2023 Australian 420 Championship at Metung Yacht Club after Day 2

The 420 National Championships got under way on Monday, January 2, with 19 racing dinghies entered, from youth competitors from across three Australian states.

After two days of racing on Lake King, at Metung (in southeastern Australia), brothers Spencer and Benedict Mckay (the current NSW champions) are sitting in first place, on eight points, narrowly ahead of former national champions, James Jackson and Harrison Chapman (Victoria), in second place on nine points.

A light northerly wind on Monday still saw some fast racing among the two-person crews, with competitors using the trapeze and spinnaker to effect. The vagaries of the wind saw the race course change a couple of times during the day.

Sailing in Barbara (sail number 54351), current NSW Champions and brothers, Spencer Mckay and Benedict Mckay retain their one point lead over James Jackson and Harrison Chapman after day 2 at the 2023 Australian 420 Championship - photo © Jeanette Severs

Three races were successfully held on Monday, with the Mckay brothers finishing first, second and first in succession.

It was a good start for the NSW pair, setting them up to retain the yellow leader jerseys after gaining two second placings out of three races on Tuesday.

Racing on day two saw conditions change, with gusty southerly winds across the lake favouring the former national champions - Jackson and Chapman finished first, second and third in succession over races four, five and six.

Current 420 national champion Carter Baker, competing with Matty Goss, ahead of current NSW champions Spencer and Benedict Mckay at the 2023 Australian 420 Championship - photo © Jeanette Severs

The second day of racing also saw Matty Goss and Carter Baker progress into third place overall, on 12 points. The pair raced hard to finish in first place in races five and six on day two.

Baker, from Adelaide, is the current national champion and has teamed with Goss, a Victorian, for this race series.

In the race for the female championship, last year's 420 National Championships runners-up, Hanako Tomoshima and Grace Morrow, from NSW, are in first place, on 26 points. Overall, Tomoshima and Morrow have finished fifth twice, sixth twice and fourth (in the final race of day two).

Competing in Azzurra (sail number 55149), Olivia Cameron and Lilly Fogarty, create some waves at the 2023 Australian 420 Championship - photo © Jeanette Severs

Their closest rivals, Olivia Cameron and Lily Fogarty, from Victoria, are on 30 points, and at the end of day two this pair is sitting in second place for the female championship.

The 420 is an international youth performance pathways class, with many of the 420 sailors graduating to the Olympic 470 class. The 420 has been the boat of choice for many of Australia's up and coming Olympic, America's Cup and round the world sailors.

The 420 sailing dinghy is favoured by teenagers for its speed, and is the youth development boat in 43 countries. The 420 sailing dinghy is 4.2 metres long and has three sails, including a brightly coloured spinnaker.

Hosted by the Metung Yacht Club on the Gippsland Lakes, the 420 National Championships is being held over four days and has attracted competitors from three States - NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Training camps were held at Metung in the days leading up to the 420 National Championship races.

At the time of writing, Wednesday is expected to be a lay day, with competition continuing on Lake King on Thursday and Friday, January 5 and 6.

Results after Day 2: