Two YSA teams have touched down in Perth for this week’s Australian Youth Match Racing Championship, being hosted this week by Royal Perth Yacht Club. From Tuesday 4 to Friday 7 July 2023, teams from New South Wales and Western Australia will battle on the waters of Matilda Bay to become Australia’s next National Champions.

It is a welcome return to the event as part of the Australasian match racing circuit, with the National Championship being halted over the past three years due to the pandemic and inter-state border closures.

Skippers, Cole Tapper & Will Sargent will lead the two teams from the CYCA. Max Brennan, Chelsea Williams & Hamish Vass will join Cole, while Paige Caldecoat, Ryan Ewings, Hugo Leeming and Craig Wright join Will as both teams look to defend the CYCA’s title from 2019.  

Both CYCA teams will have a good chance of claiming the national title this week, with CYCA teams claiming the past five editions of the event from 2015 to 2019. The biggest threat to a sixth National title in a row for the Club will come from local favourite, Marcello Torre (RFBYC).

World #22, Cole Tapper and his team are in fine form, having recently taken out the CYCA Match Cup on Saturday 24 June, winning all races during the one-day event.

Whilst for Will Sargent’s team, Paige and himself in particular, will carry a lot of confidence having recently becoming world champions in the SB20 class just over two weeks ago in the Netherlands. That preparation will be key for this week’s event in Perth, as both events are using asymmetrical spinnakers.

The four-day event will feature a double round robin from Tuesday to Thursday, followed by the knockout stages including Semi-Finals and Finals series being conducted on Friday.

Racing can be followed live via www.matchracingresults.com or the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy Facebook page.