Trinity Point NSW Youth Championships 'a benchmark' for competitors

by David Sygall on 29 Sep 2017 One of Australia’s biggest junior state competitions gets into full swing this weekend when the NSW Youth Championships start at Lake Macquarie on the NSW Central Coast.

Hopefuls from across the state, as well as entrants from Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia - and even one from New Zealand - will compete in the last of the nation’s state-based youth regattas for the year.

The event, hosted by South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club, will feature 277 entries in 20 Classes, including Australian Sailing Team youth representatives, windsurfers Hailey Lea of Queensland and Alex Halank from NSW.

The regatta will provide a foundation for those aiming to be in contention for the 2018 Youth Sailing World Championships at Corpus Christi in the US next July.

“The team for the World Championships in China in December is already decided, but this regatta, in a way, marks the start of the next qualification process, for the worlds next year in America,” said Tristan Brown, Australian Sailing’s NSW Laser Coach and Performance Pathway Officer.

“It’s a real test ahead of the Australian Youth Championships in Brisbane in January and a benchmark, I guess, for competitors to see where they’re at.

“Apart from that, this regatta is being held in a quite different location, up north, so I think everyone’s pretty excited to get things going.”