Australian University Fleet Racing Championships preview

by Alex South on 1 Mar 2013 The AUSA Fleet Racing Regatta returns this year from the third to fifth of April, hosted by Lake Illawara Yacht Club. The regatta will for the first time line up with national university holidays, so that inter state competitors can attend.

The Fleet Racing Regatta will be the newly formed association’s first. The AUSA (Australian University Sailing Association) was founded last year, to create a unified and powerful voice for student sailors in Australia. Key goals of the association are to increase sailing participation across the university age bracket, host fair and respectable events, allow a stand alone governing body and highlight the successes of university sailors throughout Australia.

The Fleet Racing event aims to increase university level participation- at all levels, catering for the beginner and intermediate sailor in a way that the competitive Australian University Games and National Teams Racing events do not. The ‘one in, all in’ VYC Yardstick system has been adopted by the event (since its inception) and continues to be a successful platform for mixed boat, mixed ability events. This allows for any boat to come along and compete.

Past attendees and winners include several key university sailors, and also some international flavor, with Elizabeth Yin (USYD) and Colin Cheng (UNSW) of the 2012 Singaporean Olympic Team both taking part in the past.

The annual Championships encourage competitive racing and a colourful social scene, with many new sailors being introduced to the University sailing lifestyle. All students, Alumni and university staff are invited to the event.

Full details and the NOR will follow in the coming days. For more information please click here.