International Cadet World Championship -Australian Team performs

by Peter Campbell on 1 Aug 2013 At the International Cadet World Championship, Royal Geelong Yacht Club sailors Darcy Branowski and Dominic Randall have sailed a brilliant regatta so far, to be close third overall in the event which is being held on the North Sea off Niewpoort, Belgium, this week.

The Australian team, managed by Hobart’s Michael Cooper and coached by Shane Hughes and Tony Bull, is sailing very well collectively. Over the seven races sailed so far, the Australian crews have registered 10 top five finishes and six are within the top 20 in the 67 boat fleet.

Branowski and Randall have placed 5-3-3-6-4-11-(23) for a net 32 points to be only four points behind the leading crew from the Ukraine and two points behind the second placed team, also from the Ukraine.

Also in the top 11 crews are Tasmanians Sam Abel and William Cooper and Sam Tiedemann and Hugo Allison, from Sandy Bay Sailing Club.

Abel and Cooper are ninth overall on 59 points from placings of 4-4-(45)-18-16-9-8 while Tiedemann and Allison are 11th in standings on 66 points from placings of 10-24-16-2-(bfd)-4-10.

Another Sandy Bay crew, Samantha Bailey and Laura Cooper, is in 16th place and second placed all-girl crew.

Also in the top 20 in the big fleet are Liam Robinson and Nathan Field from RGYC (19th) and Emily Goodfellow and Emma Kelly from RGYC (20th). Oliver Burnell and Isabella Declerk, from SBSC are 28th overall.

RGYC crew Tom and Sophie Alexander are leading the Promotional Regatta being sailed in conjunction with the world championship.

Shaun Tiedemann, father of Australian champion Sam Tiedemann, reports that race officials have managed to get in seven races over three days, but will need five more over the next three days.

'We have had 15-18 knot breezes on average out of the south-west. The sea condition becomes very challenging when the wind swings more the north,' Shaun said.

'This region of the North Sea has huge tides (four metres) and the current on the race track is massive up to two knots. The course is threee km from the yacht club a 45 minute tow.'

After a lay, racing is scheduled to resume overnight, with lighter winds forecast.