Youth America's Cup - Objective Australia to vie for Selection Series

by RPAYC on 14 Dec 2012 The inaugural Redbull Youth America's Cup is set to take place in August/September 2013 in San Francisco, California, USA and Objective Australia has been announced as Australia’s team to compete in the Selection Series for the event.

The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup will feature sailors aged between 19 and 25, representing ten nations, competing in the same high performance AC45 catamarans used in the America’s Cup World Series.

Tony Walls, Team Principal, said 'Objective Australia will showcase the next generation of Australian sailing talent and is the first Australian team to compete for America’s Cup success in over a decade. We have the best youth sailors, including a number of World Champions and we are focused, organised and committed to doing our very best for Australia.'



The team will initially compete in the Selection Series in February 2013 sailing against other countries to earn the right to compete in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in September 2013.

Founded in 1851, the America’s Cup is the oldest active international sporting trophy in the world and is synonymous with competitive sailing. For the first time in history, a pathway has been created for young sailors to gain the experience they need, to be able to progress to competing in the America’s Cup.

Objective Australia is made up of a team of nine experienced sailors considered to be the best young athletes that Australia has to offer, including Jason Waterhouse, one of the world’s leading youth multihull skippers. Waterhouse has an extensive resume in competitive sailing, having won his first World Championship at the age 14. He is also training to compete in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull discipline for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Australian James Spithill, who at the age of 30 was the youngest skipper to win the America’s Cup said, 'The America’s Cup is viewed as the pinnacle of international sailing. For these young athletes, the chance to compete for the title of Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Champion is an incredible opportunity to showcase their talent on the world stage.'

The team’s Sailing Director and Coach is Traks Gordon, a 20 year sailing veteran who has been involved in more than 25 World Championship campaigns. Gordon also coached James Spithill when he began his sailing career and helped prepare him when he debuted at the America’s Cup in 1999 at just 19 years of age.

Traks Gordon said, 'The modern America’s Cup has changed. Today it’s the world’s most talented sailors, using the best technology and the fastest boats, with all the action viewable from the San Francisco shoreline. Objective Australia team members, are already champions, who are incredibly hard working and dedicated. This is a fantastic opportunity for these young athletes to take part in the journey of a lifetime.'

If the Australian team is successful in the February Selection Series, they will train locally before returning to San Francisco to take part in the Youth America’s Cup training period from July to September. The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup is scheduled for 1-4 September 2013 in San Francisco in the middle of the America’s Cup racing season.

Check out the Objective Australia Facebook page.

http://www.rpayc.com.au/