CYCA Youth Sailing teams first & third in Malaysia

by CYCA media on 28 Aug 2007 Two teams from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Youth Sailing Academy have successfully completed their first foray in Asian match racing at last week's Selangor Gapurna International Youth Match Racing Championship.

Competing in an essentially all-male competition, on physically demanding Platu 25 keelboats – likened by Tom Barker to 'sailing on a mini Farr 40' – both teams overcame any weight or strength challenges by demonstrating superb communication and teamwork.

Evan Walker, supported by Samantha Boyd (sheet), Amanda Scrivenor (trim), Cat Trew (pit) and Jeremy Wawn (bow), progressively melded a strong combination throughout the regatta, culminating in a 3-0 victory over the all-male team from Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) in the final held on Sunday.

Tom Barker and his team of Tim Austin (sheet), Alex Ward (trim), Cat Stroinovsky (pit) and Tiffany Fulde (bow) were undefeated in the first half of the regatta and went into the semi-finals in second place only to be defeated by RNZYS in fresher conditions. Ultimately they defeated a team from the Philippines (2-0) to finish third. Barker, Austin, Ward and Fulde had only the week before finished second at Cowes Youth Week.

The Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) hosted a very successful regatta for teams representing Australia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the Malaysian Navy and other Malaysian regions as well as the host club. Competition was strong from the very beginning but became tighter and even more vigorous in the final two days of racing.

Sailing in conditions affected by the monsoon certainly broadened the horizons of the CYCA sailors. On day two, after some extremely heavy downpours, the current on the course was so strong that downwind legs were taking a mere 63 seconds. In this space of time, the teams had to gybe set, drop jib, gybe, hoist jib, gybe again and set-up to round the bottom mark.

'The CYCA looks forward to welcoming the RSYC’s top sailor at this regatta – Ng Ai Li, whose team finished a close fifth – to the Bavaria Yachts International Youth Match Racing Regatta in November. The CYCA also looks forward to a long and continuing relationship supporting the ever strengthening Asian match racing circuit,' said YSA coach/manager Jenni Bonnitcha.

'I believe that there can be no greater reinforcement of the YSA policy of giving as many sailors as possible access to broad opportunities than to see ten sailors successfully combine in such a short space of time to represent the CYCA so impressively both on the water and off the water,' she added.