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Grimes makes it two in a row at Club Marine NSW States

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Tom Grimes, James Hodgson, Jess Grimes & Harry Hall have won the 2019 Club Marine NSW Youth Match Racing Championship after a stellar final day of competition on Sydney Harbour.

It was textbook sailing from the team which now heads to Russia to represent Australia at the Youth Match Racing World Championship. “It was a great day for us as a team on the water, and was a great final hit out against some strong competition before our World Championship which begins next week.” Commented Grimes after racing.

At the beginning of the day, five teams were still vying for the semi-final spots, with two flights of the round robin remaining. Overnight leaders Alistair Read had a tough end to their round robin, dropping from first to fourth, but still holding on for the next stage.

Grimes topped the round, having only lost one race, with other Club members from the CYCA, John Cooley and Hugo Stoner leapfrogging Read with 7-2 scorecards.

In the semi-finals, Cooley and Stoner had a great tussle in a fickle southerly breeze in Rushcutters Bay. In some cases, it was better to be lucky than good, with Cooley taking a come from behind victory in Race 3 to book his place in the Finals.

Grimes dispatched Read in two clean races to set up an all CYCA Final. In the end, it was the well-polished and highest ranked team that couldn’t be caught. Grimes used his experience to outmanoeuvre his opponent in the pre-start, then sailed clean and fast around the racetrack to take his second consecutive State title.

In the Petit-Final, a strong performance by Hugo Stoner saw him take out the series 2-1 over RPAYC’s Alistair Read to make it an all CYCA podium for the second year in a row.

This was the 19th edition of the NSW Youth Match Racing Championship, with Club Marine joining as naming rights sponsor in 2004.

Click here for overall placings.

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