News

Sail Melbourne International 2018 Wraps Up With Full day of Racing

Published Tue 18 Dec 2018

Racing at Sail Melbourne International 2018 wrapped up with a full final day of racing across all Olympic and Invited class fleets. After challenging race disruptions over the four-day event, caused by the current weather system sitting over Australia’s east coast, it was a welcome finish for the close to 400 competitors from all across Australia and from 18 countries.

The WASZP foiler-class was a new addition to this year’s race program in the invited classes and Victorian Jack Felsenthal took home the win in the first time Sail Melbourne event.

“Today was really good. We started off with probably 10 to 15 knots and were up on the foils most of the time. Sitting on 15knots, the boats are at their best and it was a great race. We have our worlds in Perth in a month time and it’s really exciting to see the enthusiasm for the class and it was great to win the first-time event at Sail Melbourne,” Felsenthal said.

Sail Melbourne International offers a great opportunity for Australia’s up and coming sailors to mix it up with their Olympic sailing heroes on the Port Phillip race-track and the Invited classes at Sail Melbourne International once again attracted a large number of youth sailors. The regatta was also the last opportunity for youth sailors to test their skills ahead of the 2019 Australian Sailing Youth Championships in Tasmania in January.

The 29er class was won by Archi Cropley (NSW) and Max Paul (NSW), who had two race wins over the seven races series sailed over two days. Tasmanians William Wallis and Fynn Sprott as well as Ethan Galbraith and Charles Zeeman finished second and third respectively and will be looking for a rematch on home waters in January.

“We had a few up and down results wise, but we are happy to still come away with the win. Our boat handling was probably the biggest thing we wanted to work on this week and we've made that a bit better, so we're happy,” Archi Cropley said.

“We only sailed two days, but learnt a lot of lessons this week and did a good job and won the regatta which is great. We're heading to Tasmania next for our youth nationals in January and Sail Melbourne has been a perfect event to tune up and get ready for next year,” Max Paul added.

NSW sailor Brooke Wilson impressed in the Laser 4.7 and won the mixed-fleet with three race wins across the five races.

“It was a pretty challenging day and the top half of the fleet was pretty close and challenging but lots of fun. I’ll be heading to Tassie for the Youth Nationals next and looking forward to that,” Wilson said.

In other youth class events, Will Cooley and Bec Hancock (NSW) took home the win in the Nacra15 ahead of Western Australians Shannon Dalton and Will Drewi n second and Tom Dawson and Sarah Hoffman (NSW) in third. As in the Nacra17, the event was part of the Nacra National Championships with the Sail Melbourne podium also taking out the overall championship.

The mixed fleet of the 420 class was won by Cole Tapper (NSW) and Tyler Creevey (NSW). Victorians Sophie Jackson and Chloe Harper finished overall fourth and were the top female boat.

Jarrod Jones won the Bic Techno 293 fleet after a total of ten races, while fellow Queenslander Hamish Swain won the Bic Techno Plus.

The Optimist Open fleet was won by Daniel Links (NSW), while Queenslander Will Nobes (QLD) took home the win in the Optimist Intermediate. Victorian Roger Blasse won the OK Dinghy.

“The 2018 Sail Melbourne International has come and gone this year and we are pleased to say that this year attracted some amazing sailors across 20+ class and 18 Nations represented. With the build-up in full swing for the 2020 Sail Melbourne Summer of Sailing and a critical hit out leading into Tokyo 2020, we have seen multiple Olympic and World Champions across many classes and we have invited them all back for next year’s World Championships,” event director Mark Turnbull, OAM wrapped up the event.

“And as always, the junior and youth classes are critical to Sail Melbourne and it was great to see so many future champions compete alongside their Olympic heroes. The weather has made this a difficult week for sailors and Race Management alike, but we thank our tireless volunteers for all the work they have put in. Without their support, large regattas like this are not possible. Congratulations again to the winners and we are looking forward to seeing you all back next year for the 2020 Sail Melbourne Summer of Sailing.”

The Kevin Wilson Award went to Royal Brighton Yacht Club Commodore Paul Pascoe. The Kevin Wilson Award is annually given to someone who has contributed to Sail Melbourne International timelessly, with passion and great energy.