Leaders tied at Club Marine NSW Youth Match Racing Championship

Light conditions challenged all teams with no races easily won - Club Marine NSW Youth Match Racing Championship, Day 1 © CYCA

The Club Marine NSW Youth Match Racing Championship commenced today on Sydney Harbour with tricky conditions both from the breeze and obstructions on the racecourse.

At the conclusion of today's racing it was the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) who returned to the dock as 'Boat of the Day' with skipper Alistair Read defeating current dual match racing national champion, Tom Grimes from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA).

In a light westerly breeze, the race committee completed five flights by midday, at which point the breeze shut down for an hour before eventually settling in from the south for the remaining two flights.

Not only did teams have to navigate the shifting breeze, but also a naval submarine which was anchored in the middle of Rushcutters Bay.

Alistair Read and Tom Grimes' race was the most gripping of the day with Read taking a confident start over Grimes and leading up the first beat. Smart tactics and positioning by Grimes however saw him force a scenario with the submarine and take the lead as they rounded the first mark.

Read remained close and at the second top mark was able to make a move. Grimes was caught out by a large wind hole, virtually stopping as Read rounded in pressure to then luff and penalize Grimes as they headed to the finish. Grimes was unable to recover from the blow and Read took the race win along with the overnight lead in the event.

"We had a really good day on the water. The boat was going quick, and in the right direction for the majority of the day. We have had a good lead up to this event, having competed in Newcastle last week and we hope we will continue to have a good day tomorrow." Read commented back at the CYCA.

The fight for the semi-finals is still all to play for, with no one yet guaranteed a position in the next stage. Read and Grimes currently lead on six wins and one loss, but a flurry of teams including Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's Jack Littlechild, along with the CYCA's Hugo Stoner and John Cooley are only one point further behind on five wins and two losses.

Tomorrow will commence with the final two races of the round robin as these five teams continue to battle for the next stage. The semi-finals are scheduled for 1100hrs, with the finals expected at approx. 1400hrs.

Follow the racing results live at cyca.com.au or on the CYCA YSA Facebook Page.