NSWIS Sailors Set for European Championships

Eighteen New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) sailors are set to take on the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships this week in Thessaloniki, Greece. With up to 18 races scheduled over the next six days, it’s set to be a high-intensity regatta. 

The Australian Nacra 17 squad arrives in Greece on the back of an impressive European season debut, with three teams making the top ten medal races across both events of the Sailing Grand Slam. National Coach Darren Bundock says the momentum is building.

“It’s been a fantastic reward for the squad,” Bundock said. “All four boats are improving rapidly in the international fleet. They’re a young group working hard together, and what’s exciting is they’re still far from their full potential and the results are starting to come already.”

While training in Thessaloniki has featured strong north-westerlies known as the “Maistros” funnelling down from the mountains, Bundock expects race week to serve up lighter and more technical conditions, “This regatta will be challenging with light and hopefully moderate sea breezes expected as the weather warms up. Consistency will be the key factor in these conditions.”

Four Australian teams will feature in the FX class, with Australian Sailing Team members Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot set to build on lessons learned so far this season. Paris 2024 Olympian and NSWIS athlete Evie Haseldine will also return to the international stage, this time with new helm and fellow NSWIS scholarship holder Brooke Wilson, who has recently transitioned within Australian Sailing’s performance pathways program from the ILCA to the skiff class.

Despite their short time together, the pair is already showing strong signs of chemistry.

“Brooke has ‘learnt the ropes’ very quickly, much quicker than anticipated,” Haseldine said.  “So, with the guidance of Victor (Paya, National Coach), we thought it was a great opportunity to test ourselves in an international fleet.”

The duo is treating the event as a building block rather than a pressure cooker, focused on learning as much as possible before this year’s Junior Worlds and Senior World Championships.

“It’s a very unique opportunity to start from ground zero,” shared Haseldine. “A clean slate where I can practice my own loop and skills with someone else and show them just how cool 49erFX Olympic level racing is, just like Olivia Price did for me.” 

In the 49er class, there will also be four Australian teams in contention, including Paris 2024 Olympian and Shaun Connor and new helm Otto Henry, both NSWIS athletes, also using the regatta to put hard-earned improvements into action. 

“It’s been nice to focus on some key learnings from Palma and Hyères,” said Connor. “Our primary focus for the past little period has been on boat handling and we feel it has come a long way. We are both looking forward to getting back into some racing here in Greece.”

The European Championships offer a perfect mid-season test for the Australian squad. It’s a chance to build confidence, test combinations, and race against tough competition in a challenging venue. The racing runs through to June 8, with Australia’s rising stars looking to make their mark.

NSWIS athletes competing in the European Championships:

49er:

Otto Henry and Shaun Connor

Harry Price and Max Paul

Jacob Marks and Charlie Zeeman

49erFX:

Mina Ferguson and Dervla Duggan

Lily Richardson and India Gilbert

Evie Haseldine (and Brooke Wilson)

Annie Wilmot (and Laura Harding)

Nacra 17:

Archie Gargett and Sarah Hoffman

Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown

Jake Liddell and Niamh Meehan

Australian Sailing Team

Photos: Sailing Energy and Beau Outteridge