Rising stars
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) will again host the 2017 SHARP Australian Youth Match Racing Championship, which promises to be a riveting battle.
Photography by CYCA
25 September 2017
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This year marks the second time the CYCA hosts the SHARP Australian Youth Match Racing Championship. This year’s race also marks the second time Sharp Australia had been the title sponsor of the youth championship. 10 teams from five states will compete in Sydney Harbour to be crowned Australia’s primary youth match racing team.
There is immense interest in the event from all over the country, with teams hailing from as far as Southport, QLD and Darwin, NT. Other NSW teams competing include the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.
Absent from this year’s race will be two-time winner and defending champion, Harry Price.
This year Tom Grimes, who is a pre-event favourite, will represent the CYCA. 12 months prior Grimes had not competed in a match racing event. He is currently ranked 85th in the world.
Eyes are also on the current Women’s Match Racing Champion, Clare Costanzo. Costanzo will be representing the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.
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Queensland Youth Sailor of the Year, James Hodgson, will also be a focus. Hodgson joined the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy during his HSC year, with the goal of attending university and sailing in Sydney in 2018. Following Hodgson, Southport Yacht Club sailor Tom Siganto will be the second Queensland entry this year.
After a lengthy departure John Lynch will be making a comeback as skipper with the Darwin Sailing Club.
Young sailor Sam King will be travelling to Sydney next week for the event. King received an invitation to the race after winning the Tasmanian Schools MR Championship earlier on in the year. He will take the helm for the Victorian entry from Sandringham Yacht Club.
Aside from the prestigious Australian Youth Match Racing Champion title, teams are also vying for an invitation to the World Sailing Grade 2 event – the 2017 Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship hosted by the CYCA in November.
Racing will begin on Tuesday 26 September with a double round-robin qualifying series and knockout series scheduled through to Friday 29 September.
Live results will be posted on the CYCA website.
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