Please select your home edition
Edition
Crewsaver 2021 Safetyline LEADERBOARD

WASZP Australian Nationals at South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club - Preview

by Marc Ablett 8 Mar 2022 08:58 GMT 11-13 March 2022
Jack Ferguson - Strata Plus winning the 2021 Nationals at Sorrento © Jack Fletcher / Down Under Sail

This Friday, will see 30+ WASZPs descend on South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club for the National Championships. As with last season, the event had a last minute venue change when it became untenable for the Western Australian division to run the event for the second year in a row. We thank SLMASC for stepping in to host the event.

There is still time to enter via racehub.waszp.com/eventdetail/76

Due to the late notice, finding a spot on the calendar has proven a challenge with the long weekend in March in Victoria traditionally a weekend of major events. With many of our youth sailors, sailing both the WASZP and other youth classes and the lack of WA representation for the 2nd consecutive year, fleet numbers have remained stable but the potential is massive once we can get back to our traditional Australia Day timeslot, with over 130 boats around Australia, finding that timeslot that works for everyone is critical.

Nevertheless, a great competitive fleet, with a great cross-section of ages synonymous with WASZP sailing is good to see. We expect great battles in each division, with Super-Master, Master and Apprentice looking at very competitive fleets.

The protagonists from the last couple of Nationals will again clash at the top of the fleet, Jack Ferguson, who has won the last 2 National Championships will go in as the favourite. Jack also won the SailGP INSPIRE Youth Racing event in Australia before Christmas and will be on a plane in 2 weeks' time to compete in the Grand Final in San Francisco. If Jack takes the crown, he will receive a cash fund to enhance his professional sailing, plus a development role with the Australian SailGP team. You only get these opportunities in the WASZP Class and we wish Jack well.

Others contending for the crown will be Ben Gunther and Jack Felsenthal, both have shown they are capable of winning a major championship and this may be the week! Ones to watch will be Hugo Allison from Tasmania, Keizo Tomishima from Sydney and Pat Distefano from Victoria, who have all improved out of sight this season.

With a strong contingent of 12 sailors heading to Lake Garda in July for the International WASZP Games, this will be the last opportunity to tune-up prior to that event, which should attract 200+ competitors.

We look forward to bringing you all the action from the 11th to 13th of March and can not wait to get back to Perth in 2023 for the 6th Australian National Championships over the Australia Day period.

Related Articles

Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour LaMaddalena day 2
A fantastic second day in La Maddalena. The perfect wind conditions allowed Waszp and Wing to carry out their regatta program, thrilling with their spectacular evolutions in a breathtaking setting among the islands of the archipelago. Posted today at 2:53 pm
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour LaMaddalena day 1
The fleet left Cagliari yesterday to face the 165 miles to La Maddalena The fleet of Figaro3 of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour left Cagliari yesterday to face the 165 miles that will take them to La Maddalena. Posted on 5 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari overall
Team Aeronautica Militare wins The Aeronautica Militare team wins the Cagliari stage, ahead of the Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee team and the Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team, which came in third. Posted on 4 Jul
SailingFast to provide unrivalled event support
During the WASZP Games at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy SailingFast UK is set to land in Weymouth on the 8th of July and will be on-site until the 26th of July to provide the GOLD STANDARD in event support. Posted on 3 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari day 2
Today in Cagliari, the awards ceremony for the stage winners At the Regatta Village, preparations are under way for the closing ceremony of the Cagliari stage scheduled for this evening at 9:30 pm, preceded by a concert by the Banda della Brigata Sassari. Posted on 2 Jul
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Cagliari day 1
The Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team was the first to arrive in Cagliari The Circolo Nautico Sanbenedettese team was the first to arrive in Cagliari and win the first offshore leg in Sardinia. Posted on 1 Jul
Foiling Week Malcesine 2025 concludes
Champions crowned and records set during the twelfth edition The twelfth edition of Foiling Week came to an end today in Malcesine with the awarding of the first BirdyFish World Championship title, showing the largest fleet ever for the occasion. Posted on 29 Jun
Athena Pathway announces AFP Foiling Festival
All abilities welcomed at Weymouth this August AFP Foiling Festival will cater for different levels of foiling experience, offering tasters for beginners, skills sessions for developing sailors, and structured training for current squad and intermediate-level athletes. Posted on 29 Jun
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour Trapani day 3
Team Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee wins in Trapani, now heading to Sardinia The Verein Seglerhaus Am Wannsee team won the Trapani stage after about 54 hours of navigation in the offshore category, preceding the Aeronautica Militare team and the Royal Madras team who came in third. Posted on 28 Jun
2025 International Classes Regatta preview
The ICR has earned a stellar reputation as an outstanding lead-up regatta for competitors The Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC) is proud to announce that the 2025 International Classes Regatta (ICR)—the Club's premier annual dinghy event—will take place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November 2025. Posted on 27 Jun