2015 YNSW Youth Championships Botany Bay Sydney

Close to 300 dinghies and skiffs headed to their respective course area in hope but the window was too tight and after an hour long wait officials sent everyone back to shore and out of the hot sun, and that’s where the racing ended.
As event manager Andrew Hawkins highlighted, “it’s a pity about the final day but the sailors understand no wind is part of the sport”.
29er
Winning 29er pair of Kurt Hansen and Jim Colley (RPAYC/GSC) sailing the skiff Objective appreciated how close Tom Crockett and Tom Grimes from the Belmont 16’ Skiff Club came to the current Australian class champions and past 29er world champion skipper.
“It was really close and would have been fun to have a tussle with the other fellas on the final day, they are really good, and that Crockett he’s a grommet – and smart,” Hansen said. Both Hansen and Colley have been studying for the HSC for the past month, once school finishes they’ll resume training for the youth worlds in Malaysia and messing around in their 49er. The upcoming summer season will the pair’s last on the youth circuit, the cut-off being 19 years old in December.
Hansen and Colley won last year’s NSW state title on the October long weekend, their first regatta sailing as a new combination. “The competition has got a lot better since then,” Hansen noticed.
NSH Plasterboard & Timber (B16SSC) finished two points off Objective, third was Amelia Stabback and Pia Doyle with Spike (MH16SSC).
Laser 4.7
Nathan Bryant’s two point lead going into day three was enough to deliver up the overall Laser 4.7 win to the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club sailor when racing was abandoned. Bryant is coached by Traks Gordon and is showing lots of promise, a win at Sail Sydney last December and now a state title.
The focused grade 7 student missed last night’s NRL Grand Final, heading straight to bed beat after a long day on the water in tricky conditions, saying this morning during postponement, “I was tired after yesterday and it does get harder to concentrate towards the end of a regatta.”

Bryant is aiming for the Malaysian youth worlds following the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Melbourne and Sail Sydney, all adding up to a big summer for the second half of the talented Bryant siblings from Pittwater. Older sister Natasha finished eighth in the 29er class skippering Smiling Assassins.
Jack Littlechild (WSC) joined his younger brother Ryan (Optimist Open winner) on the podium, finishing second Laser 4.7 by two points with Fast Forward and third was Antony Hawke and Nemesis, another RPAYC entry.
Laser Radial
Talented Finn Alexander from Double Bay Sailing Club proved himself against the Laser Radial line-up, putting his boat Infinity beyond Victorian Brody Riley and Spindrift representing Mornington Yacht Club by five points. Third was another Victorian boat, Will Fox and Ozone.
“It feels great, this regatta is a good check in to refocus and see how everything’s going in terms of boat speed and preparation,” the new state champion said just before receiving his trophy at the final awards ceremony. This Alexander’s third year in the Laser Radial class and representing Australia at the Olympics is his ultimate goal.
Canadian dual Olympic sailor Mike Leigh is Alexander’s coach and mentor and the YST sailor who is starting year 12 this week says sailing is his obsession, and he wants to go all the way. “You do it as much as you can and the rest follows. I’m out on the water 3-5 days a week and then at the gym and boxing plus school. It’s a juggling act fitting everything in but I manage.”
420
The only all girl team to take out the top podium placing at the NSW states were Youth Sailing Team sailors Charlotte Griffin and Chelsea Connor in the 420 class, their first win as a new combination. Representing Middle Harbour Yacht Club and RPAYC, Crush edged out Xavier Winston-Smith and Alec Brodie on Selden for Sailing, and Connor admits it feels good to beat the boys. “They were trying to psyche us out this morning saying there was only one point in it, but we don’t let them get to us…. it’s good to have a joke around,” she laughed.

Finishing so close to second illustrates the tight class racing and gave the teens plenty to fight for. Connor found the experience of incorporating tides and racing on Botany Bay really helpful for their learning.
The pair, who met four years ago sailing Optis, have a busy calendar ahead; Sail Sydney, Sail Country at Albury/Wodonga, the Australian Youth Championships in January at WSC then QLD Youth Week. At the end of the circuit is their final aim for the season, qualifying for the 2017 youth world title.
Optimist Open

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