud 18 fleet Duncan and Peter Macgregor continue to lead the way, having a first and second place finish to move ten points clear of Krista Bailey and Michael Lewenhagen in second place with Ame Barnbrook and Lindsay Mason moving into third.
Adam Lahey and Troy Rushton jumped up the ladder in the 29er fleet, winning both of today’s races to be tied on points with Byron White and Thomas Koerner with James Sly and Andrew Gillies third. The 29er class is destined to go down to the wire with just one point separating the top three crews.
In the Laser 4.7s Lloyd Collings continues to lead but it was second placed Ella Evans who was the star of the day, winning both races to consolidate second place ahead of Stephen Collings.
The OK Dinghy class joined the regatta today with Tim Davies jumping into the early lead with a first and third to be two points ahead of Roger and Andre Blasse.
Full results are available at www.sailmelbourne.com.au with a release featuring the action from the second session of racing available later this evening.
High resolution images are available from www.sportlibrary.com.au
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Top crews move further ahead on day two of Sail Melbourne Laser sailor Clayton Johnson on day two of Sail Melbourne What a difference a day makes. After the strong breeze and heavy seas of day one, today was a completely different picture at Sail Melbourne with light winds and very little swell dictating play. For the 49er fleet the light conditions were a welcome change, with the majority of the fleet in final preparations for the 2010 49er World Championship in the Bahamas in two weeks where light, shifty conditions are expected. Current 49er World Champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen jumped two spots from day one and lead the regatta after six races. The Australian Sailing Team pair finished with two seconds and a first to take a slender one point lead over New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, while day one leaders Will and Sam Phillips are now third.
“It was very light out there today and pretty shifty, but the shifts lasted a little while so it was pretty predictable,” said Jensen. “We haven’t had much light weather sailing recently so it was good to get out there and see how we stack up against the rest of the fleet.”
For Kiwis Burling and Tuke the light conditions are ideal for a final tune up before the World Championships.
“Today was a bit more like the Bahamas, lighter, with fairly flat water which was good,” said Burling. “It was really close in all the races today, around the top mark there was never anything in it, you had to fight for every spot.”
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page continue their perfect run in the 470 men’s class, winning today’s two races to go with yesterday’s two, opening up a seven point lead over Americans Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl with Shane Hughes and Felix Paterson third.
In the 470 women’s fleet Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie also lead with a 100 per cent record, with Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall second and Dawn Liu and Siobhan Tam third.
American Clayton Johnson had a perfect day on the water, recording two wins to take the overall lead. Overnight leader Michael Leigh is now second after a third and a tenth with German Malte Kamrath third.
“It was great out there for me today,” said Johnson. “The left was certainly favoured but the committee kept skewering the beats so it was tricky to way up the risks and rewards and make a decision.”
“There’s still lots of racing to go so I’ll try and keep getting good starts, get in with the lead guys and pick up some good scores,” he said.
In the Laser Radial women’s class American Paige Railey leads the fleet, two points clear of Dutch sailor Marit Bouwmeester with German Franziska Goltz third. Railey had her work cut out for her after being given a three point penalty for not having the correct markings on her sail.
“It was a rookie error from me today,” said Railey. “I didn’t put the rhombus sticker on my sail and had to drop three points which was pretty frustrating. But out on the water it was another good day with a first and a second, the left was favoured all day.”
“The wind is supposed to really pick up tomorrow which will make it pretty tough, we’ll see how my 62kg handles it,” she said.
Singaporean Seng Leong Koh is first in the Laser Radial men’s, with Elliott Noye second and Tristan Brown third.
Jessica Crisp continues to lead the RS:X women’s class, picking up a first and second, with second placed Jannicke Stalstrom having a first and a fourth while Greek athlete Angeliki Skarlatou third.
In the RS:X men’s Leonard Ong leads from Columbian Nicolas Lozana second and West Australian Tim Gourlay is third, winning both of today’s races.
Australian Sailing Development Squad athlete James Paterson won both of the day’s Finn races, and now has a seven point lead over Warwick Hill with Henry Bagnall third.
2008 Beijing Paralympic Games Gold medalist, Canadian Paul Tingley, has taken the lead in the 2.4m class, his first and fifth placings giving him a three point lead over Peter Russell and Michael Leydon. Day one leader, Peter Thompson, wasn’t able to repeat his two previous race wins and finished the day in fourth after finishing seventh and sixth today.
Queenslanders Duncan and Peter Macgregor continue to lead the Skud 18 fleet, recording a win and a second to open up a healthy six point margin over Krista Bailey and Michael Lewenhagen, with New Zealanders Tim Dempsey and Paulien Eitjes third.
Local sailors Lloyd and Stephen Collings are first and second respectively in the Laser 4.7 class after four races, with Timothy Narborough third.
George Davies and Timothy Hannah are first in the 420 class, ahead of Angus Golloway and Andrew Gough in second and William Llewelyn and Lewis Duncan third.
Byron White and Thomas Koerner have taken the lead in the 29er class, with their first and second place finishes today enough to put them four points ahead of overnight leaders James Sly and Andrew Gillies with Queenslanders Adam Lahey and Troy Rushton a further five points back in third.
For more information go to www.sailmelbourne.com.au
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Australian Sailing Team crews continue to lead the way at Sail Melbourne Australian Sailing Team athletes continued their strong run on day two of Sail Melbourne with Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen taking the lead in the 49er class, while Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page continue to dominate the 470 fleet and Jessica Crisp moved further ahead in the RS:X women’s class. After the strong breeze and heavy seas of day one, today was a completely different picture at Sail Melbourne with light winds and very little swell dictating play. For the 49er fleet the light conditions were a welcome change, with the majority of the fleet in final preparations for the 2010 49er World Championship in the Bahamas in two weeks where light, shifty conditions are expected.
Current 49er World Champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen jumped two spots from day one and lead the regatta after six races. The Australian Sailing Team pair finished with two seconds and a first to take a slender one point lead over New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, while day one leaders Will and Sam Phillips are now third.
“It was very light out there today and pretty shifty, but the shifts lasted a little while so it was pretty predictable,” said Jensen. “We haven’t had much light weather sailing recently so it was good to get out there and see how we stack up against the rest of the fleet.”
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page continue their perfect run in the 470 men’s class, winning today’s two races to go with yesterday’s two, opening up a seven point lead over Americans Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl with Shane Hughes and Felix Paterson third.
“Overall today was a better day than yesterday,” said Page. “A lot of things that we were working on came together and we weren’t crossed on the course at any time during the two races which was good.”
Skipper Belcher said the pair enjoyed the dramatic change in conditions from day one.
“It was totally different on the course today, the complete opposite from yesterday in fact,” said Belcher. “It was nice to have lighter winds as it allowed us to practice different techniques and it brings everything much closer.”
In the 470 women’s fleet Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie also lead with a 100 per cent record, with the ASDS crew of Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall second and Dawn Liu and Siobhan Tam third.
Jessica Crisp continues to lead the RS:X women’s class, picking up a first and second, with second placed Jannicke Stalstrom having a first and a fourth while Greek athlete Angeliki Skarlatou third.
“Today it was much lighter with a lot of pumping in both of the races,” said Crisp. “In the second race the pumping really helped me, everyone was loving their harness so I took advantage of that and opened up a nice gap.”
“In the first race I decided to go right when I should have gone left, it was definitely left, left, left out there today. Things are looking good so far with three bullets and a second but there’s still a long way to go,” she said.
Australian Sailing Development Squad athlete James Paterson won both of the day’s Finn races, and now has a seven point lead over Warwick Hill with Henry Bagnall third.
In the Laser Radial women’s class ASDS athlete Laura Baldwin is sixth while in the Laser class Ashley Brunning has moved up to seventh with James Burman eighth.
“I had a fourth and an eighth today which was pretty good considering I’ve been pretty sick the last few days,” said Brunning. “The wind was between three and eight knots all day, it was probably a good thing that it was light as I might not have had the stamina to make it through otherwise. But I’ll head off and get some sleep, kick this cold and keep at it.”
For more information go to www.australiansailingteam.com.au
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Winners announced for the 2009 ASC Media Awards ASC Media Awards The winners of the 2009 Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Media Awards were announced at a gala presentation at Melbourne's Crown Casino 3 December. The ASC received a very high standard of entries in 2009 and look forward to receiving more entries in 2010. | ||||||||
Australian Sailing Team off to a strong start at Sail Melbourne 49er crew Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen at the 2009 Sail Melbourne regatta Day one of racing at the 2009 Sail Melbourne regatta is complete with a strong breeze and big waves providing perfect racing conditions with the Australian Sailing Team getting off to a strong start in the opening round of the 2009/2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup. 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Gold medalist Malcolm Page and skipper Mathew Belcher lead the 470 men’s fleet from start to finish, recording two wins to open the regatta. “For the first day of a regatta it was a pretty good one for us,” said Page. “We were in front throughout both races and we didn’t get crossed all day which is always a good sign.”
“We made a few basic errors with our crew work but we can’t complain too much after winning two from two,” said Page.
The pair won the 470 men’s class at Sail Melbourne in 2008, their first regatta together, and will be looking to continue their good run on Port Phillip Bay this week.
“The conditions were nice today, wind in the high teens and big waves, typical Melbourne stuff,” said Belcher. “It was certainly nice when you get it right, making sailing downwind easy.”
American’s Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl are second with Singaporeans Roy Tay and Terence Koh third. In the 470 women’s fleet New Zealanders Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie lead with two wins ahead of Australians Stacey Hall and Chelsea Omay with Dawn Liu and Siobhan Tam third.
Australian Sailing Development Squad crew Will and Sam Phillips are leading the way in the 49er fleet after the opening three races. The Phillips brothers won the day’s first race, following up with two seconds to finish the day with a two point lead over New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.
Reigning World and Australian 49er Champions, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen sit in third position, four points of the lead after a second, first and sixth.
“Today was a pretty good day,” said Outteridge. “We haven’t sailed together in a week so we were a bit rusty, I had to get use to sailing a 49er again after being on a Farr40 all weekend and Iain is a bit unwell so we didn’t have it all our way today.”
“The conditions were very different to what we had in Sydney last week with a choppy swell and stable winds so there’s always plenty to do,” he said. “In the third race we were leading until we had a capsize while gybing which cost us pretty badly, we were only over for about 45 seconds but managed to watch the whole fleet go by.”
“Everyone is fighting really hard, if you make one mistake you’ll know about it. The level of racing from the Nationals and the Sail Sydney continues to get better and better, which is just what we want heading into our World Championships in the Bahamas in two weeks,” he said.
Racing was fierce throughout the small but competitive fleet, demonstrated with the top three crews each having a race victory.
In the Finn class ASDS sailor James Paterson and Great Britain sailor Henry Bagnall shared the honours, with a race win and second placing each, ahead of Warwick Hill in third.
Canadian sailor Michael Leigh is first in the Laser class, just one point clear of German Malte Kamrath with New South Welshman James Burman six points back in third position. The Laser fleet has a definite international feel with the top ten featuring sailors from seven nations.
In the Laser Radial women’s fleet Paige Railey is first, with a win and a second placing, ahead of German Franziska Goltz and Dutch sailor Marit Bouwmeester. Laura Baldwin is the best placed Australian in fifth place, ahead of Alex South in ninth.
Three time Olympian Jessica Crisp started her regatta in the best possible fashion, winning the opening two RS:X women’s races to lead the fleet, ahead of Jannicke Stalstrom and Angeliki Skarlatou.
“It was good to have some strong speed in wind again,” said Crisp. “After a day like today the signs are good for the Olympic venue in Weymouth.”
“My form is looking positive and now heading in the right direction,” she said.
For more information go to www.australiansailingteam.com.au
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Racing underway at 2009 Sail Melbourne regatta Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page leading the 470 fleet on day one of Sail Melbourne Day one of racing at the 2009 Sail Melbourne regatta is complete with a strong breeze and big waves providing perfect racing conditions for the opening round of the 2009/2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup. 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Gold medalist Malcolm Page and skipper Mathew Belcher lead the 470 men’s fleet from start to finish, recording two wins to open the regatta. “For the first day of a regatta it was a pretty good one for us,” said Page. “We were in front throughout both races and we didn’t get crossed all day which is always a good sign.”
“We made a few basic errors with our crew work but we can’t complain too much after winning two from two,” said Page.
The pair won the 470 men’s class at Sail Melbourne in 2008, their first regatta together, and will be looking to continue their good run on Port Phillip Bay this week.
“The conditions were nice today, wind in the high teens and big waves, typical Melbourne stuff,” said Belcher. “It was certainly nice when you get it right, making sailing downwind easy.”
American’s Stuart McNay and Graham Biehl are second with Singaporeans Roy Tay and Terence Koh third. In the 470 women’s fleet New Zealanders Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie lead with two wins ahead of Australians Stacey Hall and Chelsea Omay with Dawn Liu and Siobhan Tam third.
Local sailors Will and Sam Phillips are leading the way in the 49er fleet after the opening three races. The Phillips brothers won the day’s first race, following up with two seconds to finish the day with a two point lead over New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.
Reigning World and Australian 49er Champions, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen sit in third position, four points of the lead after a second, first and sixth.
Racing was fierce throughout the small but competitive fleet, demonstrated with the top three crews each having a race victory.
In the Finn class South Australian James Paterson and Great Britain sailor Henry Bagnall shared the honours, with a race win and second placing each, ahead of Warwick Hill in third.
Canadian sailor Michael Leigh is first in the Laser class, just one point clear of German Malte Kamrath with New South Welshman James Burman six points back in third position. The Laser fleet has a definite international feel with the top ten featuring sailors from seven nations.
In the Laser Radial women’s fleet Paige Railey is first, with a win and a second placing, ahead of German Franziska Goltz and Dutch sailor Marit Bouwmeester. Laura Baldwin is the best placed Australian in fifth place, ahead of Alex South in ninth.
Seng Leong Koh is first in the Laser Radial men’s class, with New Zealander Josh Porebski second and Mark Whittington and Elliott Noye tied for third.
Three time Olympian Jessica Crisp started her regatta in the best possible fashion, winning the opening two RS:X women’s races to lead the fleet, ahead of Jannicke Stalstrom and Angeliki Skarlatou. Columbian Nicolas Lozano also had two places in the RS:X men’s class, with Singaporean Leonard Ong second and Queenslander Joel Tyack third.
Peter Thompson leads the way in the 2.4m fleet, winning the opening two races, ahead of 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games Gold medalists, Canadian Paul Tingley, who finished behind Thompson in each race.
Father and son team Peter and Duncan Macgregor had a perfect day aboard their Skud 18, winning both races to sit on top of the ladder ahead of Krista Bailey and Michael Lewenhagen, with New Zealanders Tim Dempsey and Paulien Eitjes in third.
Victorians James Sly and Andrew Gillies are tied for the lead with Byron White and Thomas Koerner in the 29er class with Adam Lahey and Troy Rushton third.
In the Laser 4.7 fleet Queenslander Josh Franklin is first, ahead of local sailor Lloyd Collings with Ella Evans third.
George Davies and Timothy Hannah are first in the 420 class, ending the day with a first and a second, with Angus Galloway and Andrew Gough second and William Llewelyn and Lewis Duncan third.
Racing continues on Tuesday, beginning at 12pm, with the ISAF Sailing World Cup Dinner to be held at Sandringham Yacht Club tomorrow evening.
For more information go to www.sailmelbourne.com.au
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All classes still up for grabs in the 2009 Sail Down Under Series The race for class victories in the 2009 Sail Down Under Series is heating up with just one regatta left to run and all the fleets still in the balance. For the first time trophies will be awarded to first, second and third places, overall, from the combined results of the three Sail Down Under Series regattas, Sail Brisbane, Sail Sydney and next week’s Sail Melbourne. Competitors are awarded points from first to tenth positions, with first place receiving ten points, second receiving nine through to one point for tenth place. The competitor with the highest point score after the three regattas will be the class winner. The first two rounds have featured great racing throughout the fleets and as the crews head south for the final hit out, and the first round of the 2009-2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup, more action is certain to follow.
Prizes will be awarded in the 470 men and women’s classes, Laser, Laser Radial, RS:X men and women, 49er and Finn classes, with results from all three regattas combining to decide the inaugural Sail Down Under champions.
Australian Sailing Development Squad crew Sam Kivell and Will Ryan have a six point lead in the 470 men’s class, following their first place at Sail Brisbane and second this week at Sail Sydney. Second place is currently a tie between Alexander and Patrick Conway and Matthew and Robert Conway.
In the 470 women’s class Aurora Paterson and Michal Hughes lead the way on 15 points, five clear of ASDS crew Stacey Hall and Chelsea Omay who have a 100 per cent record in the series to date, with one win from one start at Sail Sydney. New Zealanders Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie are one point behind the West Australians in third place.
There is a three-way tie for the lead in the Laser class with Australian Sailing Team member and dual Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby, ASDS sailor Ashley Brunning and Chilean Matias Del Solar Go all on ten points. Brunning and Slingsby tasted victory in Brisbane and Sydney respectively while their Chilean counterpart has been rewarded for his consistency so far.
Irish sailor Annalise Murphy and 2004 Athens Olympic Games representative for Great Britain, Laura Baldwin, are tied for first in the Laser Radial class, both on 19 points, with Megan de Lange in third. With Murphy and Baldwin both headed for Melbourne, and neck and neck throughout the series so far, the Laser Radial class will go right down to the wire.
Reigning 49er World Champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen currently lead the 49er class, and after the 49er fleet was absent at Sail Brisbane it’s going to be a tight finish with Outteridge and Jensen closely followed by Kiwis Peter Burling and Blair Tuke and Australian crew Euan McNicol and Tim Austin.
2008 Beijing Olympic Games representative Jessica Crisp is tied for first in the RS:X class with 2009 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Sailing Team member Joanna Sterling, after the pair had a regatta victory each, with Japanese competitor Yasuko Kosuge just a point behind in third.
Luke Baille leads the fleet in the RS:X men’s class after victory at Sail Brisbane and a second place at Sail Sydney, fellow Queenslander Joel Tyack is second and Leonard Ong from Singapore is third.
Brendan Casey has had two wins from two starts in the Finn class to sit on a perfect 20 points, six clear of the UK’s Henry Bagnall with three time Olympian Anthony Nossiter in third.
Keep up to date with all the action from the final round of the 2009 Sail Down Under Series, Sail Melbourne, online, from December 14 to 19. Daily highlights, news articles, images and results can be found at www.saildownunder.org.au and www.sailmelbourne.com.au, while videos can also be viewed at www.youtube.com/YachtingAUS and don’t forget to follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/saildownunder.
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Future of sailing bright in Queensland with Queensland Academy of Sport’s partnership in the Queensland High Performance Sailing Program Yachting Australia and the Queensland Academy of Sport, supported by Yachting Queensland, are developing Queensland's future Olympic sailing champions with the formation of the Queensland High Performance Sailing Program. The new program is a major step forward for high performance sailing in Queensland as the Australian Sailing Team heads down the long road to success at the 2012 London Olympic Games and beyond. The Australian Sailing Team had great success at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games bringing home two Gold and one Silver medals and the formation of the Queensland High Performance Sailing Program is designed to see Queensland athletes add to Australia’s sailing success tally at future games.
Queensland Academy of Sport Executive Director, Bennett King, said he is looking forward to seeing the Queensland Academy of Sport work closely with Yachting Queensland and Yachting Australia in future years to develop excellence in the sport in the state.
“It’s an exciting time for sailing and an exciting time for the Queensland Academy of Sport to have sailing as a part of our association,” said King. “The Queensland Academy of Sport is happy to be taking on board a sport that has had a lot of success throughout the years.”
“At the Queensland Academy of Sport we have a vision to be the standard of excellence throughout sport in Australia and over the years we’ve had a number of exciting times. Come the 2012 London Olympic Games, hopefully we’ll see this program produce athletes who will represent Australia and our state proudly at the highest level,” he said.
The Queensland High Performance Sailing Program will be led by head coach Adrian Finglas and will play an important role in developing sailing in the state at all levels.
Yachting Australia High Performance Director, Peter Conde, is looking forward to seeing the sport continue to grow in Queensland.
“This is an important moment for sailing in Queensland. The Queensland Academy of Sport commitment completes the puzzle in this state, and recognises the status of sailing as one of Australia’s top international sports. I am confident that we’ll see the sport thrive at the highest level in Queensland based on the great talent already visible,” said Conde.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to develop the top end of the sport and see that development trickle down through all of the programs in the state, strengthening sailing at all levels,” he said.
Inaugural members of the Queensland High Performance Sailing Program include current Australia Sailing Team 470 helmsman Mathew Belcher, 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games Silver medallist Daniel Fitzgibbon and 2009 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Sailing Team members Luke Baillie and Ashley Stoddart.
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Perfect day out for Australian Sailing Team crews Belcher and Page on the final day of Sail Sydney The Australian Sailing Team has dominated the 2009 Sail Sydney regatta, winning all classes that athletes were entered in.
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page took out the 470 men’s class, putting the final touches to their Sail Melbourne preparation under the watchful eye of AST Head Coach Victor Kovalenko.
Australian Sailing Development Squad sailors Sam Kivell and Will Ryan finished second while ASDS crew Stacey Omay and Chelsea Hall won the 470 women’s class.
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen made it a perfect five from five regattas, winning the 49ers with a first and second placing on the final day, opening out a nine point lead on New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke with Euan McNicol and Tim Austin third.
In the RS:X class Jessica Crisp had a perfect final day, winning both races, making it five race wins straight to claim victory by nine points of Japan’s Yasuko Kosuge.
Dual Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby finished third in the one and only Laser race of the day, enough to claim the class win from Kiwis Sam Meech and Andy Maloney.
The Australian Sailing Team crews now head to Melbourne for round one of the 2009/2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup, Sail Melbourne, beginning on Monday, December 14.
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Australian Sailing Team crews continue strong runs at Sail Sydney Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page on day three of Sail Sydney Australian Sailing Team crews extended their leads on day three of the 2009 Sail Down Under regatta, while others spent the day taking the lead. Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen continued their strong run in the 49er class, winning all three of the day’s races to open up a six point lead over New Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke with Will and Sam Phillips in third position. Australia’s World Champion 49er crew have won every race in the last two days and can wrap up the regatta with a good race one on the final day.
In the 470 class Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page had another consistent day on Sydney Harbour, finishing with a first and second placing to move to seven points clear of second position, Australian Sailing Development Squad crew Sam Kivell and Will Ryan.
Jessica Crisp had a great day in the RS:X class, winning all three races and taking the regatta lead in the process. Crisp has a slender two point lead over Japanese athlete Yasuko Kosuge with three races remaining.
The Laser class will go right down to the wire with the top five separated by just five points with two races left to run. Tom Slingsby continued his consistent regatta with his fifth and two sixth positions moving him into first place overall, one point ahead of New Zealander Joshua Junior.
In the Laser Radial class ASDS sailor Laura Baldwin is first in the women’s division, winning the final race of the day to move six points clear of Megan De Lange.
Brendan Casey won all of the day’s races in the Finn class, to take the lead from Anthony Nossiter with James Paterson continuing his strong run in third position.
Daily video highlights can be viewed at www.youtube.com/YachtingAUS | ||||||||
Outteridge and Jensen hit back on day two of Sail Sydney Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen leading the 49er fleet at Sail Sydney The Australian Sailing Team’s Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen Jensen have found the form which led them to this year’s 49er World Championship, putting a difficult day one behind them to win all three races on day two of the 2009 Sail Sydney regatta. Outteridge and Jensen dominated the 49er fleet, with a strong north-easterly wind making for perfect sailing conditions on Sydney harbor and they now have a slender one point lead of New Zealand crew Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. “It was a much better day for us today,” said Outteridge. “Yesterday was tough but we put that behind us with three first places, on the way back in we were saying that we didn’t think that anyone crossed us during the day, we had really good starts and the rest just followed on from there.”
Though it wasn’t all easy for the World and Australian Champions as with a run in with a capsized 29er damaged their mainsail in the second race.
“We came up to the top mark and a 29er capsized in front of us, we weren’t able to get out of the way and the mast went through our mainsheet,” said Outteridge. “It didn’t seem to slow us down too much but we’ve got a repair job to do tonight to patch it up.”
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page continue to lead the way in the 470 men’s class, winning all three of the day’s races to take a five point lead over the Australian Sailing Development Squad crew of Sam Kivell and Will Ryan.
In the Laser class dual World Champion Tom Slingsby has climbed to third overall, just one point behind regatta leader Daniel Mihelic from Croatia, and tied on points with Canadian Michael Leigh.
“There was a building sea breeze all day,” said Slingsby. “We were out there are 10am this morning, so it was quite tricky the whole time as to when it was going to clock a bit further right and when the pressure was going to increase, making it quite tricky but I was happy to get through with two fourths.”
“It’s a hot fleet here in Sydney, there are maybe five sailors in the top ten in the world racing, some really good sailors, making it a good hit out before I head to the Australian Laser Championship in a few weeks,” he said.
Jessica Crisp has climbed to second in the RS:X class, with a first, second and fourth in Sunday’s three races, to be three points behind Yasuko Kosuge from Japan with two days of competition still to run.
In the Finn fleet 2008 Beijing Olympic Games representative Anthony Nossiter is in first position, ahead of fellow Australians Brendan Casey and James Paterson.
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Comments sought on draft amendments to the Yachting Australia Special Regulations 2009-2012 Blue Book Yachting Australia is seeking comment on draft amendments to the 2009 Yachting Australia Special Regulations. The 2009 Yachting Australia Special Regulations came into effect from 1 July 2009. Yachting Australia has recently received submissions regarding the Yachting Australia Special Regulations. Interested parties wishing to see the draft amendments may click on the link below. To see the text as currently published please refer to the Yachting Australia Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012 (the Blue Book). The amendments relate to Special Regulation 4.21 Lifebuoys, and are summarised as proposing the removal of redundant clauses, bringing the Special Regulations into line with accepted international practice, government regulations and equipment availability on the market. Yachting Australia encourages boat owners, organising authorities, state and territory Member Yachting Associations or any other interested party to provide written comment on the draft amendments before Thursday 10 December 2009. For more information about these draft amendments, or to provide comment please contact Glen Stanaway at Yachting Australia by phoning 02 8424 7408 or emailing glen.stanaway@yachting.org.au.
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Follow the Sail Sydney action online Keep up to date with all the action from the 2009 Sail Sydney regatta online. Yachting Australia is providing more ways then ever before to keep up to date with the action from the 2009 Sail Sydney regatta. Daily video reports can be found at www.saildownunder.org.au or through the Yachting Australia Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/YachtingAUS The Sail Down Under website will also include written reports and photos. It's also possible to follow the action through Twitter at www.twitter.com/saildownunder. The Sail Sydney regatta runs from December 5-8 from Woollahra Sailing Club with racing taking place on Sydney harbour. | ||||||||
Sail Sydney entries top 200 Yachting NSW, the organisers of Sail Sydney, are pleased to announce that at the close of entries they had received 222 applications for their annual event to be held from December 5-8 on Sydney Harbour. Hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club, the second event of the Sail Down Under series is one of only two ISAF Grade 1 events in the southern hemisphere and a strong level of commitment has come from the Olympic classes, especially the Laser and Laser Radial single-handed dinghies, which is not surprising considering the next summer Olympic Games is less than three years away. The Laser class is headed by two-time world champion and Beijing Olympian Tom Slingsby (AUS) who has put in some strong performances since returning home from China.
In a ‘Clash of the Olympians’ Slingsby will face some of those he competed against in Beijing inclusive of Matias Del Solar (CHI), Michael Leigh (CAN), Javier Hernandez (ESP), Jeemin Ha (KOR) and Andrew Murdoch (NZL), the best placed of the six with a fifth place finish in Qingdao.
A second Kiwi competitor and Youth sailor, Josh Junior, could give the seniors some trouble. Last week he skippered his team to a win at the Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship on Sydney Harbour after stumping up third at the Harken equivalent on Pittwater the week before.
Robert Godwin, one of Britain’s many standout Laser sailors will also provide good racing, as will third place-getter here last year, Daniel Mihelic from Croatia.
“We’re all ramping up for the Olympics again,” says Slingsby continuing, “It’s good to have such a good group at Sail Sydney. We’re all here to get ready for our next European season.”
Unbeatable in strong conditions, “Slingsby says “I’d like to get a variety of conditions on the Harbour for this event; I’d like to show everyone I’m not just a heavy air sailor. I’m actually quite good in light air; I just don’t particularly enjoy patchy light and no wind conditions.”
The two-time world champion (2007 and 2008) says he is well and truly over his disastrous Beijing Olympics at which he finished 22nd after being firmly favoured to win Gold. “It really knocked my confidence and it took me around three months to get over it,” the 25 year old says.
“It didn’t help that Paul (Goodison, Beijing gold medallist) went on to win all these regattas after China,” he says of the British sailor’s five straight wins at major events.
However, Slingsby, who is extraordinarily tough on himself, bounced back with a second at the Europeans and a win at the Grade1 Sail for Gold, held at the 2012 Olympic venue in Weymouth, UK. “That win gave me a new drive for the London Games,” he concedes.
There are a number of Olympians competing at Sail Sydney (formerly known as SIRs). Beijing Olympian Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen come to the event fresh from taking out the 49er Australian Championship, where they won all but two races, finishing second in those.
The Australian pair has also won every Grade 1 event they have contested this past year; one of the reasons why Outteridge had the rare distinction of making the finals of the 2009 ISAF Sailor of the Year Awards. Recently, he and Jensen were named the Australian Institute of Sport Team of the Year at the 2009 AIS Awards.
Mat Belcher and his Beijing gold medallist crew Malcolm Page (AUS) will head the line-up in the 470 and will be joined by long-time campaigners, separately and together, Roy Junhao Tay/Terence Kiat Koh (SIN) and less experienced Olympic aspirants Sam Kivell/Will Ryan (AUS).
Headline acts in the Women’s 470 are Stacey Omay/Chelsea Hall (AUS) and former Laser Radial Olympic campaigners Jo Aleh/Olivia Powrie (NZL). Aleh sailed the Radial to seventh at the Beijing Games.
There are an unprecedented 17 Finn entries, headed by triple Olympian Anthony ‘Nocka’ Nossiter (AUS), who is in for what is likely to be his stiffest competition ever for Olympic selection to London.
Nocka’s adversary for Beijing Games representation, Brendan Casey, along with young talents James Paterson and Warwick Hill, whom Olympic coach Mike Fletcher identified as “Olympic talent” last year and new Olympic hopeful Bucky Smith, the current Etchells world champion crew, are just some of the Aussies after Nocka’s scalp.
Nick Burfoot (NZL) a great mate of Nocka’s, along with Conrad Brown (USA) and two British entries; Henry Bagnall and Craig Kirkpatrick-Whitby, will showcase the best Finn sailing Sydney Harbour has witnessed since the 2000 Games.
The Australian Olympian line up is complete with triple representative, Jessica Crisp and in a switch of class, Krystal Weir. Melbourne sailor Weir sailed for Australia in the Yngling class at Beijing, after campaigning unsuccessfully for the Laser Radial spot, and will make her debut in the Olympic RS:X sailboard at Sail Sydney.
Over 50 Laser Radial entries have been received, split between Women’s (Olympic class) and Men’s. In the Women’s event, polar opposites will face the starters gun on the same course; two standout Youth entries with their sights set on the Olympic Games in the future, Ashley Stoddart and Alex South and 2009 Masters Worlds gold and silver medallist Vanessa Dudley, who won Gold in the Women’s and scored a solid Silver in the Open competition.
There are also a lot of top Youth sailors coming through the ranks as they too, prepare for Olympic campaigns, with strong representation from Australia and Singapore.
International representation is exceptionally strong three years out from the London 2012 Games, with competitors making their way to Australia from Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, the USA, Chile, Spain, Singapore, Greece, Canada, Japan, Finland, Hungary, Switzerland, Norway, India, Korea, Norway, Croatia, Poland and Italy.
Other classes featuring at Sail Sydney are the 29er, 420, Laser 4.7 Youth classes and the Moth and Bic Techno classes.
The 18th edition of Sail Sydney kicks off on Saturday with racing expected to get underway from midday.
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Outteridge and Jensen keep 100 per cent record intact with Australian 49er Championship win Outteridge & Jensen at 2009 Australian 49er Championship The Australian Sailing Team’s Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have won the 2009 Australian 49er Championship, dominating the regatta from start to finish, continuing their unbeaten record together. The pair won 10 of the 13 races across the regatta, with their two second places coming to eventual runners up Peter Burling and Blair Tuke of New Zealand. “This win means a lot to us,” said Outteridge. “Not only is it our first win in Australia but it’s the first time we’ve competed together in the country and to do it at our home club where we both learnt to sail is pretty special.”
The current 49er World Champions won the final nine races of the regatta, including the two held on the final day, raced on the flat waters of the bay in front of the Wangi RSL Amateur Sailing Club in shifty winds up to 20 knots.
The regatta had some incredibly close racing with Outteridge and Jensen beating Burling and Tuke by just one thousandth of a second in the eighth race of the regatta.
Irish crew Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern finished third overall while brothers Will and Sam Phillips came home in fourth position. Euan McNicol and Tim Austin were fifth, ahead of Tom Johnson and Rhys Mara, who finished the regatta strongly, coming second in the final race.
“We had strong winds throughout the regatta and the final day was no different, we set a new speed record for us of 23.3 knots over ten seconds only to be beaten by the Kiwis on the final afternoon who set 23.6 knots,” said Outteridge.
“The Kiwis pushed us hard all regatta, they’re an experienced crew with Peter Burling skippering a 470 at the Beijing Games and Blair Tuke winning silver at the Youth Worlds in 2007,” he said. “We’ve developed a good training partnership with them over the year but it’s always good to beat them.”
The 2009 win was Outteridge’s third national title and he is now closing in on Chris Nicholson’s record of five titles, while for Jensen it was his first, having finished second in 2008 in Perth.
“We’ve got a busy few weeks coming up as we prepare for the Worlds in the Bahamas starting on the second of January,” said Outteridge. “Next stop is Sail Sydney beginning on Saturday and then off to Sail Melbourne before a couple of days rest over Christmas before we fly out to the Worlds.”
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Yachting Australia roadshow at CYCA tonight The first Yachting Australia Roadshow for Clubs, Class Associations and Training Centres in New South Wales will be held at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia this Tuesday, 1 December to inform and educate the various groups of a range of new initiatives being implemented.
Interested individuals are asked to register online via the Yachting Australia website to go into the draw to win a signed and framed Australian Sailing Team image from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Yachting Australia is working to continuously enhance the products and services that are provided to affiliated and recognised organisations. Many of these products and services are designed to be delivered through State and Territory Yachting Associations (MYAs), whilst some are now offered directly.
Recently Yachting Australia has been developing a number of new programs which will be of benefit to Yacht Clubs, Class Associations and Yachting Australia Training Centres. The programs are designed to support and enhance existing operations, improve services for members and customers, and provide new revenue streams.
The Yachting Australia Roadshow is a presentation night aimed at introducing these new initiatives, answering questions and providing attendees with an insight into how their organisation can benefit.
CEO Phil Jones said that the Roadshow will give Yachting Australia a chance to provide information to the yachting community on the services it offers.
“Yachting Australia has been working hard behind the scenes over the last year to put together a series of initiatives which will benefit organisations across the country. The Yachting Australia Roadshow will enable us to communicate all of these initiatives at the one time,” he said.
“While initially we’ll be rolling the roadshow out in Queensland and New South Wales, it’s our intention to look at the interest from other states and head there further down the track,” said Jones.
Topics to be covered will include the new Yachting Australia merchandise program in association with SLAM, IT platforms including MyClub and the On-Line Entry System, along with additional services for members.
The future direction of the sport will be discussed with a look at the Yachting Australia Strategic Plan, Training and Participation initiatives and a Sports Services snapshot.
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IRC and ORCi Ratings in Australia Owners of racing yachts are presented with a choice of rating systems. There has always been debate amongst boat owners over rating systems. Australia has enjoyed a period of relative stability in recent years, with IRC being used almost exclusively on a national basis. With the introduction of the ORCi, offered by the Offshore Racing Council (ORC) as the replacement for IMS, a number of owners are again expressing their preference for a measured, transparent rating rule. This year entries under both IRC and ORCi will be accepted for the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
The IRC Rating System has now been operating very successfully in Australia for over 9 years. The number of boats rated, which now stands at well in excess of 500 each year, has increased steadily. Most owners appear very satisfied with the IRC rule and the way it is administered by Yachting Australia.
However, Yachting Australia is aware that there is dissatisfaction amongst some boat owners about the IRC Rating System. As a result there has been a push by some boat owners for the introduction of an alternate rule. Boat owners behind this current push believe ORCi may be an appropriate alternative to IRC.
Yachting Australia have been running the ORCi rule for some time, it being a way in which a yacht’s stability can be established. When the Offshore Yacht Owners Association (OYOA) expressed interest in ORCi for scoring races, Yachting Australia went to great efforts to assist, providing boat owners with information about the newly developed ORCi, offering guidance on how to get measured and rated, and facilitating access to details of boats already measured domestically and internationally. To ensure the rule is supported in the same way that we support IRC, we have trained our staff and measurers, and hosted a visit by the ORC Chief Measurer Nicola Sironi. We consider it our role to provide the appropriate services and let boat owners decide which rule they wish to be rated under.
As a result of discussions between the ORC and the OYOA, selected Australian boat owners have been offered ORCi rating certificates free of charge from ORC. The ratings will be valid to 31 January 2010, allowing boats to compete in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Boat owners can take advantage of this offer by contacting Nicola Sironi at the ORC directly.
ORCi is IMS rebadged, but the Velocity Prediction Program (VPP), which is the heart of the system, has been updated. The complex scoring methods are still in place if an event wishes to use them, but the ORC have also added single figure ratings for inshore and offshore racing. ORCi calculates ratings based on scientific calculations contained in the VPP.
The ORC is changing the way measurements can be taken. Carbon masts will not have to be removed, and hull data will be able to be sourced from designer information. Whilst this will reduce costs significantly, it is still a more complex rule than IRC and does require more measurements. Another issue to consider is that there are also thousands of boats already measured that can be used for sister-ship data to copy as a starting point, making rating easier.
ORCi is a transparent rule, and that brings a greater element of certainty as to what a rating might be, and a designer can work closely with an owner and builder to produce a yacht that performs well to the ORCi rule. Exactly what a boat optimised to ORCi will look like and how it will handle is not possible to predict at this stage. As we have seen previously with IMS and IOR before it, transparency can bring its own issues. However the ORC believes that the old type-forming elements of IMS have been addressed in the changes to the ORCi VPP.
IRC has different strengths. It treats club boats well, it is very simple to measure for, it is the most widely used rule in Australia, and is accepted internationally. Whilst it protects club and production fleets, and we do see a great many different types of winners, it does not provide the transparency that some appear to seek.
There was a long discussion at the ISAF Annual Meetings recently regarding the recognition of the IRC Rating Rule and the opportunity that this would provide to stage an IRC World Championship. The matter is to be resolved at the meeting to be hosted by ISAF early in 2010, involving representatives of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), the promoters and owners of IRC and the ORC. With over 8,000 boats rated worldwide, it would seem reasonable for IRC boat owners to have the rights to a World Championship in the same way that the ORC can run World Championships under ORCi
Both rating systems have their benefits, and it may be that both can operate in parallel, just as IRC and AMS do on Port Philip. Boat owners have a choice. Again it is not for the Rating Authority to determine what their choice should be.
For more information about IRC or ORCi in Australia contact Glen Stanaway by phoning 02 8424 7408 or emailing glen.stanaway@yachting.org.au.
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