SuperFoiler - McKnight to take flight - Targeting win and podium crown in Grand Final
by Nick Vindin 12 Mar 2018 20:18 PDT
23-25 March, 2018
SuperFoiler - Busselton, Western Australia © Andrea Francolini
World Champion Josh McKnight is eyeing off a regatta win in the final SuperFoiler event in Sydney and knows that could thrust his team onto the series podium.
"We sort of had a late start to the SuperFoiler project but going off our performance in Perth, winning in Sydney is definitely our goal," said Kleenmaid's mainsheet hand Josh McKnight. The former moth World Champion, who sails alongside London Olympic silver medallist Olivia Price and 29er World Champion Harry Morton on the Kleenmaid SuperFoiler, had his best result in Busselton – finishing third in the West Australian regatta - and believes his crew are peaking at just the right time.
"We've been doing a lot of development, chatting about how we like to sail and how we can improve. We favour the four-point foiling a lot more than anyone else and the lighter conditions in Perth suited us, and I think heading into Sydney with the time of year we should see some similar conditions and that should suit us," said McKnight. It has been an astounding turnaround for the New South Wales based crew who by their own admission initially found it hard to find their groove on the worldfirst machines.
"We have gelled quite well as a team in the last two weeks and we are working together better and better and the results show that. We finished the Gold Coast in sixth and we were upset and we were down in the dumps about that," said Kleenmaid's mainsheet hand, "We came into Perth firing and it showed that we had improved, it is just a time in the boat thing for us."
Despite being the youngest SuperFoiler trio in the series the Kleenmaid crew believe that could play into their hands as the taxing series reaches a conclusion in Sydney, "We are probably seen as the younger bunch and we bring a more youthful arrogance to the fleet and we sort of like that side of it," said McKnight.
While the Expr3ss! SuperFoiler Grand Final in Sydney would be considered a home regatta for McKnight, home advantage will be a little light on, given his parents are going to be overseas for the series climax.
"I just said to them – 'It is good to see where your priorities lie' and I've said they have to come and watch the SuperFoiler next time we are racing in Sydney," said McKnight who hinted he wanted his affiliation with the revolutionary format to extend beyond the debut season. "We are loving the series and the concept, it has evolved even since we started the series and it's exciting to contemplate what is going to happen in future years. I think we are all looking to sign up again," said the World Champion.
The Expr3ss! SuperFoiler Grand Final - Sydney will reach its epic conclusion on Sydney Harbour across Friday 23rd, Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of March 2018.
Championship Standings following the Busselton Regatta - Euroflex (19), Tech2 (17), Pavement (16), Record Point (12), iD Intranet (11) and Kleenmaid (10).