Harken 505, OK and 470 Class Australian Championships at Fremantle Sailing Club

Harken 505, OK and 470 Class Australian Championships at Fremantle Sailing Club - Overall

by Jonny Fullerton of Regatta Services 24 Jan 07:39 UTC 19-23 January 2026

Chris Paterson and Conall Hansford finish 2nd in the Harken 505 Australian Championships © Christophe Favreau

Mal Higgins and Jesse Mitton take out Australian 5o5 title in style

Two races where scheduled on the final day with typical boisterous conditions similar to the day before with average Southerly's blowing between 17 - 20 knots with a steep sea state.

The 5o5 fleet were quickly out of the blocks to cross the pathfinder Caitlin Elks, crewed by Andrew Cawley. The young pair, new to the class were the chosen rabbit following her excellent 5th place finish in race 7. The 2 lap trapezoid course was a bit of a slog against some steep waves but highly entertaining downwind legs.

First to hoist their kite as they surged round the windward mark, rather predictably in these conditions, was current champions Peter Nicholas and Luke Payne but around 100m downwind a classic nosedive due to rudder failure effectively ended their chances of overhauling the series leaders Mal Higgins & Jesse Mitton.

The top five boats changed places several times in the squally downwind conditions but the one consistent face at the front end of the fleet was the regular Sharpie sailors from South Australia who both joined up from different boats to have a go at picking up their first 5o5 title.

Harken 505 Australian Championships Final Day - photo © Christophe Favreau

It was a first series race win for Carter Jackson and Will Macdonald (MYC) closely followed by local ace Chris Paterson and Connal Hansford (FSC). Mal Higgins and Jesse Mitton (BSYC) in third.

With breeze increasing beyond the starting limit and big waves building, PRO John McKechnie had no choice but to call and end of play for the day, a fitting conclusion to the regatta.

Harken 505 Australian Championships Final Day - photo © Christophe Favreau

Mal & Jesse had been super consistent over the five day regatta to win the championship by quite a margin. And so the Higgins sailing family dynasty continues - Until next time...

The 2027 5o5 Australian Nationals are scheduled to take place at Darling Point SS in Queensland.

Full results below.

Harken 505 Australian Championships Final Day - photo © Christophe Favreau

OK Dinghy

The strong 40 boat OK Dinghy fleet started clean under U flag for their last race of their championship. Quite a few capsizes and breakages but most made it round the course in one piece. A clear winner stood out, none other than former champion Roger Blasse. Full results below.

470 Class

The 470 pathway development squad reduced to just 6 boats for the start of their final race. Full results are below.

Links:

505 Overall Results:

Pos	Boat Name	Sail No	Skipper	Crew	Club	R9	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1	Pts
1	WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT	9191	Malcolm Higgins	Jesse Mitton	Bsyc	3	2	1	[6]	3	3	3	1	16
2	VENATOR	9059	Christopher Paterson	Conall Hansford	FSC	2	6	3	[9]	5	7	4	5	32
3	CRIMSON AUTOGRAPH	8801	Peter Nicholas	Luke Payne	RFBYC GKSS	[31C]	1	12	13	1	5	1	2	35
4	ALVIN RIDES AGAIN	AUS8794	Michael Babbage	James Mcallister	NCYC	7	9	2	5	6	1	6	[15]	36
5	PINCH N ROLL	9264	Nicholas Mariani	Jake Bessen	FSC	[19]	3	13	7	2	2	5	9	41
6	THE WOLF	9226	Tessa Parkinson	Thor Schoenhoff	FSC	11	4	5	10	4	4	[31R]	3	41
7	TENSING NORGAY	8817	Michael Duffield	Nalu Ho	Fsc	4	14	4	3	7	8	10	[14]	50
8	FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER	9194	Michael Quirk	David Snoad	Msc	15	[21]	11	1	9	11	8	4	59
9	BILLY	9265	Carter Jackson	Will Macdonald	MYC	1	7	9	[18]	14	9	12	7	59
10	TACHOMETER NEEDLE	8684	Ayden Menzies		TASC	5	8	8	8	11	10	9	[12]	59
11	RESTLESS JET	9254	Mark Stowell	Craig Mann	FSC	10	[19]	6	16	12	13	7	10	74
12	PANIC	USA9252	Douglas Hagan	Paul Von Grey	PCYC	31C	[31C]	16	4	10	6	2	8	77
13	CRISPY	8781	Chris Gregg	Ian Gregg	DPSS	31C	10	7	17	8	12	[31C]	6	91
14	YEAH BUDDY	8893	Ryan Menzies	Lucas Geddes	RMYC	9	11	14	11	18	21	[31C]	13	97
15	RITE OF PASSAGE	8666	Angus Cameron	Marcus Cooper	RFBYC	16	[26]	10	12	13	17	14	16	98
16	SHOTGUNN	9229	Michael Wilson	Stu Bithel	IOMYC	6	13	31C	2	31C	[31C]	13	11	107
17	SYNCHRONICITY	8796	Owen Vale	Andrew Quinn	RPAYC	14	16	[20]	19	15	15	17	17	113
18	BLACK BOAT	8894	Chris White		FSC	.3A	24	15	15	19	14	15	[31C]	119.3
19	MAGIC ROUNDABOUT	9273	Matt Hansen		fsc	17	12	31C	[31C]	16	16	11	20	123
20	OCCY	8855	Caitlin Elks	Andrew Cawley	FSC	13	5	21	14	22	18	31H	[31H]	124
21	MANTA	9049	Alexander Thomson	Lincoln Mcdonald	Fsc	21	18	18	20.5	17	19	18	[22]	131.5
22	SOAKED	9167	Nigel Lott	Harry Moffatt	DPSS	12	15	17	23	31C	[31C]	16	19	133
23	DEVILS HAIRCUT	8968	Grant Abbott	Matthew Till	FSC	18	22	19	20.5	23	[23]	19	18	139.5
24	PROJECT	USA8266	Nele Soeker	Thore Kiesbye	FSC	20	20	23	22	[25]	24	21	24	154
25	BLOWFLIES	8637	Sam Cronin	Rob Tikoft	PKSC	22	17	26	24	24	22	[31C]	21	156
26	STRING THEORY	9017	Roger Pell	Ed Repsevicius	FSC	23	23	22	26	21	25	22	[26]	162
27	RILEYS BOAT	CAN9200	Alexander Meller		KYC	31C	25	31C	[31C]	20	20	20	23	170
28	SWEAT BETTY	AUS9037	Lindsay Gilbert		SYC	31C	31C	24	25	31C	31C	31C	[31R]	204
29	WET MARKET	8682	Richard Hyde	Matthew Hyde	DPSS	31C	31C	25	31C	31C	31C	[31C]	25	205
30	DANCE DONT WALK	AUS9115	Steven Howden		PMYC	31C	31C	31C	31C	31C	31C	31C	[31C]	217

505 Gear Guide:

Pos	Skipper	Crew	Hull	Mast	Foils	Sails	Body weight (kg)
1	Malcolm Higgins	Jesse Mitton	Rondar 2010	M2 Superspar	Jess CB P&B Demfoils rudder	P&B Walker/BM Jib	95
2	Christopher Paterson	Conall Hansford	Ovington 2020	M2 Superspar	P&B Demfoils	P&B	105
3	Peter Nicholas	Luke Payne	Fremantle 505 ‑2001	M2 Superspar	Waterrat	BM (Bosen Moeller)	105
4	Michael Babbage	James McAllister	Van Munster 2001	Selden Alto	P&B Demfoils	MEB Sails	100
5	Nicholas Mariani	Jake Bessen	Jess Ovington 2023	M2 Superspar	Jess CB/P&B Demfoil	BM Kite Hill Sails	90
6	Tessa Parkinson	Thor Schoenhoff	XSP Fremantle 2019	M2 Superspar	Waterrat	P&B	90
7	Michael Duffield	Nalu Ho	Fremantle 505 2002	M2 superspar	Waterrat	P&B	105
8	Michael Quirk	David Snoad	Jess Ovington 2017	M2 Superspar	Jess Foils	P&B Ullman Kite	100
9	Carter Jackson	Will MacDonald	Ovington 2023	Selden Alto	P&B Demfoils	P&B	100
10	Ayden Menzies	Adam Wyatt	Waterrat 1997	Selden Alto	Waterrat	MEB Sails	95

OK Overall Results:

Pos	Category	Boat Name	Sail No	Skipper	Club	R7	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1	Pts
1	M	FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE	AUS1	Roger Blasse	BRYC	[3]	2	1	2	2	1	8
2	M	SLAKE	AUS88	Brett Morris	WSC	2	[7]	6	1	1	3	13
3	V	SLINGSHOT	GBR11	Andy Davis	SSSC	1	1	[5]	4	3	4	13
4	M	GRUMPY	AUS5	Brent Williams	ASC	[8]	3	3	6	4	2	18
5	V	ELMOS FIRE	AUS111	Mike Williams	IHYC	4	5	2	5	6	[8]	22
6	M	STACCATO	15	David Clark	WSC	7	4	[9]	3	5	6	25
7	M	RHYTHM STICK	AUS10	Tim Davies	SLMASC	5	[42R]	7	10	8	5	35
8	V	BASELINE	811	David Meehan	FSC	11	9	4	8	[19]	11	43
9	M	TWO CENTS	791	Mark Skelton	SLMASC	10	8	8	[13]	9	9	44
10	V	NZL4	NZL4	Mark Perrow	WYC	9	[42R]	13	21	7	7	57
11	M	SHOW PONY	NZL55	Simon Probert	WBC	15	14	10	7	11	[16]	57
12	M	BETTER DAYS	AUS8	Mark Jackson	BRYC/HSC	17	[25]	15	14	10	10	66
13	G	COSMOS FACTORY	808	Mark Phillips	DSC	16	15	11	11	17	[23]	70
14	M	BANK ROBBER	790	Jonathan Ward	ASC	12	13	[21]	12	20	13	70
15	V	GOING LEFT	AUS805	Lachlan Hornsby	LMYC	13	11	[24]	18	16	15	73
16	M	TURTLE SAILS	NZL15	Greg Wilcox	BERND.eV	21	[42R]	18	9	12	19	79
17	M	RUN FORREST RUN	AUS754	Peter Royle	ASC	14	22	12	[22]	18	17	83
18	J	JOANS RESPITE	17	Patrick Scally	FSC	6	6	42S	17	13	[42R]	84
19	M	RUM RUNNER	AUS7	Glenn Williams	ASC	27	10	22	[31]	21	14	94
20	M	BELLA	AUS785	Anthony Galante	FSC	[42C]	23	20	16	15	21	95
21		AUS828	AUS828	Matthew Ramaley	WSC	23	12	23	20	22	[27]	100
22	M	SPACE MONKEY	AUS776	Grant Wakefield	DSC	19	19	17	[39]	27	18	100
23	M	THE VID AKA JOANS SUPER	AUS773	David Ketteridge	ASC	24	17	19	24	[26]	22	106
24	G	DAYLIGHT ROBBERY	778	Alastair Mcmichael	RPYC	22	20	16	23	[37]	26	107
25		KNOT SPECIFIED	AUS19	Stephen Wilson	BR	35	[42R]	25	15	24	22Y	121
26	M	OKASSIONALLY	AUS780	David Haseldine	DSC	18	18	33	[35]	28	30	127
27	M	ALLORA	AUS818	Jim Dwyer	DSC	[35]	26	14	29	30	31	130
28	M	SMOKIN HOT	AUS4	Peter Robinson	DSC	42C	16	26	19	[42R]	28	131
29	V	AJAX	AUS750	Blake Russell	DSC	25	24	29	[33]	23	32	133
30	M	CRACKED PECKER	AUS734	Rhys Llewellyn	DSC	28	21	32	27	[32]	29	137
31		OK GOOOGLE	830	Rhyss Edwards	FSC	30	[42C]	27	25	29	35	146
32	J	SYNERGY	812	Dennis Dixon	FSC	20	[42R]	30	30	33	34	147
33		RUSTY	AUS16	Anthony Johnston	DSC	26	[42C]	28	26	36	33	149
34	V	FORTUNA	AUS47	Brendon Green	FSC	42C	42C	42C	[42C]	14	12	152
35		TRUCK STOP	827	Duncan Lock	ASC	35	42R	[42S]	28	25	24	154
36	M	SHADES OF GREY	AUS11	Rik Thompson	RQYS	33	30	35	34	31	[39]	163
37		POCKET ROCKET	AUS748	Pamela Johnston	DSC	32	27	34	37	[38]	36	166
38	G	GREEN MAGIC	786	Andrew Rowett	ASC	29	28	36	38	35	[38]	166
39	G	TEQUILA	AUS546	Kevin Knott	ASC	31	29	37	36	34	[37]	167
40	M	THEBOATWITHNONAME	822	Don Williams	BRYC	42C	42C	31	32	[42R]	25	172
41	M	AUS753	AUS753	Bruce Schofield	Wasc	42C	42C	42C	42C	42C	[42C]	210

470 Overall Results:

Pos	Boat Name	Sail No	Skipper	Crew	Club	R9	R7	R6	R5	R4	R3	R2	R1	Pts
1	VAGABOND	1	Axel Fleet		FSC SoPYC RFBYC	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	[1]	7
2	PEDIGREE	AUS22	Ben Hinks	Fallon Katz	BSYC	3	2	3	3	3	[3]	2	2	18
3	WASABI	AUS6	Sophie Jackson		MYC & FSC	2	3	2	4	2	2	4	[4]	19
4	CYNISCA	12	Alice Buchanan	Angus Higgins	DSS	[7C]	4	4	2	4	4	3	3	24
5	FINGERBONE BILL	51	Jacqueline Harding	Owen Ready	Fsc	4	7C	5	6	5	5	[7C]	6	38
6	SHARK PATROL	99	Grady Sayers	Sophie Ward	BSYC	[7C]	5	6	5	6	6	5	5	38