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Yachting Australia
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News Archive
November, 2010
Trackers and two-boat testing turn Burman's regatta around Sydney-based Laser sailor and Australian Sailing Development Squad member, James Burman, has put himself into reckoning at Sail Brisbane by winning the final two races of day two. After placing fifth in the first three races of the regatta, Burman did some serious soul-searching. “I watched the tracker at five times speed about 10 times last night to see what I was doing wrong,” he said. “It was really helpful.”
The Laser fleet has been carrying tracking devices which allow sailors and their coaches to replay the entire race at a variety of speeds.
“I had a few technical issues. My training partner, Jared West, told me that I was sailing too low. I did a few line-ups with Jared after race one today and after that I was good,” he said.
James had been sailing as if he was in Sydney, where there is more chop and a boat needs to “foot” to maintain boat speed, but he said the sea was really flat on Moreton Bay today, which allowed him to point higher.
The two “bullets” leave Burman in fourth place with 17 points behind Ryan Palk (eight), Klade Hauschildt (13) and Swiss sailor Guillaume Girod (16), but with five races to be sailed there is time to climb onto the podium.
In the Laser Radial, Mitchell Kennedy from the host club, Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, had an excellent day with a first, second and a fourth to lead the Open division by 12 points from Brendan Torpeland. Visiting Dutch sailor, Claire Blom finished strongly with a first place in the last race after being black-flagged in race four, along with three other sailors.
Christine Bridge and Ella Evans lead the women's division on identical scores of 14, with Ashley Stoddart on 17 and Claire Blom on 19.
In the Youth division, Mitchell Kenneday enjoys a huge lead over second-placed Jake Lilley, his RQYS team mate.
In the Laser 4.7 division, Melissa Hinchen-Haw started brilliantly with a third bullet from three races, but then recorded a third and a fifth to slip one point behind Mitchell Kennedy's sister, Madison. This means the host club is now leading all three Laser divisions at the regatta.
Although the wind began to fill in later in the afternoon, the predicted 15-20 knots did not eventuate and all races were sailed in winds that barely rose above 10 knots. The wind graph from the RQYS also showed constant oscillations in direction, meaning those that picked the shifts did best.
According to RS:X sailor, Luke Baillie, “We had about six different forecasts out there today.” Baillie placed second, fifth and sixth in today's races to leave him fifth overall, but he said, “It was good fun... really good fun.”
Luke said it is good to get a competitive fleet racing at Sail Brisbane. The class is led by Chang Hao of Taipei from Marco Baglione of Italy, with Seb Wanghansen of Norway in third. Jimmy Levy of Australia is fourth, two points ahead of Baillie.
RQYS is enjoying a very good regatta, with club members also leading the men's and women's 420 class (Angus Galloway/Alex Gough and Elloise Brake/Jaime Ryan) and the 29er (Josh Franklin/Lewis Brake).
In the Optimist and Sabot dinghies, there is very little between the first three places. In the Opti Kyle O'Connor leads by two points from Kye Evans, with Charlie Wyatt just one point behind Kyle. In the Sabot, it is Tom Siganto who leads by four points from Kurt Hansen and Henry Makin, both on 15 points.
Samual Treharne from Middle Harbour leads the Bic Techno while Benjamin Rankine leads the Moth fleet.
Racing resumes at 11am local time tomorrow. The trackers will be transferred from the Lasers to other classes, allowing those interested in the Optimists, Sabots, Moths, 420 and 29er classes to watch the races live. The tracking and full results can be found at www.sailbrisbane.com.au and www.saildownunder.org.au.
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Sail Melbourne promises plenty for everyone on and off the water Melbourne is set to welcome the world's top Olympic class sailors to the waters of Port Phillip Bay with the opening round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, Sail Melbourne, beginning in less than two weeks. Racing kicks off at Sandringham Yacht Club on Monday December 13 and with early entries closing on Wednesday December 1 over 250 crews are currently entered. Australia will be strongly represented at Sail Melbourne including reigning Laser World Champion, world number one and recent recently crowned ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Tom Slingsby, 2010 470 World Champions Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page and 2009 49er World Champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen.
Also flying the Australian flag at the opening ISAF Sailing World Cup round will be three-time Olympian Jessica Crisp and 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games Silver medalists Daniel Fitzgibbon and Rachael Cox.
The Australians will have a fight on their hands on the water with a large contingent of international sailors making the journey to Melbourne.
Those competing at Sail Melbourne include Great Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie who will contest the Finn class against countryman and 2010 Finn World Champion Ed Wright, 2010 Laser Radial World Champion Sari Multala from Finland and 2010 Skud 18 World Champions, Great Britain’s Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell.
Sail Melbourne chairman Bruce Griffiths said: “Sail Melbourne is becoming an increasingly important regatta as competitors prepare for London 2012. Australia has some of the best sailing talent in the world and with international competitors descending in droves we can look forward to an exceptional week of sailing and some thrilling on-the-water action.”
Australian sailing legend and event ambassador John Bertrand said: “We are delighted with the calibre of world class Olympic sailors set to compete at Sail Melbourne this year. This list of big names is a credit to the reputation of the event itself and of Port Phillip Bay as one of the finest racing venues in the world.”
In the lead-up to the regatta, Sail Melbourne is running the ‘Me and My Boat’ competition, a search to find, recognise and reward the favourite boating memories of Australia’s dedicated and passionate sailors.
To enter, members of the public are invited to submit their favourite sail-themed photograph at www.sailmelbourne.com.au and any personal snap involving a boat can be used with entrants encouraged to get creative. Each entry must also be accompanied by a short caption beginning ‘Me and my boat ...’ and a description of no more than 100 words, telling the story behind the photograph.
The winner of the judges prize will be treated to an exclusive Sail Melbourne experience for two with flights and accommodation included. The winners will receive tickets to the Finals Day, lunch with Glen Ashby, a boat ride allowing them to get up close and personal to all the sailing action, and exclusive entry into the Sail Melbourne’s Lifestyle Party.
While there will be plenty of action on the water, Sail Melbourne has a packed schedule of off-water activities, with something for everyone.
Festivities begin on Tuesday, December 14, with the Official Sailing World Cup Dinner at Sandringham Yacht Club. The event will feature expert discussion on the future development of the sport with industry leading guest speakers from the world of sailing including Australian sailing heroes John Bertrand AM and Glenn Ashby. The evening is set to include a drinks reception, three course meal and great entertainment.
The next day Sandringham Yacht Club hosts the Sail Melbourne Ladies Day, in aid of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Guests will be invited to sit back and be pampered with lavish food and wine, stunning fashion and a host of entertainment set to the spectacular backdrop of Port Phillip Bay. Ladies will receive gift bags and have the opportunity to walk away with some fabulous prizes. And it’s all in aid of a great cause, the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
Thursday marks the Sail Melbourne Official Corporate Day with the event offering a premium entertainment program combining the excitement of world class Olympic sailing, good food and wine, vibrant people, engaging lifestyle entertainment and spectacular views of the racing. The package includes a welcome drink on arrival, a delicious lunch, afternoon drinks, a Q&A session with Olympic sailors, engaging lifestyle entertainment and vantage viewing of the Cup itself.
The final day of Sail Melbourne features the culmination of racing with the final medal races, the Family Day and the Lifestyle Party.
Family Day attendees will be given the unique opportunity to embrace the festivities through a range of on and off water activities. These include on-shore games and face painting as well as windsurfing, stand up paddle, kayaking, kiteboarding demonstrations and of course, sailing. Attendees will also be given the unique opportunity to come face-to-face with their sailing heroes and be given a real look at the excitement that comes hand-in-hand with the sailing lifestyle.
At the Lifestyle Party invited guests will join in the celebrations, soak up the ambiance and party into the night. Set on the balcony of the Sandringham Yacht Club the event will be a celebration of sailing and will include fashion parades and some of the freshest beats from Melbourne based DJ talent.
Event development Manager Kate Allen said, “We were delighted with the success of Sail Melbourne in 2009 and the excellent platform this provides for the event to grow into one of Australia’s signature sailing events. We are looking forward to giving the event the warm welcome back it deserves this year as it cements its place in the State’s action packed summer of top-class sport.”
Sail Melbourne will once again be the first stop of the ISAF Sailing World Cup with teams then heading off to Miami, Palma, Hyeres, Medemblik and Weymouth England before finishing at Kiel Germany in June.
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Yachting Australia releases Nomination Criteria for the 2012 London Olympic Games Yachting Australia has released the Nomination Criteria for those athletes wishing to be selected in the Sailing Section of the 2012 Australian Olympic Team to compete at the 2012 London Olympic Games to be held in Weymouth, England in July 2012. Yachting Australia will nominate to the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) athletes from within the sport to be considered by the AOC, who will make the final selections for the Australian Olympic Team.
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Light winds challenge sailors on first day of Sail Brisbane A shifting breeze of 8-10 knots greeted the 103 crews from nine countries competing in the first leg of the 2010 Sail Down Under Series at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron today. Although race officials had to change the courses several times to allow for the changing wind direction, the sailors handled conditions brilliantly to set up some exciting finishes. In the Laser Standard class, Australian Sailing Development Squad member Ryan Palk, fresh from a successful tour of Europe, shared the honours with his RQYS club mate Klade Hauschildt. Palk hit the front early in the first race and cleared away to win by 19 seconds, but Hauschildt reversed the placings in race two – by a margin so small he had to ask the officials if he had won. Hauschildt led Palk by more than 20 metres for much of the second race, after going to the right early while Palk went left. However, as they approached the final turning mark Palk was able to draw to within a boat length.
“The whole way downwind I had the gap, but he closed me down towards the bottom mark,” Hauschildt said. “I had the overlap at the bottom mark and tried to get on a wave. That didn't really work, but I managed to get my bow in front. I was just trying not to let him get above me.”
Ryan Palk was philosophical about the defeat. “I thought I could get him at the last mark, but he had the overlap. Then a got a funny angle to the finish and got held out,” he said.
With eight more races over the next three days, this will be an absorbing battle that can be watched live, thanks to on-board trackers, by going to www.sailbrisbane.com.au or www.saildownunder.org.au.
There was also a very close finish in the second race of the Laser 4.7. After winning the first race by over 400 metres, Melissa Hinchen-Haw suffered the same fate as Klade Hauschildt, she had another boat right on her transom coming around the final mark. However, like Palk, Madison Kennedy couldn't get past on the final leg, finishing only three seconds behind Hinchen-Haw, who leads the series by three points. Nicholas Connor from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is in third on a countback.
The largest fleet of the competition is the Laser Radial, with 28 boats. In the Open division, Mitchell Kennedy leads with a first and a second place from Brendan Torpelund and Jake Lilley. Claire Blom leads the women's division from Christine Bridge and Erika Fredrikson, while Mitchell Kennedy is also eligible for the Youth trophy, where he leads with two victories.
International sailors are dominating the RS:X sailboard, with Italy's Marco Baglione one point ahead of Chang Hao of Taipei and five points ahead of Australian young gun, Luke Baillie, who like Ryan Palk has been training and racing in Europe over the Australian winter.
With most Moth sailors preparing for January's World Championships on Lake Macquarie, only five men faced the starter in this division. The light conditions were tricky for the foiling craft, but Bejamin Rankine from TSC made it look easy, winning both races. Jack Sherring holds second place from Robert Green.
The BIC Techno is being sailed as a mixed class, with Middle Harbour's Samuel Treharne leading Shari O'Brien and Reece Bailey, both from RQYS.
Sophie Lahey and Joel Turner had a perfect day in the 29er with two wins, from Josh Franklin/Lewis Brake and Tom Duhig/Will Martineau, while in the 420, Australian Youth representatives Angus Galloway and Alex Gough also had two wins, to lead from Elloise Brake/Jaime Ryan and Shelley White/Georgie Toner in an all RQYS leaderboard.
Eleven Optimist Dinghies and 14 Sabots contained the hopes of the youngest sailors in the fleet. In the Optis, Xavier Winston Smith and Kyle O'Connell both have a win and a 3rd place, while in the Sabots Stuart Skinner (first and third) leads Tom Siganto (two seconds) on a countback.
Racing resumes at 11am Queensland time (10am NSW, VIC, TAS) tomorrow, with live tracking of all three Laser divisions throughout the day.
For more information visit www.saildownunder.org.au.
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Entry deadline extended for 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championship Yachting Australia has extended the entry deadline for the 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championship until Wednesday December 8, 2010. Currently 119 crews have entered into the event which will be held at Georges River 16ft Sailing Club in Sydney from January 6 to 10, 2011. The regatta is an important event for Australia’s youth sailors as they compete for positions on the Australian Youth Sailing Team to compete at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships to be held in Croatia in July.
Botany Bay is set to host competition across all classes with Australia’s best sailors under the age of 19 competing in the Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, Bic Techno, 420, 29er and Hobie 16, the 2011 event will also have an international flavour with entries already received from Great Britain, Singapore, France, New Caledonia, Japan and New Zealand.
The 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships also plays an important role in the recently launched Youth Sailing Grand Prix as it is a compulsory event for those sailors competing for the inaugural title and the prize money on offer.
Entries can be made via the Yachting Australia website, www.yachting.org.au, and entrants can also purchase addition opening and closing event tickets.
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Follow all the Sail Brisbane action online from today Racing begins today at the opening round of the 2010 Sail Down Under Series, Sail Brisbane, with just over 100 crews set to hit the water of Brisbane’s Moreton Bay for four days of racing. The first starters gun is scheduled for 12.30pm AEST and all the action can be followed live through the website, www.saildownunder.org.au. Featured on the Sail Down Under Series website will be the live event blog, live tracking, regatta news, photos and videos, all constantly updated throughout the regatta.
All of the regatta coverage can also be accessed through the Sail Brisbane website, which can be found at www.sailbrisbane.com.au.
Racing at Sail Brisbane will take place in the Laser, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, Optimist, Bic Techno, RS:X, Sabot, Moth, 420 and 29er classes with some of Australia’s top up-and-coming sailors lining up on the start line in just a few hours.
For more information visit www.saildownunder.org.au.
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Keep up to date with all the Sail Down Under Series action from your computer The 2010 Sail Down Under Series has kicked off at Sail Brisbane, and Yachting Australia, in conjunction with the three events, is implementing a number of new multimedia initiatives to increase the interest in the series and bring fans close to the racing wherever they are in the world. Racing in Brisbane runs until December 2 with the series then heading south with Sail Sydney running from December 6 until 9. Sail Melbourne finishes off the 2010 Sail Down Under Series with racing from December 13 until 18. For the 2010 series Yachting Australia is introducing live GPS tracking, an event blog and video highlights which will all be housed on the Sail Down Under website, www.saildownunder.org.au.
This year will be the first time that live GPS tracking has been used for the Sail Down Under Series with visitors to the site able to watch selected races live each day.
Different classes will be tracked each day using the TracTrac system, along with all of the medal races from the opening round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, Sail Melbourne.
Also featured on the Sail Down Under Series website is an event blog which will be live for all 14 days of racing. The blog uses the CoverItLive platform which was featured at the Perth International Regatta last week and the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in August.
Visitors to the site will be able to keep up to date with all the action from the water via the blog and also post questions directly to the team on the ground at the regatta.
Event video highlights will also be available from each event, including on-the-water highlights and interviews with competitors.
Videos will be produced from the final two days of Sail Brisbane, the final two days of Sail Sydney and all six days of racing at Sail Melbourne.
Be sure to visit www.saildownunder.org.au to stay on top of all of the action.
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Entries closing soon for the 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships Entries are streaming in for the 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships to be held at Georges River 16ft Sailing Club from January 6-10. The 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships looks set to be another large event with 60 boats already entered for the regatta and entries closing on December 8. The regatta is an important event for Australia’s youth sailors as they compete for positions on the Australian Youth Sailing Team to compete at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships to be held in Croatia in July.
Sydney’s Botany Bay is set to host intense competition across all classes with Australia’s best sailors under the age of 19 competing in the Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, Bic Techno, 420, 29er and Hobie 16, the 2011 event will also have an international flavour with entries already received from Great Britain, Singapore and New Zealand with further competitors expected from Japan.
The 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships play an important role in the recently launched Youth Sailing Grand Prix as it is a compulsory event for those sailors competing for the inaugural title and the prize money on offer.
The 2010 event was held in Adelaide with 165 crews making the trip to South Australia for a hotly contested regatta with the winning crews heading to Turkey for the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship.
Australia has a proud history at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship with former champions including Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Gold medalists Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson and current Australian Sailing Team 49er crew Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen.
In 2010 Australia added another crew to the list of world champions with Chase Lurati and Paul Darmanin winning the open multihull class aboard the Sirena SL16.
Lurati and Darmanin’s victory in Turkey was all the more impressive when you consider they only began sailing together just prior to the 2010 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships and only saw the Sirena SL16 just days prior to competition beginning in Turkey.
Entries for the 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championship close on 27 November 2010 and those crews planning on competing are encouraged to get their entries in quickly.
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Olivia Price and crew crowned Australian Women’s Match Racing Champions Olivia Price and her crew of Jessica Eastwell, Ali Sutherland and Natalie Greentree are the new Australian Women's Match Racing Champions after finishing in second place at the Hardys Australian Women's Match Racing Championship sailed on the River Derwent in Hobart. It was a big fortnight for Price, who the week before crewed for Evan Walker to win the open Australian Match Racing Championship, also sailed on the Derwent. Price and her crew were undefeated during the round robin stages and qualified for the semi finals in first position, before defeating fellow Australian Amanda Scrivenor. In the final against New Zealand sailor Stephanie Hazard, Price’s crew narrowly lost three races to two. By making the final and being the highest placed Australian boat Price was crowned national champion.
The 10 crews of young women from Australia and New Zealand had three days of, at times, tough sailing conditions before the last day of sailing, when Hobart turned on perfect sunny weather with a 10-12 knot sea breeze coming up the Derwent.
Nina Curtis, who is also a member of the Australian Women’s Match Racing Team finished in third place from Amanda Scrivenor in the match for bronze. The four semi-finalists all displayed great tactical sailing, showing aggressive pre-start skills more like America’s Cup veterans, testament to their international match racing experience.
The regatta, hosted by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania was staged over four days, with ten teams of four women battling it out on the River Derwent. Racing for the Hardys Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship was in Elliott 5.9s.
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Two medals for Aussie crews on final day of Perth International Regatta Australian sailors have picked up two medals on the final day of racing at the Perth International Regatta with Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen winning the 49er class while Jessica Crisp was second in the RS:X class. Outteridge and Jensen entered the final medal race with an unassailable 20 point lead, needing to just complete the race to bring home the Gold medal, their ninth win in just 10 regattas together. The pair took a conservative approach to the race but still managed to finish fifth to win the regatta by 12 points from Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign of Great Britain, who won the medal race.
“Today we just had to make it around the course and we made sure we sailed conservatively,” said Jensen. “We had nothing to gain from going out there and really pushing it today so we just wanted to stay clear and let everyone else race their own race,”
Outteridge was pleased with the pair’s consistency over the week, as they won five of the eight fleet races and were only outside the top three once.
“We’re really happy with the week,” said Outteridge. “We’ve had a couple of months off from the 49er and to get back in it and perform at such a high level is really pleasing for us at the start of the Australian summer.”
The pair now head back to the east coast with the Australian 49er Championships beginning on Lake Macquarie on the weekend before contesting Sail Sydney and Sail Melbourne in December.
Jessica Crisp went into the medal race in second position, just behind leader Marina Alabau of Spain, and sailed exceptionally well in the shifty conditions just off the shore in Fremantle.
The three-time Olympian finished the race in second position to take the Silver medal, ending the regatta just three points off Alabau after eight hard fought races. Crisp had a consistent week, with seven top three finishes and a worst result of just fourth.
“It was pretty shifty in the medal race with rain squalls and the wind was swirling right around and I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen,” said Crisp. “Finally we started and I tacked out to the right with Marina who was leading.”
“I rounded the top mark third last and then on the downwind I went away from the fleet and got some gusts to catch back up to third,” she said. “I dropped back a bit on the second upwind before grabbing them back on the way to the finish to cross the line second.”
“I fought back from the end of the fleet well today which is tough in racing, it’s always easier to stay out in front,” said Crisp. “Coming forward from the back has been an issue for me in the past and I’m so excited with this result and to feel like I can finally do it.”
Australia’s men’s 470 crew, 2010 World Champions Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, finished the week ninth overall. The 470 fleet were unlucky with conditions all regatta, completing just four races before the medal race.
Belcher and Page began the final day well, finishing fourth in the morning’s final fleet race, before crossing the line seventh in the medal race. In a tight race Belcher and Page fought back on the final downwind to pass two boats on their way to the line.
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New Zealand finish first at the Hardys Australian Women's Match Racing Championship
The New Zealand Sailing Team crew skippered by Stephanie Hazard have underlined their London 2012 Olympic Games medal prospects by winning the Hardys Australian Womens Match Racing Championship on Hobarts River Derwent. Hazard, sailing with Susannah Pyatt (bow), Nichola Trudgen (trim and pit) and Jenna Hansen (main), progressed through a double round robin to the semi-finals and then won the final in convincing style. Despite the results, the Australian championship title went to Price and her crew as the highest placed Australian boat.
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Slingsby wins Gold in tricky conditions at Perth International Regatta Tom Slingsby has picked up the Australian Sailing Team’s first medal at the Perth International Regatta, winning Gold in the Laser class on Saturday. Light winds again played havoc with racing with just the 49er and RS:X classes able to complete racing in the morning while the Lasers were the only ones to finish a medal race with the Finn and Laser Radial races abandoned. Slingsby headed into the final double point medal race in second position, just two points behind Tonci Stipanovic of Croatia with Germany’s Simon Grotelueschen 10 points further adrift.
In a tight race in shifty conditions Slingsby crossed the line in second position to take the overall win, Stipanovic was seventh and won the Silver medal while Great Britain’s Paul Goodison crossed the line first in the medal race to finish with the Bronze.
“The conditions were really tricky for the medal race as we were really close to shore with a breakwall on one side kicking up some waves and it was quite shifty,” said Slingsby. “Stipanovic and I both had to be in the top five and no one else could catch us but then it came down to who beat who. Off the start I sort of wanted to gut up to him a bit and sail around him just to put a bit of pressure on him at the start, I didn’t plan on a match race but I wanted to put some pressure on him and then sail my own race.”
“It probably worked because he ended up over the line without any pressure on him and then I just had to ensure I got a top five which I did,” he said.
It’s been a big few months for Slingsby with a win at the final round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in England, then his third Laser World Championship in four years and finally being crowned ISAF World Sailor of the Year last week.
“I had a good break since the worlds back in August,” said Slingsby. “It was really good to have some time off and sail some other classes and I just jumped back into the Laser and did some training before this week and I feel really good and refreshed and looking forward to the next two regattas in Sydney and Melbourne.”
While Slingsby has already won his Gold medal this week 49er crew Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have one hand on their medals, needing just to sail Sunday’s medal race to win the regatta.
The pair finished with a third and a second on Saturday morning to open up a 20 point lead over Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign for Great Britain with French sailors Emmanuel Dyen and Stephane Christidis six points further back in third.
“Today was the first day of Gold fleet race and the conditions were incredibly tricky with us racing just off the shore,” said Outteridge. “In the first race we were in the front group the whole way around and ended third and then in the second race the breeze started to die out and swung right around to the opposite direction.”
“We saw a good puff out on the right hand side and took advantage of it and were second at the first mark and had a little battle with a few boats and dropped a few spots but climbed back up to second in what ended up being a really good day,” he said.
Jensen said that the conditions continued to test out the entire fleet on the penultimate day of racing.
“It was tricky as always in Fremantle with light breeze that was shifting all over the shop but Nathan did a great job working out where the pressure was in the last race while in the first we fought hard to stay in there,” said Jensen.
While the 2009 49er World Champions may already have the regatta win tied up they’ll still be putting everything into Sunday’s medal race.
“We still want to get out there and put in for the medal race,” said Jensen. “Tomorrow’s a great training opportunity for us, it’s not too often that you get the chance to race against the top 20 in the world.”
Outteridge was pleased with their performance over the last five days in the challenging conditions.
“20 points is the ideal number you’re looking for before the medal race because it doesn’t really matter what happens,” he said. “To lose a day of racing and then to only get two races in today it’s pretty good to be able to get a 20 point lead in only eight races, we’ve sailed well all week and are very happy with it.”
The RS:X fleet managed to complete one race on Saturday morning with Australian sailor Jessica Crisp continuing her strong run with a fourth place finish cementing her in second overall.
Crisp heads into the medal race seven points behind leader Marina Alabau of Spain and 10 ahead of Italy’s Flavia Tartaglini and Great Britain’s Bryony Shaw, meaning there is plenty still to play for.
While Slingsby, Outteridge, Jensen and Crisp managed to get in some racing it was a frustrating day the Australian Sailing Team’s 470 men’s crew of Malcolm Page and Mathew Belcher who spent the afternoon afloat attempting to get a race started.
Unfortunately the light conditions meant that the 470 fleet were unable to complete a race and after just three races in four days Belcher and Page sit in ninth position.
Sunday looks set to be a busy day on the water with medal races scheduled for the 49er, RS:X men and open and 470 men and women’s fleets.
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Trans Tasman battle at the Hardy's Australian Women's Match Racing Championship
Australian Womens Match Racing Championship on Hobarts River Derwent is looming as a TransTasman duel between New Zealand sailor Stephanie Hazard and Australias Amanda Scrivenor after the second day of competition Hazard was the only women skipper in the Australian open match racing championship, placing fourth overall after earlier leading that series.
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Crisp powers ahead as the rest of the fleets wait for wind in Perth As the temperature continued to rise in Perth the Australian Sailing Team's Jessica Crisp powered ahead in the RS:X class to cement herself in second position heading into the penultimate day of racing at the Perth International Regatta. Crisp and the RS:X class enjoyed a strong easterly breeze in the morning but after lunch the famous Fremantle Doctor didn’t arrive leaving the rest of the fleets floating around while race management attempted to get racing underway. Finally after a number of hours of aborted starts in increasingly light breeze the sailors were sent to shore, with Saturday set to be a packed day in Perth with a number of fleet races scheduled plus medal races for the Laser, Laser Radial and Finn classes.
On Friday morning the RS:X fleet completed two races with Jessica Crisp recording a third and a first to end the day six points behind Spain’s Marina Alabau with two more fleet races and the final medal race still to run.
“Today was a really good day’s racing,” said Crisp. “I got a third in the first race and it was the windiest race we’ve had so far, everybody went fully up and got slammed and a few people exploded in front of me, we probably had 23 to 24 knot gusts so it was pretty exciting.”
“In the second race the wind died out a bit and became a bit more shifty so we weren’t planing and I picked up a win so it was a good day on the water,” she said.
“With two days left of racing the plan is to keep on doing the same thing, chip away, chip away and see how it goes,” said Crisp.
With no further racing for the Australian Sailing Team on Friday, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen head into the second last day of competition with a handy 10 point lead in the 49er class.
The pair have won five out of the six races contested so far and will be keen to get back onto the water and into the action on Saturday.
In the Laser class Tom Slingsby is in second position, just two points behind leader Tonci Stipanovic of Croatia with just the final medal race remaining. The equation is simple for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, finish the final race ahead of Stipanovic and the Perth International Regatta title will be his.
470 sailors Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page head into the last two scheduled fleet races in ninth position just 10 points behind fourth place after the opening three races.
Australian Sailing Development Squad athlete Gabrielle King had her best day in the Laser Radial fleet, picking up a second and a ninth to move up the ladder to 20th overall.
Tom Burton is the leading ASDS representative in the Laser class in 15th, with Ashley Brunning in 18th, Ryan Palk in 22nd, Klade Hauschildt in 49th and Jared West in 50th.
In the 49er fleet the ASDS crew of Steven Thomas and Nicholas Brownie are in 16th position, ahead of Will and Sam Phillips in 20th. 470 ASDS members Max Taylor and Ben Gunther are in 11th, two places ahead of ASDS athletes Sam Kivell and Will Ryan.
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Australian sailors continue to push ahead as Perth swelters Australian sailors continued their strong run on day three of the Perth International Regatta in sweltering conditions, with more race wins for Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen while Tom Slingsby and Jessica Crisp had solid days on the water. Outteridge and Jensen have been the standout crew in the 49er fleet all week and continued their dominance by winning two out of the day’s three races to open up a 10 point lead over Great Britain’s Chris Draper and Peter Greenhalgh.
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Evan Walker Wins the Hardy's Australian Match Racing Championship
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Youth Sailing Academy graduate Evan Walker yesterday stamped himself as one of the nations outstanding match racing helmsmen with a hard-fought victory in the Hardys Australian Match Racing Championship. Sailing on Hobart’s River Derwent in blustery westerly winds with chilly mountain gusts of up to 33 knots, Walker came from behind to win his semi-final against young fellow Sydney sailor David Chapman.
'Close racing between Evan Walker and Nick Rogers in the final of the Australian match racing championship - Australian Match Racing Championship' Peter Campbell ©
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Race wins all around for Australian Sailing Team in Perth Day two of racing at the Perth International Regatta has been a strong one for the Australian Sailing Team with race wins and top three finishes for all members of the team. Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen kicked off their regatta in style in the 49er class with three race wins, Tom Slingsby jumped up the Laser leader board with two wins, 470 crew Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page have a share of the lead after a win and a second and Jessica Crisp is third in the RS:X class following two third place finishes. Outteridge and Jensen made the perfect return to the 49er class after not racing together since the final round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in England in August with a perfect day resulting in three race wins from three starts.
The pair ended the day with a four point lead over Emmanuel Dyen and Stephane Christidis of France with Danish crew Allan Norregaard and Peter Lang a further five points back in third.
“We had a pretty good day today, just kept it simple, stayed out of trouble and managed to get three firsts,” said Outteridge. “We haven’t sailed much since Sail for Gold a couple of months ago, we had maybe four or five days of training and have slotted back into it really nicely. It’s nice when you can do that and you don’t have to keep training hard all the time to make sure you’re on your game you’ve just got to keep on it every now and then.”
Jensen was also happy with their performance in the first three regattas as they come to terms with the conditions they’ll face during the Perth 2011 World Championships.
“Obviously having three wins today was the perfect start to the regatta,” said Jensen. “We went out there with the intention to be consistent and not lose it today, it was a pretty consistent breeze and became a speed race and we seemed to be going quickly through the water so it all turned out really well for our opening day.”
The Laser fleet hit the water for their second day of racing with reigning World Champion Tom Slingsby keen to move up the ladder following his seventh and first place finishes on day one.
Just like his 49er teammates Slingsby had the perfect day on the water with two races wins moving him up to second overall, just three points behind regatta leader Tonci Stipanovic of Croatia.
The recently crowned ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year has now won three of the four races in the regatta, an ideal way to start his Australian summer.
In the 470 class Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page ended day one with a share of the lead, with their first and second placing matched by Gideon Kliger and Eran Sela of Israel.
“To have a one and a two on day one was nice as most of the top competitors in the world are here,” said Belcher. “Today was our first day of the Australian summer, we’re getting back into it and seeing where we’re at and obviously we’re not doing too badly.”
Page enjoyed racing against all the top crews from the first day of the regatta, instead of having to work their way through the qualification series which they face at the larger regattas.
“It was definitely good to be in Gold fleet racing from day one where every point matters from now on which is great,” said Page. “It’s nice to start off in the fashion we did today, the Israelis had a good start today to end the day equal with us, it’s a long regatta and we’ll try and have a bit of fun out there.”
In the RS:X open fleet Jessica Crisp ended the first day in third position, four points off leader Marina Alabau of Spain and two behind second placed Flavia Tartaglini of Italy. Crisp had a consistent day finishing third in both races off the coast of Fremantle.
Australian Sailing Development Squad athletes also had good days on the water with Laser sailor Ashley Brunning ending the day in 15th position following a 19th and a third, followed by Tom Burton in 20th and Ryan Palk in 27th. Jared West is in 51st, ahead of fellow Australian Klade Hauschildt in 54th while in the Laser Radial fleet Gabrielle King is in 25th position.
In the 470 class the ASDS crew of Sam Kivell and Will Ryan are 11th after a ninth and a 12th while 49er crew Will and Sam Phillips are 25th following a 12th and two 10ths.
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2010 Sail Down Under Series begins in less than two weeks Less than two weeks remain until the start of the 2010 Sail Down Under Series with Australia’s east coast set to be the focus of the world’s Olympic class sailors. The 2010 Sail Down Under Series kicks off at Sail Brisbane with racing from November 29 until December 2 on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay. Entries close on Sunday November 21 for Sail Brisbane for those sailors wanting to kick off their season in Queensland. For those still wishing to enter Sail Brisbane they can do so by visiting www.sailbrisbane.com.au.
Sail Brisbane provides great racing conditions for all classes with the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron the perfect backdrop for this world class event.
Some of Australia’s leading up-and-coming sailors will take to the water in Brisbane and will be looking to get the jump on their opposition in the three regatta Sail Down Under Series.
Following Sail Brisbane the action heads south for Sail Sydney which is set to run from December 6 to 9.
Entries closed for Sail Sydney last Friday with 212 crews set to race on Sydney Harbour with the regatta shifting to a Monday to Thursday slot for this year in an effort to move away from the busy weekend period on the harbour. More information on Sail Sydney can be found at www.sailsydney.org.au.
The series then moves to Victoria for the final round, Sail Melbourne, which is also the opening round of the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup.
Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay provides fantastic sailing conditions for what is sure to be an exciting finish to the 2010 Sail Down Under Series.
Entries for Sail Melbourne are still open and sailors can sign up for racing via www.sailmelbourne.com.au.
Later this week Yachting Australia will announce a number of exciting innovations for the Sail Down Under Series, all designed to increase the quality and quantity of the information available from the events, allow sailing fans to get close to the action from their homes and increase media coverage,
For more information on the Sail Down Under Series visit www.saildownunder.org.au
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Racing kicks off at Perth International Regatta Racing is underway at the Perth International Regatta as sailors test the waters ahead of the Perth 2011 World Championships next December. With just the Laser, Laser Radial and Finn classes racing on day one Tom Slingsby was the only Australian Sailing Team member to hit the water with the recently crowned ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year getting his regatta off to a solid start. “In the first race I had a bad start and ended up rounding the top mark about 20th but had a good run from there and a good next beat and jumped into third place,” said Slingsby. “From there on I was in third for the next leg or so with a hundred metre lead over fourth before the wind glassed out and unfortunately I was last to get the new breeze and finished seventh.”
“For the second race the sea breeze filled in and we had some nice racing and got to use a bit of speed and I ended up winning the race, a seventh and a first is a decent start to the regatta,” he said. “I’m not feeling too bad after day one back racing in the Laser, I was surprised with how quickly I picked it back up after a couple of months, I did a couple of days training before I came across to Perth and when I got here I was winning a lot of practice races and am if we get some nice breeze I think I can be in with a shot.”
In a highly competitive Laser fleet the Australian Sailing Development Squad is represented by five sailors with Ashley Brunning the best placed after day one in 11th overall. Brunning is followed by Tom Burton in 23rd position and Ryan Palk in 43rd.
Klade Hauschlidt finished the opening two races in 49th overall, ahead of Jared West in 57th.
In the Laser Radial fleet Australian Sailing Development Squad athlete Gabrielle King finished the day in 18th position following a 29th and an 18th in her first major regatta in some time.
Local sailor Timothy Castles is the best placed Australian in the Finn fleet, finishing the day in 14th position, one place ahead of Victorian based sailor Oliver Tweddell.
The activity on the water picks up on Wednesday with the 470, 49er and RS:X fleets set to begin racing.
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Australian Sailing Team nominated for four AIS Awards The accolades continue to come in for the Australian Sailing Team following the announcement of the finalists for the 2010 Australian Institute of Sport Awards. After yet another successful year both on and off the water members of the Australian Sailing Team have been nominated for Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year and Coach of the Year with the AIS/Australian Sailing Team nominated for Program of the Year. Less than a week after being named as ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Tom Slingsby was nominated for Athlete of the Year, capping off a great year for the 26-year-old.
In the last year Slingsby won his third Laser World Championship in four years, all three ISAF Sailing World Cup rounds he contested, finished second at the 2010 Laser European Championship and won the Etchells World Championship with John
Bertrand and Andrew Palfrey. Slingsby has also returned to the top of the Laser class, regaining the world number one ranking.
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page are finalists in the Team of Year category, the 470 men’s crew having a stellar 2010 as they head towards the 2012 London Olympic Games.
In 2010 Belcher and Page won the 470 World Championship in the Netherlands with a race to spare, won the ISAF Sailing World Cup in the men’s 470 class and they climbed to the top of the world rankings. Along the way Page created sailing history, with the pair’s 2010 World Championship victory making him the most successful 470 sailor of all time.
The Australian Sailing Team’s Laser coach Michael Blackburn has been nominated for the Coach of the Year award following his great year with Tom Slingsby. As well as guiding Slingsby to his World Championship and World Cup round victories Blackburn has also worked extensively with Australia’s next group of Laser world champions through the Australian Sailing Development Squad.
The AIS/Australian Sailing Team has been nominated for the Program of the Year award, which it won in 2007 and 2008, with the Team progressing well towards the 2012 London Olympic Games. In 2010 the Team won two World Championships and finished second and third in two more and now boasts three world number one crews.
“The AIS/Australian Sailing Team has had a very good year and, more importantly, the Team is well positioned with less than two years until the 2012 London Olympic Games,” said Yachting Australia High Performance Director Peter Conde. “As well as the success on the water we are continuing to develop high performance sailing off the water. Sailing was the first program at the AIS to fully integrate our Olympic and Paralympic teams which we are very proud of; we’ve also seen the creation of the Australian Women’s Match Racing Team; and we are making progress with our Development Squad and Youth Program to ensure we can sustain our success into the future”
“Sailing has a great record at the AIS Awards and we hope to continue this in 2010,” said Conde. “Last year the 49er crew of Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen were named Team of the Year and in 2008 sailing won Program of the Year, Nathan Wilmot, Malcolm Page, Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson shared Team of the Year and Victor Kovalenko was named Coach of the Year.”
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Hardys Australian Match Racing Championship - Mackenzie the big mover
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia skipper Will Mackenzie was the big mover in todays second round of competition in the Hardys Australian Match Racing Championship on Hobarts River Derwent. Mackenzie, 21, won four of his five matches, including significant wins against rival Sydney skippers Evan Walker and David Chapman, with these three young sailors and their crews heading the leader-board after the completion of the first round-robin.
Entrants: Click Here Results Day 1: Click Here Results Day 2: Click Here
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Hardys Australian Match Racing Championship: Evan Walker unbeaten today
Champion young Sydney sailor Evan Walker made an impressive return to match racing today (Sunday) with an unbeaten opening to the Hardys Australian match racing championship on Hobarts River Derwent. Walker, 23, won each of his first three round-robin matches with a talented young crew from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia comprising Olivia Price, Jack Hubbard and Amanda Scrivenor. | ||||||||||
Youth Sailing Grand Prix shines a light on Australia’s next group of champions Yachting Australia has announced the creation of the Youth Sailing Grand Prix, a new series developed to help create Australia’s next group of world and Olympic champion sailors. The Youth Sailing Grand Prix is set to build a strong national competition that encourages youth participation, providing young sailors with the chance to race at a number of regattas around the country against strong opposition. For the first time ever Yachting Australia will be awarding prize money for a youth event, up to $3,000 per winning crew, dependent on the class. This is designed to assist with the costs incurred campaigning with the winners required to use the funds to compete at further events.
The Youth Sailing Grand Prix will include seven classes with sailors competing in the Laser 4.7 and Laser Radial, 420, RS:X, Bic Techno, 29er and Hobie 16.
“We have created the Youth Sailing Grand Prix to provide Australia’s youth sailors with the opportunity to compete in a national series in strong fleets to assist in their continual development,” said Yachting Australia High Performance Director Peter Conde.
“Australia has a proud history in youth sailing, continually producing young sailors who compete at the highest level and the creation of the Youth Sailing Grand Prix is set to see this continue for many years to come,” he said.
Two Australian sailors who were successful at the youth level and have continued on to the Australian Sailing Team are Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen who are ambassadors for the Youth Sailing Grand Prix.
Outteridge and Jensen won Gold together in the 420 class at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in 2004 and following Nathan’s 49er campaign for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games the pair teamed up again in 2009. Since then they have been almost unstoppable, winning eight of the nine regattas they have sailed in together, including the 2009 49er World Championship.
“I think it’s a great idea to have a youth series like this,” said Outteridge. “When I was moving into the youth classes I remember driving up to Sail Brisbane to sail the 420s to get experience against the fleet up there and then head down to Melbourne to sail against as many other Australians as possible. We were one of the only teams that did some traveling to those events but we learnt a lot from it and it improved us a lot. You learn a lot from sailing at different venues, sailing against different people and if you’re serious about gaining selection to go overseas it’s the perfect thing to do.”
“The fact that Yachting Australia is putting up some prize money for the series is great,” said Outteridge. “Every event that you go to costs money and it’s good to see that there’s some added incentive to get there and know that if you do well you’ll get a bit of money to keep progressing through the sport.”
Jensen agreed with Outteridge that the development of the Youth Sailing Grand Prix is a positive move for youth sailing in Australia.
“The Youth Sailing Grand Prix will definitely be a benefit for young sailors traveling around Australia to race against strong competition in other states,” said Jensen. “The bigger the fleets you get the better off you’ll be down the track and the further you’ll develop with your sailing.
The series kicks off in late December with the individual class National Championships before moving to the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships in early January. Sailors then have the opportunity to compete at the Adelaide International Regatta in March, followed by the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Victorian State Championships a month later.
The focus then shifts to Western Australia for the Mandurah Easter Regatta before moving to Queensland for the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Queensland Youth Week in July. After a break racing resumes in October with the OAMPS Insurance Brokers New South Wales State Youth Championships before a final race to the line with Sail Sydney, the Hobart Showdown Regatta, Sail Melbourne and Sail Brisbane.
To be eligible to win the Youth Sailing Grand Prix competitors must sail in two mandatory regattas, their individual class Australian Championship and the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championship.
For the 2011 Youth Sailing Grand Prix athletes must also compete in two of the following events: the Sail Down Under Series regattas, the Adelaide International Regatta, OAMPS Insurance Brokers Victorian, New South Wales or Queensland Championships, the Mandurah Easter Regatta or the Hobart Showdown Regatta.
For more information on the Youth Series Grand Prix visit www.facebook.com/YouthSailingGP or follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/YouthSailingGP. The policy document for the series can be found on the Yachting Australia website.
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Tom Slingsby wins 2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Tom Slingsby has been named the 2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, becoming the first Australian to win the prestigious award which was announced at a gala ceremony in Athens, Greece. In winning the 2010 award Slingsby was rewarded for his stellar year in which he won two World Championships in two weeks and returned to the top of the world rankings in the Laser class. Though not everything went the 26 year-olds way with a violent electrical storm in Sydney cancelling his flight to Athens and leaving him stranded half a world away from the ceremony. The three time Laser World Champion headed across the country to join his fellow Australian Sailing Team members at a camp in Perth with the team, including Slingsby’s coach, Olympic Bronze medalist Michael Blackburn, alongside him for the announcement in the early hours of the morning. “Winning this award is a great honour, the sailing greats have been nominated for and won this award before, I don’t feel like I’m up there with those guys and was thrilled just to be nominated in the first place,” said Slingsby. “I remember about 10 years ago sitting on the rocks on Sydney Harbour watching two greats, Ben Ainslie and Robert Sheidt, two former winners of this award go to battle at the Sydney Olympic Games and I remember that that was the moment that I realised that this was really what I wanted to do and it’s a great honour to have my name said in the same breath as people like that, people I’ve looked up to, ” he said In being named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Slingsby has capped off a remarkable comeback from the depths of his unsuccessful 2008 Beijing Olympic Games campaign and is now progressing well towards his next goal, a Gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Slingsby headed into the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as favourite for the Gold medal but struggled in the light conditions finishing the regatta 22nd. The Gosford based sailor had a tough start to his 2012 London Olympic Games campaign finishing 17th at the 2009 Laser World Championship before getting his sailing career back on track. Since September 2009 Slingsby has been unstoppable, winning six of the seven Laser regattas he has competed in, including the 2010 Laser World Championship and four ISAF Sailing World Cup rounds, including back-to-back victories at the venue for the 2012 London Olympic Games in Weymouth, England. Slingsby has also had great success in other sailing classes, finishing second at the 2010 Farr40 World Championship in the Dominican Republic aboard Transfusion and then winning the 2010 Etchells World Championship alongside sailing legend John Bertrand and Andrew Palfrey.
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Australian sailors head to Athens for ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Two Australian Sailing Team crews have their sights set on ending the country’s drought at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards when the winners are announced in Athens, Greece, on Tuesday night. Laser sailor Tom Slingsby and 470 crew Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page are both aiming to be the first Australians to be named the winner of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award, the most prestigious award in the sport. Despite Australian crews being finalists almost every year since the award was created an Australian has yet to win the award but with two crews in the final six 2010 is looking like the country’s best opportunity in many years.
Tom Slingsby’s nomination capped off a great year which saw him win two World Championships in two weeks in the Laser and Etchells class and return to the world number one position in the Laser class.
“This is a great way to cap off what has been a great year,” said Slingsby. “This awards brings together all the different areas of sailing and all the nominees have done great things in the sport so it’s an honour to be named alongside them.”
“I’ve worked really hard this year to get back to my best and being nominated for World Sailor of the Year is the perfect way to end the year,” he said.
During the nomination period Slingsby won all four rounds of the ISAF Sailing World Cup that he has contested, including back-to-back wins at the 2012 London Olympic Games venue and finished third at the 2010 Laser European Championship.
To finish off his year Slingsby then headed to Ireland where he won the 2010 Etchells World Championship with John Bertrand and Andrew Palfrey before winning the 2010 Laser World Championship which began in England the very next day. Slingsby’s Laser World Championship win was his third in four years and he was also a member of Transfusion which finished second at the 2010 Farr40 World Championship.
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page were nominated following their stellar year which saw them win the 470 World Championship, the ISAF Sailing World Cup and become the world number one ranked 470 crew.
“We’re both very honoured to be nominated for the award, it’s the highest honour in sailing and to be recognised with the best of the world is amazing,” said Belcher. “We certainly didn’t expect the nomination, we’ve been focusing on our performances for the year and this just caps off a fantastic year for Malcolm and I.”
Page’s nomination comes after 13 years at the top of the 470 class which has now included an Olympic Gold medal, four 470 World Championships and an ISAF World Championship, making him the most successful 470 sailor in history.
“When I heard the news I felt very honoured,” said Page. “Awards like this are not something you strive for, you strive for your results and honours such as this are a byproduct of the hard work and commitment you put in.”
“The nomination comes at the end of a huge year for Mat and I, to win the 470 World Championship, the ISAF Sailing World Cup, for me to become the most successful 470 sailor ever and now this, it’s a great reward,” he said.
In a busy and successful year Belcher and Page won the 470 World Championship in Holland, won rounds of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Melbourne and Germany, finished with Silver medals in Miami, Holland and England, were crowned ISAF Sailing World Cup Champions in the 470 class and picked up an Australian 470 Championship. The pair is consistently at the front of the 470 fleet and did not finish outside of the top six in any of the regattas they contested.
The 2010 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award winners will be announced in Athens on the evening of Tuesday 9 November, with vision, interviews and photos available on Wednesday morning AEDST.
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Yachting Australia seeking Expressions of Interest for 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Sailing Team support staff Yachting Australia is calling for expressions of interest for support staff for the OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Sailing Team for the 2011 Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships. The 2011 Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships will be held in Zadar, Croatia from the 7th – 16th July 2011. The Youth World Championships will be contested in the RS-X Boys and Girls, Laser Radial Boys and Girls, 420 Boys and Girls, Sirena SL16 Open and 29er Open. The Australian Youth Sailing Team, including support staff will be announced on Monday 14th February 2011.
The appointed Team Leader and Coaches will be required to participate in the following activities unencumbered of other personal or professional commitments: providing support to athletes on an ongoing basis, conducting domestic coaching/training camps between March and July 2011, travel to and from Croatia with the Team, conducting an International Pre Event Training Camp and providing Coaching Support at the 2011 Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships.
To be considered for selection interested participants must hold, as a minimum, a current NCAS Level 1 Sailing Coach accreditation or an equivalent international qualification, have passed a ‘Working With Children Check’, hold a current Power Boat Licence and have current involvement in national youth program and/or activities.
Consideration will be given to those with previous international regatta experience and will also be given to the number of athletes selected on the team. The ‘fit’ of individual coaches and their respective skills into the coaching team will also be considered before selected an individual.
Please forward expressions of interest noting particular areas of expertise, along with a copy of a current resume, a working with children check, a copy of power boat license, Yachting Australia Number and/or Copy of any Coaching Qualifications to Donna Jones (donna.jones@yachting.org.au) at Yachting Australia by 26 November 2010. Also contact Donna for application form.
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World Champion gymnast lends Aussie sailors a hand as they aim for victory World Champions from two sports joined forces in Perth recently to christen the latest addition to the Australian Sailing Team fleet. Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, 2010 470 World Champions, had their newest boat christened by recently crowned gymnastics World Champion Lauren Mitchell in a ceremony at the Royal Perth Yacht Club Annex at Fremantle. The Australian Sailing Team pair has continued the tradition started by Page and former skipper Nathan Wilmot, dedicating their boats to Australian actor Nicole Kidman, with their latest 470 purchased by the Australian Institute of Sport, christened My Life, after the 1993 movie.
“Lauren has been groundbreaking in her sport and we’re thrilled that she agreed to christen a boat that we hope will lead to more success for Mathew and I,” said Page. “We often just focus on our own sport so it was great to bring two sets of athletes together who have won World Championships in 2010 because there’s plenty we can learn from each other.”
“Both Lauren and Mathew and I have the same target for the 2012 London Olympic Games, bringing home a Gold medal, and today gave us a good opportunity to get an insight into how her program is progressing and also congratulate her on her recent World Championship win and success at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games,” he said.
Belcher and Page were in Western Australia to prepare for the Perth International Regatta, which was an important test prior to the Perth 2011 World Championships where 75 per cent of the sailing positions for the 2012 London Olympic Games will be awarded.
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Yachting Australia advises of qualification regattas for Australian 420 representatives for 2011 ISAF World Youth Sailing Championship Yachting Australia wishes to advise that the selection events for the Australian 420 Girls and 420 Boys crews to compete at the 2011 ISAF World Youth Sailing Championship will be the 2011 Australian 420 Class Championship and the 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championship after no notification was received with regards to Australian crews planning on competing at the upcoming 420 World Championship in Argentina. The Yachting Australia Guidelines for the Nomination and Selection for the 2011 ISAF World Youth Sailing Championship states that: “The selection events for the 420 crews for the Australian Youth Sailing Team will be the Australian Youth Championships and the Australian 420 Class Championship unless Yachting Australia is notified in writing (with a copy of the entry form and airline ticket) that a crew eligible for selection in the 2011 Australian Youth Sailing Team will be participating in the 420 World Championships in Argentina (27 December 2010 – 5 January 2011). Such notification must be received by Yachting Australia no later than 29 October 2010.
Should Yachting Australia receive such notification from a crew eligible to participate in the 2011 Youth World Championships the selection event for the Australian Youth Sailing Team 420 crew will be Australian 420 Class Championship only. Note: If such notification is only received from a boys crew/s then the selection events for the girls crew remain the 2011 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Championships, 420 event and the 2011 Australian 420 Class Championship and vice versa.
Yachting Australia will communicate the final selection events for the 420 class via the Yachting Australia website by 1 November 2010.“
The 2011 ISAF World Youth Sailing Championship will be held in Zadar, Croatia, from July 7 to 16 2011.
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Australian sailors win Silver in Korean match racing regatta Australian sailor Katie Spithill and her crew have won the Silver medal at the 2010 Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race in Korea. The Australian Women’s Match Racing Team trio of Spithill, Nina Curtis and Angela Farrell were joined by fellow Australians Amanda Scrivenor and Maryann Thomas with the crew losing three wins to one in the final against French skipper Claire Leroy. “The final against the French was close fought but we found ourselves two races down early and managed to come back with a solid win,” said Angela Farrell. “All of the races had split tacks because the breeze was so scattered on the course.”
“Picking up the Silver medal was a strong result and we’re happy that our new team had some great races and great crew work considering we had no training time together before arriving here in Korea,” she said.
“We head back home to Sydney now for some more training with the whole team with a few national events, including the Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship, coming up soon,” said Farrell.
The Australians finished the opening round robin in third position with seven wins from 11 races, progressing to take on Danish skipper Camilla Ulrikkeholm in the quarterfinal.
Spithill and crew defeated the Danes two wins to one, progressing to the semifinal against Great Britain’s Lucy MacGregor. The semifinal went right down to the wire with the Australians eventually coming out on top three wins to two.
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