Olympic Medallists finish on top at 9er Nationals

by Jane Moffat on 3 Jan 2013 Race Officer Peter 'Snubby' Moor has capped off a hugely successful regatta by running the maximum number of races for the 9ers in their inaugural combined National championship.

After two hiccups in race 10 and 15 William Philips and Iain 'Goobs' Jensen AUS 1261 are the new 49er Australian Champions. Over the 16 race series Philips and Jensen scored eight bullets to finish on 23 points, the hiccups were a fifth and seventh!

Jasper Warren and Luke Parkinson AUS111 finished in second on 44 points nearly 10 points ahead of Steven Thomas and Rhys Mara AUS1194 in third on 53 points.

2008 Olympic 470 Gold medallist Tessa Parkinson and crew Kate Lathouras have won the 49erFX Nationals in convincing fashion with a nine point lead over rivals Haylee Outteridge and Alison Dale. London 2012 Gold medallist Olivia Price and crew Alanna Clancy finished just three points behind on 40.

With seven bullets from 16 races Parkinson and Lathouras have stamped their authority on this new women’s Olympic class. Coming into the regatta their goal was to be number one Australian team, following competing at Sail Melbourne and Sail Sydney they have well and truly achieved that position.

They now have a break from competing and training to take stock and plan for the Australian winter. With no 49erFX sailors in the Australian Sailing Team at the moment, Parkinson and Lathouras will need to wait on details of funding arrangements and training programs to firm up their goals for 2013. However they are planning to compete in the 49erFX European and World Championships with a top 10 place in the Worlds their aim. With their dominance in these inaugural 9er Nationals they are well on track to achieve this.