Australian Youth Team arrives in Busan

by Jo Dikkenberg, Yachting Australia on 14 Jul 2005 The Australian Youth Team has arrived in Busan, Korea, ready to race at the ISAF Youth World Championship.

Today and tomorrow consist of boat allocation and measurement, with the Opening Ceremony to be held tomorrow night. Dinghies are provided by the organisers; however countries are required to supply their own Mistral sailboards.

Six days of racing are scheduled from Saturday 16 July to Friday 22 July, with Tuesday a Lay Day, set aside for cultural experience.

Australia’s team is mostly newcomers, with board sailors Corey Plant and Alisha Kawalla, both from NSW, the only members who have been to an ISAF Youth Worlds before.

This is Plant’s third time and he will be aiming to stand on the dais following last year’s sixth place finish. Kawalla is a talented athlete and is also at the top of NSW in track and field hurdling. She finished eighth at the 2004 ISAF Championship and will also be aiming for a medal this time.

The single-handed classes are the Laser and Laser Radial, with Victorian sailors Warwick Hill and Samantha England the Australian representatives.

Sailing the 420, in which Australia has medalled every year since 1998, is Steven Thomas/Tim Rechichi from WA and sisters Emma and Stephanie Flukes from Tasmania. Brother of two-time champion Elise, Rechichi will surely have some family tips to add an edge.

The Hobie 16 with spinnaker is an Open event and will be contested by Evan Walker/Kyle Langford from NSW.

Australia’s team is led by Team Leader/Coach Brendan Todd and coaches Belinda Stowell and Mark Tonner-Joyce.

Todd is an experienced board sailor and coach, having competed at the 1996 Olympics and coached the 2000 and 2004 Olympic board sailors. Stowell, a Gold Medallist in the 470 at the 2000 Olympics and representative in Athens, is now the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) Sailing Head Coach.

Tonner-Joyce is the single-handed specialist. An experienced and successful Laser sailor, he has been involved in coaching the Victorian Sailing Team Youth Program.

Australia has a distinguished record at the ISAF World Youth Championship and has won more medals over the years than any other nation. We have also won the Nations Cup (for top country) several times, most recently in 2003.
Regular updates will be posted throughout the Championship.

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