2001 Australian Youth Championship Finals

by Jacqueline Ellis on 14 Jan 2001 Strong and gusty on-shore winds up to 25 knots greeted the sailors at the Australian Youth Championship this morning, which is
being held on Tasmania's Derwent River.

The final two races were scheduled for today with many overall winner spots up for grabs. Particularly close was the Boys Sailboard
event with James Grunfelder and Chris Lowbridge, both from NSW racing down to the wire. Chris won Race 8 and James was
second and then in Race 9 James won and Chris was second so that meant the overall position remained unchanged with James
taking the Australian Boys Sailboard Champion title by two points. John Paget (NSW) took the Bronze Medal spot head of Corey
Plant (NSW).

Jacqueline Bonnitcha (NSW) did not have to sail today to claim her Australian Girls Sailboard Champion crown, but did choose to
go racing and fight the tough conditions to practise and further hone her skills for future races.

New Zealand visitor Miranda Powrie did not have to sail either of today's races to win the Girls Single Handed Dinghy event outright -
and she chose not to do so. This left Katherine Wade from NSW and Riana Haldane from SA to sort out second and third overall
and the Australian Champion title. Riana took her first race win of the regatta in Race 8 and then backed it up with a second win in
Race 9. With Katherine taking second in both races it gave Riana the important points lead she needed to finish head of Katherine
by two points. Cassie Buckley from Queensland was the third Australian.

The leaders in the Boys Single Handed Dinghy event being raced in the Laser class revelled in today's windy conditions. The two
six foot 'something' and 85kgs+ boys from Lake Macquarie in NSW, Ben Lamb and Joel Skelton, took command of the two races
and each finished with a first and a second. It was Ben though who convincingly claimed the Australian Boys Single Handed Dinghy
Champion crown with a score card of 9 points. Joel finished with the Silver on 16 points and two Kiwi visitors, David Weaver and
Michael Bullot, claimed third and forth spots with 23 and 25 points respectively. Third Australian and also on 25 points was Gosford
sailor Tom Slingsby.

The Double Handed Dinghy events in both the Girls and Boys saw the four 2000 Australian Youth Team team-mates not having to
sail the last race in order to claim the 2001 Australian Champions crowns. Melissa Bryant & Martha Leonard from WA finished their
regatta with a perfect score of 7 wins after allowing for the two dropped races for the series. Anna Patterson & Emma Poulsen from
Queensland finished the regatta with a win in Race nine and finished second overall on 13 points. Fellow Queenslanders Lydia Allen
& Eva Joyce finished in third on 19 points well clear of fourth.

Gavin Fee & Tom Berger from Queensland also had a clear win overall. A third place in Race 8 spoilt their 'perfect score' but their
overall points put them well clear of second. Matthew Chew & James Seymour, also from Queensland, raced a good series and
won today's first race. That gave them a clear second place overall and they also did not have to sail the final race to maintain their
overall position. Third place went to West Australians James Garnaut & Tim Slatter.

The results of this Championship and those of the class Australian Championship will be used as the basis to select the 2001
VOLVO Australian Youth Team. The Team members will represent Australia at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship
to be held in France in July.

The Sandy Bay Sailing Club did an outstanding job of conducting the Championship. The club will tomorrow start the 420 Australian
Championship.

The 2002 Australian Youth Championship will be held in Perth in Western Australia.


Full FINAL RESULTS are posted on the AYF Website at www.yachting.org.au/regattas/aus_youth_cship/2001

For further information contact: Jacqueline Ellis on 0417 665 283 or Jacqueline.Ellis@yachting.org.au