Boat Park - training day
The climax of the youth sailing calendar for 2010 – 11 is the OAMPS Australian Youth Championships. This year the regatta will be sailed out of the Georges River 16ft Sailing Club, on Botany Bay. With 165 boats entered the regatta promises to be an exciting clash of highly talented youth sailors. Over past years the Queensland sailing Team has been dominant, taking out close to all classes over the last two championships. However every year is different, and this time around the team has many possible contenders to make the selection in the Australian Youth Sailing Team (AYST) heading for Croatia, later this year.
In the International 420 class, previous AYST member Eloise Brake has teamed up with Jamie Ryan for another shot at the championships title in the women’s division. Ryan commented on their plans for the regatta, “There are a lot of new boats, but we know who we have to beat and plan to stay consistent throughout the regatta in the big fleet”. Queenslanders and training partners Alex Gough and Angus Galloway won the men’s 420 division last year and plan to back up their previous performance. After a 5th in the ISAF Youth World Championships the boys are clear favorites for the regatta. Gough stated that, “We are just doing the same as last year, but we will apply what we learnt overseas in the bigger fleet we have here”.
In the high performance 29er Class currant Australian Champions Josh Franklin and Lewis Brake are planning on backing up their recent performance at the Australian 29er Championships, where the pair took out the open and youth division. However every venue and regatta is different and the team plans to stay consistent over the five days. “We are feeling good and happy after the win last week, we were under pressure and it pushed us to perform well, we are just planning on staying in the top 10, and that will put us in the mix”
Moving across to the laser class both 4.7 and radial women divisions have been dominated by Queensland sailors through this year’s summer series. Madison Kennedy from the Sunshine Coast won the 4.7 division last year and has been racing consistently all summer. Ashley Stoddard is Queensland’s leading chance for the radial women’s spot, after winning the regatta in 2008, Ashley knows what it takes to be a real contender this year. Across to the men’s Laser radials, Queensland Academy of Sport members Jake Lilley and Mitchell Kennedy are in the top three positions to take out the title, after some extremely good racing in the past Australian Laser Championships. Lilley spoke about his strengths over his competitors, “I’ve been fasts upwind, especially in the upper wind ranges, however whatever comes for this regatta I’m feeling confident”.
In the Sailboards, Bic Techno racer Eamon Sullivan from Western Australia took out the title in 2009 but was closely contested by Queenslander Reece Baillie. As one of the most physical classes the sailboard requires athletes to be strong, fit and well experienced, and this year the bumpy conditions of Botany Bay should be a good challenge for all competitors.
The wind is slowly filling in here in Sydney with a predicted sunny day to come, and athletes are taking the chance to get out for some last minute preparations and on water training.
Andrew Gough