Musto Intl. Youth Match Racing to showcase sailing's future stars

by Jennifer Crooks on 26 Nov 2012 The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Ashlen Rooklyn and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club’s Chris Steele are set to begin a new chapter of their intriguing rivalry as two of sailing’s most promising young stars battle it out at the 2012 Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship, from 27 November to 30 November 2012.

Ashlen Rooklyn will start the Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship as the short priced favourite - having the home turf advantage and being the highest ranked skipper.

Rooklyn, with his crew of Henry Kernot and Jack Breslin, will represent the host club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, in the Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship that commences tomorrow, Tuesday 27 November and continues until Friday 30 November 2012.

Over the past 12 months, Rooklyn has been developing his skills as a skipper and this has been showcased in several podium placings including winning the Club Marine NSW Youth Match Racing Championships in August this year and his second consecutive win in in the Australian Open Match Racing Championship in October.

Rooklyn was the mainsheet hand for the CYCA team that won the Australian Youth Match Racing Championship (September 2012) and placed second to Chris Steele (RNZYS) at the New Caledonian Match Race earlier this month.

Steele, is the second highest ranked skipper of this regatta (with an ISAF ranking of 97), and is one of three teams from Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Scott Barnes and Claudia Pierce will lead the other two RNZYS teams, with Pierce skippering an all-girl crew.

Sam Gilmour, son of match racing legend Peter Gilmour, is the third highest ranked skipper. He has had a big year of match racing: winning the World University Match Racing Championship in Nice, France in September, following on from his disappointment in the Governor’s Cup where he just missed out on the quarter finals following a countback.

Harry Price will lead the other CYCA team with Dylan Gore representing the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

Other international teams competing include Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, New Zealand with skipper Sam Mackay; Cercle Nautique Caledonien with skipper Lucas Chatonnier, New Caledonia and Royal Swedish Yacht Club with skipper Hampus Appelgren, who has been training with the youth squad at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

'I would like to welcome all the crews to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and look forward to the close match racing that this regatta will showcase over the next four days,' said CYCA Commodore Howard Piggott.

'I would also like to thank Musto Australasia for their sponsorship of this regatta,' Commodore Piggott added.

Duncan Curnow, managing director, Musto Australasia said 'Musto Australasia is immensely proud to be involved with such a prestigious regatta. The calibre of the competition and the talent on display showcasing tomorrow’s future sailing stars.

'We look forward to four furious days of action and would like to wish all competitors the very best of luck,' Curnow added.

Racing commences on Tuesday 27 November at 1000hrs in the vicinity of Rushcutters Bay on the CYCA’s Elliott 6’s with the Bureau Meteorology forecasting south to south easterly winds about 10 knots tending east to north east later. There may be patchy fog in the morning that will clear and competitors need to be prepared for the chance of rain in the afternoon.

Race results will be updated throughout the course of the regatta on the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia website