Mitchell Jumps Aboard Sailing Team

Published On: 4 November 2010

Following a tradition formed by AIS sailing coach Victor Kovalenko, a successful female athlete is invited to christen a new boat for luck. "My Life" was christened by current gymnastics world champion Lauren Mitchell

World Champions from two sports joined forces in Perth on Wednesday to christen the latest addition to the Australian Sailing Team fleet.

Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, 2010 (470 class) World Champions, had their newest boat christened by recently crowned WAIS gymnastics World Champion Lauren Mitchell in a ceremony at the Royal Perth Yacht Club Annex at Fremantle.

The Australian Sailing Team pair has continued the tradition started by Page and former skipper Nathan Wilmot, dedicating their boats to Australian actor Nicole Kidman, with their latest 470 purchased by the Australian Institute of Sport, christened My Life, after the 1993 movie.

“Lauren has been groundbreaking in her sport and we’re thrilled that she agreed to christen a boat that we hope will lead to more success for Mathew and I,” said Page. “We often just focus on our own sport so it was great to bring two sets of athletes together who have won World Championships in 2010 because there’s plenty we can learn from each other.”

“Both Lauren and Mathew and I have the same target for the 2012 London Olympic Games, bringing home a Gold medal, and today gave us a good opportunity to get an insight into how her program is progressing and also congratulate her on her recent World Championship win and success at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games,” he said.

Belcher and Page are in Western Australia to prepare for the upcoming Perth International Regatta, an important test prior to the Perth 2011 World Championships where 75 per cent of the sailing positions for the 2012 London Olympic Games will be awarded.

“It’s great for us to be in Perth and we’re both looking forward to hitting the water over the next couple of weeks for the Perth International Regatta,” said Belcher. “It’s important for us to get a good feel for the venue and also for the organisers to have a full test run before we head into such a massive sailing event in December 2011.”

“Malcolm and I have been back training in Sydney for a couple of weeks after a short break and now we’re putting some time in on the water over here in Perth and are really keen to take on the world’s best sailors in our home country,” he said.

The Perth International Regatta will be held from November 16 to 21 with more than 200 crews set to compete.

– Courtesy Yachting Australia