Colin Mullins Regatta at Perth, Australia - Overall

Kyle Langford wins the Colin Mullins Regatta © John Roberson

Langford dominates to the end

Kyle Langford and his crew from Sydney’s Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, cruised undefeated through the semis and finals of the Colin Mullins International Youth Regatta, to take the trophy at their first attempt.

For Langford, who normally sails as tactician for world number two skipper Torvar Mirsky, this was his first international match racing event as skipper, but he made it look easy.

Commenting on the finals, in which he defeated Peter Nicholas of the host club, he said of the weather conditions, “it was marginal out there, we were on the edge all the time, sometimes out of control” having survived winds in the 30 to 40 knot range, but done it with style.

Talking about next week’s Warren Jones International Youth Regatta, for which this was a qualifying event, he said, “it’ll be tougher, there are more guys arriving,” referring to defending trophy holder Phil Robertson from New Zealand, currently ranked 25th in the world.

His crew for this event, and next week’s Warren Jones Regatta includes fellow Mirsky Racing Team member Kinley Fowler, his brother Mark Langford, World 49er Champion Iain Jensen, and Tom Scardifield.

In the semi-finals of this series he had demolished promising newcomer David Gilmour, 3 – 0, and had only lost one race in the round robin section of the regatta, and that was a bit of an “own-goal”.

Both the Colin Mullins and Warren Jones Regattas are run by Swan River Sailing, in conjunction with the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and this year’s hosts, Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club on Perth’s Swan river.