by Ian Grant
Yachting Queensland celebrated their acceptance into the Queensland Academy of Sport with another top performance in the International Sail Sydney regatta earlier this week. The Queensland Sailing Team opened the 2009 International Sail Down Under series by dominating the class championships at Sail Brisbane and continued to express the development of the coaching programs under 2008 Beijing Olympic coach Adrian Finglas with a four gold medal haul.
Maroochydore Sailing Club Laser Radial skipper Mitchell Kennedy the Sail Brisbane gold medallist continued to express his talent finishing a close fourth and top youth in his class series of races against older and more experienced skippers. Mitchell Kennedy gained valuable experience of racing in big fleets and showed the patience and tactical skill to progressively sail clear from tight situations. His regatta result just one point away from the Bronze and three points adrift of the Silver medal suggest he will be well prepared to make a serious challenge for the best youth result in Australian championship over the Adelaide Sailing Club courses from December 27 to January 4.
Queensland team mates Angus Galloway and Alex Gough clearly dominated the open International 420 class dinghy title winning five heats of the Sail Sydney regatta in convincing style. This combination have mastered the art of sailing fast in all conditions and promise to be in top form when they contest the Australian championship in the New Year. They have already won the New South Wales and Queensland championships and their Sail Sydney Gold Medal is a further reward for the endless sessions on the ‘training track’.
The important list of success continued with QAS team member Brendan Casey helming his Olympic Finn dinghy to an impressive win over Beijing Olympian Anthony Nossiter. Casey a former World Laser Radial champion is determined to win class selection for the 2012 Olympic regatta in England and this result his first major against Anthony Nossiter indicates he is on the pace to achieve is Olympic ambition.
Talented Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron 470 class skipper Matthew Belcher and Beijing Gold medallist Malcolm Page were unmatched for speed and one design racing strategy when the outclassed the fleet. Australian Olympic team coach Victor Kovalenko known on the International sailing circuit as the Gold Medal maker following double gold at Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 has a high opinion of the Queensland skipper and his New South Wales crew mate. He said during the post Olympic team celebrations at Hamilton Island in August 2008 that “Matthew Belcher is a very promising sailor who has the talent and skill to race at the highest level”. There was no doubt that The Medal Maker was already making plans for 2012 with the master coach nominating the Belcher/Page combination a contender to repeat the Gold Medal success of Tom King and Mark Turnbull (2000) and Nathan Wilmot/Malcolm Page (2008).
The Olympics also remain on the agenda for Australian World Youth Team member Joanna Sterling following her Sail Sydney Gold Medal in the Techno sail-board class.