Aussie youth sailors win 420 bronze at ISAF Youth World Championships

by Craig Heydon on 16 Jul 2011 On the final day of the 2011 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in Zadar, Croatia, Australian 420 sailors Angus Galloway and Alex Gough have won a Bronze medal.

Going into the final race, the Queensland teenagers were just two points ahead of the fourth placed pair.

Galloway and Gough got off the line well and sailed a strong race, crossing the line fourth to finish third overall.

The Bronze medal was a great result for the pair at their second ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, after coming so close to the podium in 2010 when gear failure robbed them of a medal.

It's a great feeling to get a medal and stand on the podium here,' said Galloway. After coming so close last year all of our hard work has paid off and we?re thrilled with the result.

The last race was in a good 12 knots of breeze and it was great to be able to stretch our legs a little and really fight for the final spot on the podium, he said.

The result capped off a great European tour for the pair following their win at Kieler Woche in Germany last month.

The boys were really happy to get the medal and so excited on the podium, said Australian head coach Belinda Stowell. 'We were talking about strategy before the race today and they decided that it was just about fighting the whole way to bring home that medal and that's what they did.

They sailed a fantastic race and were so relieved to get on the podium after coming so close last year, she said.

Australia's 29er crew of Josh Franklin and Lewis Brake, and 420 girls sailors Carrie Smith and Ella Clark also had a great regatta with both crews finishing just off the podium in fourth overall.

Franklin and Brake fought the whole way in the final race, finishing third but their closest competitors also had a strong race, keeping the Aussie pair fourth on the leader board, just four points away from Bronze.

Carrie Smith and Ella Clark sailed consistently well all week at their first ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship to end the regatta in fourth, picking up a race win and another six top 10 finishes from the 10 races.

Finishing fourth in strong fleets was a great result for Josh and Lewis, and Carrie and Ella, said Stowell. All four are only 15 or 16-years-old so they have opportunity to compete a few more Youth Worlds and the experience from this year will certainly help them.

West Australian Eamon Robertshaw finished his second ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship ninth overall, finishing ninth in the final race.

Robertshaw was in the mix all week, finishing in the top 10 in seven of the 12 races held in Croatia.

Fellow windsurfer Annalise Gilbert finished the week 17th, picking up a 15th in Friday's only race.

In the multihull open class Paul Darmanin and Aleks Vucic were 10th, crossing the line in the top 10 in all but one of the regatta's 12 races.

Australia's Laser Radial girls and boys representatives, Ashley Stoddart and Matthew Wearn, both finished their tough week on a high in the final race.

Stoddart saved her best result until last, winning the 12th and final race of the event to finish 33rd overall.

Wearn was second in Friday's race to leave him 25th at his first ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship.

The results for our sailors this week have been positive for the future as they have all gained some invaluable experience, said Stowell. The entire team is driven to try and qualify to come back for next year's Youth Worlds, they've all gotten so much out of the last week.

Australian Youth Sailing Team website

Full results here/