Reflections on the 2024 Oceania and Australian ILCA National Championships

Introduction:

The 2024 Oceania and Australian ILCA National Championships held in Adelaide marked an important event in my development as a competitive sailor.

Setting the Stage:

Arriving early proved to be a valuable lesson from the previous year, learning that settling in more than just a practice race allowed me to familiarise myself with the venue, boat launching procedures, and understanding sailing conditions all aimed to gain a competitive edge during the regatta.

Preparation:

With a sailing hiatus over the Christmas period, I arrived on the 27th of December 2023, setting up my charter boat and enjoying a three-day training session. New Year’s Day was a well-deserved rest day, followed by boat and sail measurements. Then the practice race on the 2nd January 2024, I felt adequately prepared when the championships commenced the following day.

The Regatta:

This regatta did not have the World Champions and Australian Sailing Team and Squad members competing due to the ILCA 6 World Championships being held at the same time in Argentina. Therefore it was difficult to predict exactly where I would be in the fleet. There were 2 Australian Futures sailors, Paige Caldecoat and Brooke Wilson and Queensland’s Frances Beebe (who is in their State squad) competing so I was interested in seeing how I performed against these experienced sailors.

Racing was scheduled for six days with varying wind conditions, the qualifying rounds (6 races across 3 days) saw winds ranging from four to 12 knots. A couple of delayed days, a thunderstorm, and a windless day during the first day of finals added an element of unpredictability. The first finals races ended up on day 5 or racing instead of day 6 and I navigated through light winds, and moderate conditions, and finally faced stronger winds of 18 to 20 knots on the last 2 days.

Achievements:

Photo: Jack Fletcher for Down Under Sailing

I celebrated a milestone during the championships, securing my first first-place finish in the finals (Final race 1). Consistency throughout the regatta proved crucial, contrasting with others who won races but struggled with overall standings. I was happy with my overall result as fifth in Australia, which also means third Open Men and second in the under-19 Men category, I was happy with how I had developed both my skill and strategic thinking.

Reflections:

I am very happy with my results but also feel I left “a lot out on the water. This result was higher than last year’s ILCA 4 result of 7th overall and so I am happy with the progress I have made in only a year.

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to everyone who has supported me. I often hear ‘it takes a village’ and I am very grateful for my village of supporters through this journey. You absolutely cannot achieve your absolute best in isolation and I love the community that surrounds me in this world of competitive sailing.

In particular the financial support of: Ron Tough Yachting Foundation, City of Cockburn, Monkeyfist Marine, Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club and private donors.