Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron reigns supreme in Asia Pacific league sailing final

by Harry Fisher 26 May 2023 01:38 UTC 20-21 May 2023
Zac West steered the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron team to success - SAILING Champions League – Asia Pacific Final © Harry Fisher, Down Under Sail

The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron has put its stamp on the sailing community after going back-to-back in the SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific Final last weekend, hosted on the iconic Pittwater by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

Led by Zac West, the team sailed more consistently than any other competitors and went into the four-team finals series with an extra point, giving them one hand on the trophy.

The qualification series was fierce throughout the whole weekend for the remaining three spots with some highly-competitive racing seeing many clubs in the hunt.

At the end of the qualifying races, it was the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, skippered by Robbie Deussen that finished as the clear second place.

Then it was a lot tighter from there with hosts Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club skippered by Daniel Kemp securing third and Rohan Langford's Derwent Sailing Squadron team securing the last finals berth on a countback.

The Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia's youth team, skippered by Carter Baker had an outstanding final day and fell just short of the finals series due to Derwent Sailing Squadron having more qualifying race wins.

Mina Ferguson's Woollahra Sailing Club team was also in the mix, just two points behind the finals series, while Thomas Steenson's Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club team and Hugo Butterworth's RPAYC team were also in the mix.

As the finals begun, the breeze on Pittwater came in hard with the top four teams fighting hard to get the Elliott 7s around the race course

The experience of the South Australians was on show as the oldest skipper in the event, multi-class national champion Deussen, started well and maintained the lead comfortably to take the opening race win and join Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron on match point.

But as the breeze continued to build with gusts of more than 30 knots, race management made the decision to race the second finals race without spinnakers.

Deussen put everything on the line at the start, but came in a bit early and was forced to tack away from the windward end of the line with about 10 seconds to go.

From here, West and his Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron team were able to hold a loose cover on the other two teams and hold their own to clinch the race win and the title.

Deussen and his team sailed from well back to take second in the last race and second overall in the event, while Kemp and the RPAYC team finished third overall, and the Tasmanians from Derwent Sailing Squadron in fourth.

The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron also claimed the overall Youth win, while Mina Ferguson was awarded the first female helm award in the event.

Qualification for the World Open and Youth Finals was determined at this event, with more details to be released soon about which teams will head to Germany in July.

For more information about SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific, and for full results, head to sailing-championsleague.asia.

Related Articles

SAILING Champions League: Asia Pacific Final
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron has reinforced its reputation with third title The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron has reinforced its reputation of its sailors after taking out its third SAILING Champions League: Asia Pacific - Final last weekend at Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club as a part of the Sailfest Regatta. Posted on 31 Mar
Sailing Champions League Final comes to Vilamoura
Featuring elite teams who have qualified from national leagues across Europe Vilamoura Sailing is proud to host the prestigious Sailing Champions League Final (SCL), bringing together the world's best sailing teams from September 26th to 29th, 2024. Posted on 25 Sep 2024
Finns win SAILING Champions League Qualifier
Fifteen teams from twelve nations across Europe raced in Vilamoura Fifteen teams from twelve nations across Europe (Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, and Lithuania) were hosted in this picturesque seaside resort by the CNC Vilamoura. Posted on 22 Mar 2024
Youth SAILING Champions League winners announced
Swiss Regatta-Club Oberhofen team proved to have strong nerves The final of the Youth SAILING Champions League could not have been more exciting: After the four clubs that qualified for the final races all won one race each, the fifth race had to bring the decision. Posted on 24 Sep 2023
The SAILING Champions League finals
Ten nations were represented amongst the sailing teams The SAILING Champions League finals reached an exciting climax in Travemünde, offering four days of intense racing. The prestigious event saw the best thirty-six sailing teams from around the world compete for the coveted title. Posted on 5 Aug 2023
Flying Finns win SAILING Champion League qualifier
A fleet of twelve sailing clubs from across Europe raced in Vilamoura, Portugal The first of three SAILING Champions League qualifiers took place last weekend in Vilamoura, Portugal for a fleet of twelve sailing clubs from across Europe. Posted on 1 Apr 2023
NRV wins 2022 SAILING Champions League
The final could hardly have ended more exciting 36 teams, 15 nations (Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Poland, France, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, Australia, Great Britain, and Vanuatu), and 72 races sailed on a matched fleet of six J/70 one-design sailboats. Posted on 30 Jul 2022
SAILING Champions League Final overall
Finnish Team Esbo Segelförening triumphs in Porto Cervo The closing day of the SAILING Champions League Final, an event organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, saw Finnish team Esbo Segelförening take victory and claim the title of "Best Yacht Club of the year". Posted on 11 Oct 2021
SAILING Champions League Final day 3
Intense second day of stadium racing in Porto Cervo A long and intense second day at the SAILING Champions League saw 21 races held and 8 flights now completed. The Swiss team from Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen has taken control of the provisional leaderboard Posted on 10 Oct 2021
SAILING Champions League Final day 2
Racing gets underway in Porto Cervo The first day of racing proper in the SAILING Champions League Final saw the YCCS organise the competitions within Porto Cervo Marina. Posted on 9 Oct 2021
V-DRY-XSelden 2020 - FOOTERRooster 2025