Australian Youth match racers line up for national title

The final match between RQYS and NYRC during the 2014 Queensland Match Racing Championship © Tracey Johnstone

Match racing action returns to Mooloolaba, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, this weekend with the Australian Youth Match Racing Championship being held on the river in front The Wharf Mooloolaba.

The Mooloolaba Yacht Club hosted regatta starts tomorrow with six teams racing in the club's Elliot 6 keel boats in a perfect amphitheatre where from onshore spectators are very close to the action of the tight course and the sailors get to challenge their skills in a tricky, tide and building affected venue.

The forecast for the weekend is for a solid south to south-east breeze which will ensure the racing is fast, furious and noisy as the youth teams battle the round-robin series in the boat-on-boat format.

The top ranked skipper in the fleet is Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Harry Price. The 19-year-old and his crew of Murray Jones and Ben Robinson are products of the CYCA's intensive youth training program.

Price, who is a member of the Australian Sailing Team's Youth Bridging squad, is using match racing to hone his skills for his preferred Olympic 49er class. "It's not my main focus, but it does help all my sailing ability. There is a different variety of sailing tactics that you have to learn and put in place which you can use in fleet racing," Price said.

Even though Mooloolaba has a reputation as a tricky race course, Price thinks he and his team will be able to manage the challenge. "I like the tricky stuff, so it should be good. One our team mates sailed here last year so he may have a little bit of local knowledge."

The only female team in this year's event are also from the CYCA's youth program, and led by skipper Caitlin Tames. Tames has only recently moved into the helming role, placing fourth in this year's Marinassess Women's Match Racing Regatta held in March on Sydney Harbour.

Victorian James Sly and his Sandringham Yacht Club crew of Tom Dwyer and Edward James are fairly new to match racing. They finished third in last year's Victorian Match Racing Championship.

Sly has spent most of his sailing career fleet racing in 29ers and 49ers, and most recently racing in the 2015 Tasar World Championship where he finished 10th.

"We started up a match racing program at Sandringham in the last couple of years. I have been in the program for the last two years. It is something a bit different to fleet racing. I like the tactical side and it keeps you on your toes and keeps you thinking a lot more quickly," Slay said.

Sly is hesitant to talk up his chances of a podium place in this year's national championship. "I'm not too sure how we will go. My team and I new pretty new to match racing. We are willing to watch and learn from our mistakes and hopefully not disgrace ourselves too much," he added.

Three Queensland teams will be competing. Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron's skipper Charlie Wyatt will be contesting the event as the current Queensland champion. His crew is a new combination of Alex Gough and Klaus Lorenz.

Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club and Mooloolaba Yacht Club have joined forces to form two teams. The skippers will be MYC's James Hodgson and NYRC's Hunter Vercoe. The crews are made up of members from both the clubs' youth development program and coached by NYRC's Klade Hauschildt.

Hodgson have moved from a 420 class campaign to take up match racing with gusto. He has taken advantage of the MYC's youth program to push his way up the rankings after performing strongly at the recent ISAF Nations Cup Oceania Qualifier regatta.

To follow the racing and results, go www.sailmooloolaba.com and on Facebook www.facebook.com/SailMooloolaba.