2026 ILCA Oceania & Australian Open & Youth Championship in Hobart - Day 2
by Jane Austin / RYCT Media 4 Jan 13:04 PST
3-8 January 2026
Start of Race Three in the ILCA 6 Class on the second day of racing - 2026 ILCA Oceania & Australian Open & Youth Championship, Day 2 © Jane Austin
Hungary's Maria Erdi has taken the lead in the qualifying series of the ILCA 6 Class of the 2026 Oceania and Australian Open and Youth Championships in Hobart, Tasmania.
The ILCA 4 and ILCA 6 fleets are racing in a qualifying series due to the large fleet size, while the ILCA 7 fleet is racing a straight 12 race series.
Principal Race Officer Colin Dods was very happy with the forecast for the day with "champagne sailing of 10 to 15 knots from the south-south west, not quite as strong as yesterday, flattish water, not quite as much sea state as the first day of racing, and just great racing for all the fleets."
But while the weather may have been consistent, the sailors were anything but in the ILCA 6 Class, making for a challenging day for race officials.
"Today was much more challenging for the course race officers, especially for the ILCA 6 Class with four general recalls in Race Three and six black flag disqualifications from that unfortunately, but that's the game," said Dods.
And the competition is stiffening in the ILCA 6 Class with female sailors leading the charge.
"You could throw a blanket over all the ILCA 6 sailors with the females filling the first eight places in the competition so it's really getting exciting there.
"The competition is being led by the Hungarian [Maria Erdi] and the Belgian [Emma Plasschaert], so the international flavour has come right through which is great to see.
"In terms of the results, the Australian Sailing Team sailors are starting to come through.
"We have very strong female sailors in the ILCA 6 Class, especially amongst the Australian contingent, they've been strong for several years.
"It's going to be a close fought thing," said Dods.
Erdi has had three wins from four races to be on five points, only one point ahead of Plasschaert, and six points ahead of Queenslander, Frances Beebe who is on 11 points.
Sylvia Stannage had a win in Race Three today and is sitting on 12 points, one point ahead of Perth's Zoe Thomson on 13 points.
In Race Four, Casey Imeneo copped a UFD and a corresponding 38 points dropping down the leaderboard to finish in 21st place.
"In the ILCA 7s, there is starting to be a bit of heat put on the local favourite [Matt Wearn] who you'd never bet against, but the Irishman [Finn Lynch] is coming through there which is exciting," said Dods.
Wearn continues to lead the ILCA 7 fleet on eight points, but the big mover of the day was Finn Lynch who had two bullets to propel him into second place on 16 points, eight points behind Wearn.
Ethan McAullay is in third on 20 points with Duko Bos from the Netherlands in fourth place, also on 20 points.
Bos found the conditions on the River Derwent a bit trickier today.
"Day Two was a bit different to yesterday, the wind was from the same direction but a bit lighter, so the fleet was a bit more compact, which meant it wasn't just a speed race anymore - it was hard to seal the shifts, but it was good racing," said Bos.
Zach Stibbe from New Zealand also found conditions tough on the water.
"It is pretty challenging out here, battling away at times, learning lots, and trying to get better each day."
Tasmania's Eddie Reid has held onto his fifth place and is currently on 26 points, three points ahead of Zac Littlewood on 29 points.
The regatta is showcasing not only some of the best ILCA sailors in the world, but also the depth of the ILCA Class here in Australia which is reflected in the large number of competitors and the enthusiasm of the up-and-coming sailors in the ILCA 4 Class.
"In the ILCA 4s, if you stand around in that start area, you'll hear the excitement and just how much fun these kids are having - they are the future of the ILCA fleet and that future is bright given the big, big numbers that we've got here (in equal numbers of males and females), which is fantastic for the sport generally," said Dods.
Thomas Cooper from Western Australia is leading the ILCA 4 fleet on seven points, four points ahead of fellow WA sailor, Hugh Healy, with Queensland's Harry Hogan, also on 11 points.
Dods expects the weather to be much the same on the third day of racing with the sailors likely to see some westerlies later in the week.
Racing gets under way at 1300 on the Alpha Course and 1330 on the Bravo course.