Defence Forces and Olympians battle for inaugural Anzac Day Cup
by Australian Sailing 25 Apr 2025 00:12 PDT
24 April 2025
Action on the water at the Anzac Day Cup Regatta © Australian Sailing
Sydney Harbour turned it on this ANZAC Day Eve, as four teams of Australia's finest battled it out for bragging rights in the inaugural Anzac Day Cup Regatta.
With a spirit of respect and remembrance, sailors representing the Australian Sailing Team, Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force hit the water in near-perfect mid-Autumn conditions.
The racing was hosted by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, who shared their fleet of Elliot 7s for the on-water action and the club facilities for a moving ANZAC Commemorative Service at the conclusion of racing.
The Australian Sailing Team was represented by members of the 49erFX squad, including Paris 2024 Olympian Evie Haseldine.
"We did three races on the water in the Elliot 7s followed by an Anzac Day Commemorative service where we remembered our service personnel with a minute's silence," said Haseldine.
"We would like to thank the Army, Air Force and Navy sailing teams for coming down to the Squadron for this special day."
The AST athletes didn't have it all their own way on the day, but they did enough to win the overall title ahead of the Air Force, Navy and Army teams.
It was an important chance for the sailing community to reflect on the sacrifices of those who have served the nation with honour.
"Defence would like to thank Australian Sailing, the Australian Sailing Team and the wider public for their ongoing support in remembering those who paid the ultimate price in their service to the nation," said Royal Australian Air Force Group Captain Sean Ahern.
The AST was also represented by Victor Kovalenko (AST Master Coach) and Victor Payá Canal (49erFX Coach) who assisted in coaching the Defence Forces teams.
The regatta was another sign of the ongoing cooperation between Australian Sailing and the Australian Defence Forces, as noted by Australian Sailing CEO Ben Houston.
"We would like to thank Group Captain Ahern, the ADF sailors and the AST athletes for their time in making today such a success," said Houston.
"It was a great opportunity to enjoy some great racing under blue skies, as well as honouring those who have served our country. We hope this will be the first of many Anzac Day Cup Regattas to come."