WAIS Sailing Athletes Set For Busy Road Ahead
The second half of 2014 shapes as a busy period for members of the WAIS Sailing Program with athletes involved in competitions spanning the globe, highlighted remarkably, by the start of the 2016 Olympic qualification process.
The emergence of Matthew Wearn as one of Australian sailing’s most talent young competitors has been a regular talking point over the past 12 months off the back of an impressive world cup campaign that has seen the teenager consolidate his top ten ranking to sixth in the world in the laser class.
Wearn is preparing for the World Championships in Santander, Spain in September which is also the start of the Olympic selection process. Wearn’s goals will also include maintaining his place on the Australian Sailing Team, which requires a top 10 World Championship finish in Spain.
Before this year’s peak event, Wearn will travel to Rio to compete in an official test event being staged in August that will provide him with inside knowledge of the 2016 Olympic course, as well as solid race practise ahead of the following month’s World Championships.
Currently, Wearn is in Croatia along with WAIS team mates Luke Elliot and Mark Spearman as well as WA athlete Ben Walkemeyer, who are all competing at the European Championships. Racing begins on the 9th of June.
WAIS Laser Radial sailors Alistair Young and Conor Nicholas will compete at the Singapore Laser Nationals, starting this week, in preparation for July’s Youth World Championships in Portugal. The duo will then move onto Poland to contest the Laser Radial men’s open World Championships.
WAIS 49er FX athlete Caitlin Elks is attending a training camp in Sydney, and is another WAIS athlete preparing to embark for Europe, to compete in Kiel, the Europeans and then onto Rio for the 49er FX World Championships for the final chance to qualify for the Australian Sailing Team for 2014. Elks is sailing with Tess Lloyd in a relatively new combination, having began competing together in December last year, meaning developing their team and aiming to get as much race experience on the world circuits together will be the aim.
David Gilmouris a busy man with his 49er sailing going well with his crew Rhys Mara. They are competing at World Championships in Santander with regular training camps forming the key to their preparations. Gilmour is also part of the Australian America’s Cup team, and has been competing on the Alpari World Match Racing tour, creating experience across a variety of fields aimed at helping his Olympic aspirations.
Carrie Smithis sailing the 470 class and embarking on her Olympic career in this class. She has been given a great opportunity to sail with Elise Rechichi’s crew, Sarah Cook as Elise has sadly been out of the boat since October last year with illness. Carrie is in a holding pattern at present while Elise is working hard on getting back to her competitive self.
Nia Jerwood, Lisa Smith, Emerson Carlberg and Lachy Gilmour are all training in preparation for the Youth World Championships in Portugal this July. The five youth team members including Alistair Young, will leave in the first week of July. Jerwood and Smith will also compete in the 420 World Championships after the Youth Worlds.
WAIS head coach Belinda Stowell – who oversees the coaching and development of the WAIS program athletes – has herself been selected as an Australian coaching member on the Youth World Championship team for Portugal, at the Laser Radial World Championships in Poland and in Germany for the 420 World Championships.