Harken 505, OK and 470 Class Australian Championships at Fremantle Sailing Club - Days 3 & 4
by Jonny Fullerton of Regatta Services 22 Jan 13:58 GMT
19-23 January 2026
After four races over the first two days, the OK Dinghy fleet took a rostered day off to go to take the customary photo selfies with the quokkas on Rottnest Island.
Meanwhile back at Fremantle SC the 505 and 470 fleet woke to a scorching day with land temperatures reaching 40c. Luckily it was slightly less on the water but a challenging day for the race officer to get another two races completed.
There was a glimpse of a chance late in the morning with a faint and shifty 5 - 8 knot Easterly so race 5 got under way but the course was a bit wonky with the shifts making setting a fair course very tough.
A few different front runners surfaced, Michael Quirk & David Snoad (MSC) took the gun with the travelling Brits, Michael Wilson and Stu Bithel representing Isle of Man YC. Local sailors, Michael Duffield and Nalu Ho (FSC) took third.
Rather than sit out in the scorching heat drinking the state dry of fresh water the PRO sent everybody back to the marina to hope of an afternoon breeze. It did fill in about an hour later for a later afternoon race but was never going to be much more than 12 - 14 knots.
Mal Higgins & Jesse Mitton (BSYS) where back on the podium to take the win from Michael Babbage & James Mcallister (NCYC) with local ace Chris Paterson and crew Conall Hansford in third.
After a long tiring day in the heat is was back to shore and off to a 'paella party' on the Swan River hosted by local 5o5 family Matt & Jenny Hansen.
Race Day 4
The whole fleet woke up to a much fresher summer morning on the sunset deck at Fremantle SC for race day 4 of the joint Nationals for 5o5's, OK Dinghies and 470's. The sea breeze was in early so the fleets headed out for a lunchtime start. All three fleets were set the trapezoid course of 2 laps with the 5o5's using gate starts.
This was back to 5o5 racing at its best. Constant wind readings were taken from the gate boat up and down the course and the average was only around 16 - 18 knots but with gusts of 20+. What did make the racing exciting was when you add in big wave sets rolling down the course from 210 degrees it became surfing weather.
The conditions suited the former world champs, Pete Nicholas and Luke Payne (RFBYC / GKSS). They bolted round the course to finish comfortably ahead of all the competition. Fighting into second place was the familiar couple from SA, Mal Higgins and Jessie Mitton. Third to cross another local boat Nicholas Mariani & Jake Bessen (FSC).
Another popular 4th place for FSC's local hero Tessa Parkinson and Thor Schoenfoff and an even more impressive 5th place finish for young Caitlin Elks a former member of the Australian Olympic squad who is crewed by Andrew Cawley also from FSC.
As all fleets has finished the first race of the day the sea state started to get a bit gnarly and with the higher wind speed getting ever closer the PRO decided to end racing for the day.
There was a number of boats in all three fleets suffering damage including two broken masts in the 5o5 fleet and quite a lot of swimming around the course.
It has resulted in an interesting final days racing with a similar forecast. The overall scores show Mal Higgins and Jesse Mitton have broken away with a 9 point lead with one discard but with a possible 3 races to be sailed and the possibility of a second race drop, it's all to play for.
With a bad day on the water in the lighter stuff, scoring a 13 &12 on Wednesday, Peter Nicholas and Luke Payne sit in second overall but after that the top six boats are very close.
One non-sailing item that has been noted around the boat park and that is that there seems to be a trend for the skippers of the WA 5o5 fleet to have an unwritten rule to sport the largest of moustaches! I am not sure if they make you go faster or whether they have an ability to pick wind shifts with them but hey less about the grooming and back to the sailing.
The final day's sailing to decide the titles is scheduled for another lunch time start and some more glamour sailing conditions. Bring it on.
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