At the end of a tough light air regatta hosted by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Hobart, the 6 foot 3 inch Will Ryan is walking even taller after scoring his first match racing win, victory made sweeter by the fact he’s notched up so many previous strong final placings but never a first.
The three-day Lenna Australian Youth Match Racing Championship was a wet and light air affair, the breeze never more than 10 knots with most of the racing completed on the Derwent River in less than 5 knots.
The toughest day was the final day yesterday when the River glassed over mid morning as the second round robin was completed, forcing racing to be postponed for more than three hours. At 3pm the race committee finally decided to abandon all semis and petite finals and go straight into the final.
With Ryan at this stage the clear leader, the chance to challenge him in a first to two final went to the host club’s team skippered by Blair Spaulding after a countback was required to settle the three-way tie for second.
The light sea breeze which finally built in the afternoon didn’t allow time for the completion of this final and with a race apiece, Ryan and his team of Jay Griffin (sheet), Jonothan English (bow) and newcomer to the crew, Dean Souter (trim), were declared overall winners based on their results at the end of the two round robins.
Spaulding (RYCT) finished second on the pointscore ahead of the CYCA skippers Evan Walker (third), Jamie Woods (fourth) and Will Mackenzie in fifth place.
RYCT Commodore Alastair Douglas last night hosted the prize presentation and declared the “best boat won” with Ryan and his crew out-classing the remaining seven teams from NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia in the grade 3 regatta.
Eighteen-year-old Ryan credited their winning result to his team’s outstanding crew and spinnaker work.
“It was a tough regatta with no easy races,” said a delighted Ryan. “We could never let our guard down.
“The crew’s efficiency meant we could roll smoothly through the tacks and gybes which allowed me to focus on boat speed and match racing manoeuvres,” added the winning skipper.
In the wet and light conditions, kite sets, trim and gybes and rolling smoothly through tacks and gybes were determining factors for maintaining boat speed reported CYCA coach Jenni Bonnitcha today.
Ryan thanked Bonnitcha for accompanying and coaching the four teams and also Dayne Sharp who coached the CYCA teams for the first two days of the championship.
The next two events on the match racing circuit are the Australian and Women’s Match Racing Championships to be held in Sandringham commencing Friday 21 September. – Lisa Ratcliff
Full results available at https://www.ryct.org.au/results/aymrc/series.htm
