Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

Sail Sydney a launch pad for Olympic Campaigns

by Jane Gordon on 7 Sep 2017
Gilmour and Turner have their sights set on Tokyo 2020 Robin Evans
Woollahra Sailing Club will host the 23rd edition of Sail Sydney from December 11-17 with the support of Drummoyne Sailing Club, Middle Harbour Yacht Club and Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

Sail Sydney is shaping up to attract more than 300 local, national and international competitors across 23 classes.

Olympic Classes will compete for the first four days of the regatta with Australian Sailing Team and Squad Crews set to try to tame Sydney Harbour. Under the recently announced Tasman Series with Australian Sailing and Yachting New Zealand, Sail Sydney is now positioned to attract the best Olympic Class sailors in the southern hemisphere.

Australian Sailing Chief Executive Officer, John Lee, said that Sail Sydney is an important regatta for Olympic Class sailors as our squads prepare for their respective campaigns.

“Sail Sydney is a great opportunity for Australian Sailing and Yachting New Zealand sailing teams to work together to create a strong, world-class competition,” John said.

“Sydney Harbour is a great setting for one of the final major regattas of the year for our sailors who have been competing overseas.

“Woollahra Sailing Club have successfully delivered this event over a number of years and with the support of surrounding Clubs, it is great to see their partnerships supporting the foundations of this great Australian Sailing event.”

Invited Classes will take the reins from December 15 which will include; 29er, 420, Nacra 15, Pacer, Laser 4.7, Optimist Open, Intermediate and Green Fleet, Bic Techno (Ripper League and Ripper Races), RS:X Men and Women, Elliot, International Cadet, Sabot 1 Up, Open Bic, Manly Juniors, Flying 11 and Tasar.



Among the invited classes, Optimist sailors for New Zealand are preparing for the regatta ahead of the Australian Optimist Nationals.

“Our sailors are really looking forward to coming to Australia to compete on Sydney Harbour,” said Greg Lee, who will manage a group of competing New Zealand Opti sailors.

“We always have a strong contingent of sailors head to Australia for the Opti Nationals so Sail Sydney will be another opportunity to compete against the best Aussie sailors. Everyone is very much looking forward to sailing in Sydney.”

Sailing conditions in Auckland vary during the peak sailing season, from October to April, providing New Zealand sailors with an effective training base to prepare for Sail Sydney 2017.

“We get a mix of conditions here in Auckland from very light to in excess of 40 knots,” Greg said. “The water temperate is a little chilly until around late December when the average becomes about 20 degrees which is quiet bearable.”

New Zealand has a bright future in Optimist sailing with Rio Olympic 49er Gold Medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, 470M duo Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Wilcox, and Rio Olympic 49erFX Silver Medallists, Alex Maloney and Gemma Jones, all having graduated from the Opti class.

While the water temperatures may be cooler in NZ, there is no doubt that the Kiwi Opti sailors will heat up Sail Sydney 2017.

For more information on Sail Sydney visit the website.

Regatta Documents | Enter Now

Sydney Boat Show 2025 - Apply to ExhibitRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERV-DRY-X

Related Articles

Admiral's Cup 2025 | Interview with the CYCA Team
A highly experienced team for the revived Admiral's Cup regatta from July 17 The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is fielding a highly experienced team for the revived Admiral's Cup regatta that will be run from Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the UK, from 17th July 2025.
Posted on 1 Jul
Australian Hobie Cat Nationals entries rolling in
With at least three World Champions already entered, the racing is sure to be exciting too! There is excitement in the air for the Pitts Design and Construction 53rd Australian Hobie Cat National Championships.
Posted on 1 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais - Practice Day
Will Platoon Aviation's big breeze, big pressure experience prove key to their fourth world title? Of the three past and present world championship winning crews which completed their final practice today in typically muscular 25 knot breezes and big waves out of Cascais, Portugal it was Harm Müller-Spreer's Platoon Aviation which showed best today.
Posted on 1 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago.
Posted on 1 Jul
LA28 sailing venue decision driven by politicians
The LA28 Olympic "dinghy" events will be sailed alongside a working container port. The decision to stage the Los Angeles "dinghy" events alongside a working container port appears to have been a determination by local politicians.
Posted on 1 Jul
Freestyle Pro Tour Paros day 3
The return of Super X Day 3 at the FPT Paros 2025 was a slower one - with a lay day with no wind anticipated and a late skippers meeting at 13:00 to assess the conditions, there wasn't much initially filling up the schedule.
Posted on 1 Jul
McIntyre Mini Globe Leg 2 update
The Mad Bastard may be right! When the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race set off—the first solo, non-stop circumnavigation—many thought it impossible. But one sailor proved them wrong: Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, sailing his beloved Suhaili!
Posted on 1 Jul
Young Sailors Invited to the 2025 Fireball Worlds
A special discounted entry fee for eligible youth participants for the event at Lake Garda Circolo Vela Arco and Fireball International are inviting young sailors from around the world to take part in the 2025 Fireball World Championship at spectacular Lake Garda, with a special discounted entry fee for eligible youth participants.
Posted on 1 Jul
Australian Sailing welcomes new CEO
Malcolm Page OAM brings a wealth of experience to the role Australian Sailing is pleased to announce the appointment of respected sports administrator and dual Olympic gold medallist Malcolm Page OAM OLY as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina.
Posted on 1 Jul