Australian Youth Championship – Fast conditions on Day 2

by Elisha Keating on 8 Jan 2014 On day two of the 2014 Australian Youth Championship racing went ahead at full speed at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club. Moderate winds saw 192 boats complete three races across all six classes on Victoria’s Port Phillip.

Yachting Australia’s Technical Delegate Kevin Wilson IRO was delighted with the day 'After two days of adverse weather, it was great to get three races away in all the classes on the flat and fast conditions off Sorrento and Blairgowrie'. New South Wales sailors fill the top four spots in the 29er fleet for the first day of racing.

Jim Colley and Shaun Conner opened their regatta in the 29er with a third and two race wins to put them ahead of Kurt Hansen and Harry Morton followed by Owen Long and Corey Hamilton.

With 35 competing boats in the 420 fleet, Emerson Carlberg and Lachlan Gilmour from Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club and the Western Australian Institute of Sport had a great start to the regatta with a second and two first places giving a score of four Points to lead Finn Gilbert and Louie Collins – 15 Points and James Griffin and Conor Campbell - 17 Points both from Middle Harbour Yacht Club.

Laser 4.7 Sailor Hamish Wiltshire (NT) has the lead after the first day of racing following back to back wins and a fourth place in the last race of the day.

Wiltshire sits nine points ahead of Victorian sailor Tyrone Gowans with William Fox also from Victoria in third.
The Laser Radial fleet saw Western Australia’s Alistair Young come out on top, one point in front of Nicholas Conner (NSW) who is five points clear of sailor Christopher Andersen also from NSW.

Local sailor Anna Phillip is the leading female in the Laser Radial fleet in 11th position, sitting comfortably 15 points ahead of Emma Barton (TAS), who is currently the second placed female in the fleet.

Anna commented 'The conditions were really tricky, shifty and gusty which made for tough competition, overall I’m happy with my performance and looking forward to the rest of the week'.

Victorians Michelle Bursa and Chelsea Haynes currently have a one point lead over the Wilmot siblings Ryan and Annie in the Hobie16 class, with Caleb White and Ethan White in third.

Tasmanian Jock Calvert has the lead in the Techno 293 class after three straight wins, leaving him five points clear of fellow Tasmanian Morgan Davies, with Queenslander Lara O’Brien third overall only one point behind Davies.

Racing continues tomorrow at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club, with a scheduled 10a.m. start for day three of the 2014 Australian Youth Championships.

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