Matrix Australian Schools Team Racing Championship

by Danielle McKay on 17 Jun 2007 Over 200 races, more than 80 competitors and courses little more than 400 metres in distance will see the winners of the 2007 Matrix Australian Schools Team Racing Championship decided.

The Sandy Bay Sailing Club in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania will host this year's four day event.

The top three teams will represent Australia in the trans Tasman contest against New Zealand’s best team racing schools in the Interdominion Championship later this year.

Six states are represented by the 12 teams with West Australia’s Christ Church Grammar School dubbed narrow favourites. Coach of The Hutchins School, Murray Jones, said that Christ Church Grammar is tipped to win because 'they won last year, are a very good team and are well coached.'

The team is under the experienced guidance of dual National Open Teams Racing champion, coach Luc Tasker. It includes David and Samuel Gilmour, sons of Peter Gilmour who was three times match racing world champion.

The host state also offers some fierce local competition to warm up the winter’s series. The Hutchins School have won three of the past five Team Racing Championships and this years team will see Australian 4.7 Laser Champion Christopher 'George' Jones take the helm.

The combination of St Virgil’s and Guilford Young College, who were the winning schools team at Brisbane’s National Open Team Racing Championship this year, will also be in the running.

Jones remains hopeful for the locals to reclaim the title saying, 'the only thing that may help us is the weather; it may take a bit of acclimatising.'

Racing will begin Friday morning with race organisers hoping for competitors to complete 50-60 races each day.

The Interdominion championship will be held at the Sandy Bay Sailing Club September 13th-16th 2007.

Sailed in Pacer Dinghies, the 2007 Matrix Australian Schools Team Racing Championship is being conducted from the Sandy Bay Sailing Club with the assistance of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. Entry is open to all Secondary School Teams from Member Yachting Associations of Yachting Australia. This event is a key selection event for the 2007 Matrix Interdominion Secondary Schools Team Racing Championship which will be sailed in Hobart between 13 and 16 September 2007. Event updates will be posted daily including end of race results through: http://yachting.org.au?152m

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