Please select your home edition
Edition
Crewsaver 2021 Safetyline LEADERBOARD

Thrilling contests to decide Sail Sydney

by David Sygall 13 Dec 2017 10:41 GMT 11-14 December 2017
Lasers on the start line at Sail Sydney © Robin Evans / Australian Sailing

Tasman rivalries will come to an exciting crescendo on Sydney Harbour tomorrow when medallists are decided in the seven Olympic classes contesting Sail Sydney.

After a cracking three days, staged in perfect sunny and breezy conditions near host Woollahra Sailing Club, the Laser and 49er classes remain on a knife's edge.

Australian Sailing Team World Championship bronze medallist Matt Wearn leads the strong 24-boat Laser fleet by a solitary point from New Zealand's Sam Meech, the Rio Olympic bronze medallist, and Meech's countryman Tom Saunders, who is three points off the lead in third place. Australian Sailing Squad member Luke Elliott is equal on 14 points with Saunders and ready to pounce.

With Olympic gold medallist Tom Burton out of contention, Wearn will hope to be rewarded for consistency across the opening six races and go one better than his silver medal at Sail Melbourne a fortnight ago.

The 49er class has been a classic battle with Australian Sailing Team crew David Gilmour and Joel Turner locked on 19 points with New Zealand crew Josh Porebski and Trent Rippey in what has become a two-horse race at the head of the field.

"The Kiwis, as a nation, are always well represented in the 49er class," Turner said.

"The boats that are here have been getting some pretty good results. They've definitely shown some good speed and it's good to be racing them.

"Consistency is always key. On the first day we didn't have a lot of speed. We sorted that out by the second day but we found a few more weaknesses today in the stronger breeze. We've de-briefed that and hopefully we'll come out tomorrow firing."

In the other classes, multiple World Champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan have not dropped a point all week and have the 470 class all-but sewn up. Rio Olympian Jake Lilley has a three-point break over World Champion Max Salminen in the Finns, with Australian Sailing Team member Oliver Tweddell in the bronze medal position.

Jacinta Ainsworth leads Australian Sailing Squad Laser Radial sailor Marlena Berzins by three points, while Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin are unbeaten in the Nacra 17 and New Zealand's Alex Maloney and Molly Meech hold an unassailable lead in the 49erFX.

Related Articles

Olympic classes decided on Day 4 at Sail Sydney
Waterhouse and Darmanin prove to be Australia's Nacra 17 powerhouses Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin proved to be Australia's Nacra 17 powerhouses once again, their worst result a second and a DNF from 12 races putting them four points clear of New Zealand's Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders who put up an epic fight. Posted on 7 Dec 2018
Breeze arrives on day three at Sail Sydney
Sydney's traditional summer sea breeze arrives Australian Sailing Team's Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin tore their Nacra 17 mainsail horizontally during second race of day three, prompting a dash from their Sow and Pigs reef course area to Middle Harbour YC in a coach boat to retrieve the spare. Posted on 6 Dec 2018
Sail Sydney farewells Olympic classes
Australian national team and squad members win 6 of 8 fleets Sail Sydney's Olympic class section has ended with national team and squad members winning six of the eight fleets. Posted on 14 Dec 2017
Women sailors shining at Sail Sydney
Darmanin is the only woman on the 12-person Australian Sailing Team Squad members Amelia Stabback and Ella Clark are pursuing New Zealand's 49erFX Rio silver medallists Alex Maloney and Molly Meech, while Australian Sailing Squad Rio Olympians Carrie Smith and Jaime Ryan lead the women crews in the 470. Posted on 12 Dec 2017
Sail Sydney Day 1
Belcher and Ryan keen to add another title after Sail Melbourne win Belcher and Ryan were one of the standouts for Australia on a day which ended with New Zealand crews leading in three of the seven Olympic classes. The pair closed out both 470 races to assert their dominance over the 12-boat fleet. Posted on 11 Dec 2017
Sail Sydney presents brothers new challenges
New classes for Jack and Ryan Littlechild Glamour sailing comes to Sydney Harbour next month when some of the best Olympic and Invited Class sailors in the southern hemisphere get off the mark in the next edition of Sail Sydney. Posted on 19 Nov 2017
Launch pad for Olympic Campaigns
At 23rd edition of Sail Sydney Woollahra Sailing Club will host the 23rd edition of Sail Sydney from December 11-17 with the support of Drummoyne Sailing Club, Middle Harbour Yacht Club and Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. Posted on 9 Sep 2017
Sail Sydney day 4
Nacra 17s on show In their Sail Sydney debut, the Nacra 17 fleet impressed on the final day of competition. Today on the harbour Paul Darmanin and Lucy Copeland won the inaugural class title on count back. Posted on 18 Dec 2016
Sail Sydney day 3
Sun comes out to play The sun came out to play today on the Sydney Harbour and while the breeze drifted in and out, class champions were decided and Flying 11s, Optimist Fleets, Nacra 17s, Sabots, Pacers and Tasars all started their Sail Sydney campaigns. Posted on 17 Dec 2016
Sail Sydney day 2
Postponed after morning racing Rain welcomed competitors this morning with light racing conditions which resulted in Principal Race Officer, Colin Chidgey postponing day two of Sail Sydney. Posted on 16 Dec 2016