Please select your home edition
Edition
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic Range
Product Feature
Seldén PBB50 SINGLE/BECKET
Seldén PBB50 SINGLE/BECKET

JESS Match Cup at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club - Preview

by JESS Match Cup 16 Jan 2020 14:29 GMT 16-19 January 2020
RFBYC Sailing Institute teams training in Freshwater Bay this week © RFBYC

After a thrilling end to the event last season where Matt Jerwood took the win 3-1 in the final series, Ethan Prieto-Low is back at the JESS Match Cup for his third try at a win.

Having placed third and then second in previous years, this time he is better prepared. After his best result yet at the Grade 2 Warren Jones International Youth Regatta in January, with a 6th place, he headed to the USA to compete in the 2019 Grand Slam Series.

The JESS Match Cup is an open match racing event where the top Youth and Women's teams are also acknowledged. The inaugural event was held in 2017 and won by Mark Spearman. In it's third year, the regatta is now a permanent fixture in the Perth match racing scene and remains a feeder event for the Warren Jones International. Again there is an invitation up for grabs to the top placed eligible local youth team from the JESS Match Cup to contest this prestigious Swan River Sailing event.

Joining Ethan at their third JESS Match Cup will be skippers Marcello Torre and Sandy Anderson. Sandy and her all female team have a vast experience in keelboat championships together and have been increasing their skills in the match racing training programmes through the RFBYC Sailing Institute. With Ethan already qualified for the Warren Jones International, young Marcello Torre will have his eye on the invitation. He will be a strong contender for the spot but up against some tough competition from Conor Nicholas who is also a seasoned competitor.

There is one international entry, Joe Howe and his Team Red Lantern from Singapore have raced many events locally, including several years at the Marina Bay Cup. In 2019 they travelled to Australia for the Arafura Games Match Racing Regatta hosted by Darwin Sailing Club but this is their first time in Perth.

Host club Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club has been thriving in youth match racing for many years and has continued to flourish after forming the RFBYC Sailing Institute in 2016. The initiative has provided a solid pathway for the older sailors to mentor the younger teams in to the match racing discipline. Along with Marcello, teams helmed by Kaiella Taylor, Murray Buchan and James Pitt are also products of the Sailing Institute.

Racing begins in Freshwater Bay at 1630 Perth time (GMT +8) on Friday, continues between 0900 and 1230 on Saturday and all day on Sunday 19 January. Follow Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club for plenty of social media updates and live race results. Keep an eye out for video wraps by young media entrepreneur Tom Hodge and he is planning some live streaming of the finals action on Sunday afternoon too.

For those who prefer to sit and enjoy it in person, spectator boats are welcome and the lawn of the RFBYC Clubhouse is sure to be an excellent viewing platform over the race course.

Find all the information here

Teams entered in the 2020 JESS Match Cup

Calypso Racing - Skipper: Ethan Prieto-Low (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club)
Quantum Racing - Skipper: Conor Nicholas (South of Perth Yacht Club)
Columbus Racing - Skipper: Marcello Torre (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club)
Australis Match Racing - Skipper: Murray Buchan (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club)
Team Red Lantern - Skipper: Joe Howe (Singapore)
Team VS - Skipper: Sandy Anderson (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club)
Alectrona Racing - Skipper: Kaiella Taylor (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club)
Pitty Racing Team - Skipper: James Pitt (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club)

Related Articles

GKSS Match Cup & Nordea Women's Trophy overall
It is the first time the Match Cup Sweden title has been won by a Danish Skipper Denmark's Jeppe Borch/ Team Borch Match Race, and France's Pauline Courtois/ Match in Pink by Normandy crowned the new champions of Marstrand in a day of fierce weather for the final of 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand. Posted on 6 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D5
Stage set for Finals showdown in Marstrand With just one day to go at the 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy, the stage is set for a thrilling finale in both the Open and Women's classes. Posted on 4 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D4
High stakes for semi-finalists as the final four teams in each division are locked in The third day of racing at GKSS Match Cup Sweden saw the completion of the quarter-final match-ups in both the Open and Women's class, locking in the final four teams in each division for Friday's semi-finals. Posted on 3 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D3
Surprise exits in Marstrand as Quarter-Finalists decided The qualifying round-robin stages at GKSS Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand finished today with the surprise departure of defending champion USA's Chris Poole/ Riptide Racing and Switzerland's Eric Monnin/ Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team from the Open Class. Posted on 2 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D2
A challenging southerly breeze and short three-lap course put teams to task A challenging southerly breeze and short three-lap course put teams to task on the second day of racing at the GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand, Sweden. Posted on 1 Jul
RYA Harken Youth Match Racing Championships 2025
Nine teams duelled for supremacy in glamour conditions at the WPNSA The 2025 RYA Harken Youth Match Racing Championships saw nine teams duelling for supremacy in glamour conditions at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy. Posted on 1 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D1
Sunday's storm winds cleared to deliver ideal conditions for the opening race day Sunday's storm winds cleared to deliver ideal conditions for the opening race day of the 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy, official championship stages of the World Match Racing Tour and Women's World Match Racing Tour. Posted on 1 Jul
Aspen renews sponsorship for Women's Match Race
As title sponsor of the 2025 Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and World Match Racing Tour has announced the return of leading speciality insurer and re-insurer ASPEN as title sponsor of the 2025 Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta to be held from 21-26 October. Posted on 20 Jun
2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA overall
A tense light-air final on the Severn River USA's women's match racing team Team Baam skippered by Allie Blecher from California won the 2025 Santa Maria Cup today, defeating Vela Racing team skippered by Nicole Breault 3-0 in a tense light-air final on the Severn River. Posted on 8 Jun
2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA Day 3
Nicole Breault and Allie Blecher to meet in the final USA's Nicole Breault / Vela Racing and Allie Blecher / Team Baam have both advanced to the final of the Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, the second stage of the 2025 Women's World Match Racing Tour championship. Posted on 7 Jun