Sailing Update

The windsurfing RSX and Bic Techno National Championships were held in Port Stephens over the weekend and WAIS sailors are going well in the class.

Eamon Robertshaw, a new WAIS member finished first in the Bic Techno, which is the junior class and used for the selection trials for the Youth Worlds. He showed great promise with some big wins, and won by 26 points overall. Second place went to a sailor from Singapore.

Tim Gourlay, from Fremantle Sailing Club finished third overall in the RSX and as a new sailor to the class produced a great result. He was second Australian to Brendan Todd, as a Kiwi sailor finished second overall.

Luke Parkinson who recently switched classes from the 49er to the RSXhas not yet reached the level to race yet, but is progressing and is aiming to be on the pace by December for the Australian circuit.

In Holland, Chelsea Hall and Stacey Omay finished 13th in the World Cup event in the Womens 470 Classand are racing the European Championships in Austria.

The first race on Lake Traunsee proved that good starts are vital as they struggled to find a clear lane and finished 25th. Chelsea slipped and fell out of the boat in the second race making it a tough game of catch up, finishing 21st.Their third race of the day wasbetter finishing 13th. There are 39 teams racing and six more days of racing to improve their scores.

I am flying out to Europe to coach them in the latter part of the Europeans, and then on to Kiel with the 470 Women, the Lasers and the Finn.

Happy Sailing, Belinda Stowell (WAIS head Sailing coach).