Sailing success across Class National Championships

It has been a very busy end of 2017 for sailors from the NSW Institute of Sport with the majority heavily involved in their Class National Championships over the past couple of weeks. 

Several NSWIS sailors competed in the Australian 420 Championships in Fremantle last week with NSWIS sailor Josh Dawson claiming the national title with his Western Australia based skipper Chris Charlwood. The event marked an important warm up event to the Men’s World 420 Championships which took place over the Christmas and New Year period. After leading the World Championships early on, Dawson and Charlwood ultimately finished eighth. 

19 year old NSWIS athlete Sophie McIntosh claimed an impressive result at the Women’s World 420 Championships, securing a fourth place finish with partner Orla Mulholland-Patterson. 

Across the country at the Australian 29er Championships at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Brisbane, NSWIS sailors Henry Larkings and Miles Davey fell agonisingly close to claiming their second national title, but were pipped by two points by NSW Youth Sailing Team rivals Lachie Brewer and Max Paul, finishing second.

After a week of extremely tight racing, multiple protests and even boats running aground the pair remain in contention for selection onto the 2018 Australian Youth Sailing Team which is to be decided at the Australian Youth Championships (11th-15th January 2018).

Fellow NSWIS sailor John Cooley, crewing for Flynn Twomey, finished seventh overall in the 43 boat fleet.

At the Australian 49er/49erFX Nationals (also at RQYS) the NSW Institute of Sport was again represented strongly with Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot claiming second overall in the 49erFX after finishing on the same points as the winner but being relegated to 2nd on countback! Amelia Stabback rounded out the podium in third overall with WA crew Ella Clark.

In the 49er, Kurt Hansen and Harry Morton who were second for most of the week had a tight battle on the final day to secure  4th overall, whilst Xavier Winston-Smith/Shaun Connor and Jim Colley/Simon Hoffman finished 5th and 6th respectively.