3 May 2010
By Peter Campbell
The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron has regained the TransTasman Cup and also the TransTasman Youth Cup from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in a three-day series sailed on Sydney Harbour.
This was the 36th running of the annual contest between flag officers and general committee members of the senior yacht clubs in Australia and New Zealand and is sailed alternatively in Sydney and Auckland. The Youth Cup was introduced three years ago to add a youth concept to the traditional TransTasman contest, with each club nominating a team of promising under 21 year old sailors.
Originally sailed in Clansman yachts, the TransTasman Cup is now sailed in a combination of International Etchells and Clansman yachts over a scheduled series of six windward/leeward and two passage races. Light and flukey winds from Friday through to Sunday forced race officers to cancel one windward/leeward and shorten several other races.
Led by Commodore Bill Wood, who also won both races he contested at the helm of an Etchells, the RSYS team regained the TransTasman Cup 255 points to the RNZYS’s 271 points. Other helmsmen representing the RSYS were Vice Commodore Malcolm Levy, Rear Commodore Richard Chapman, Club Captain David Ward and former Olympic sailor Richard Lawson.
Representing the RNZYS were Colin Carran, Ross Masters, Andy Andersen, Kevin Lidgard and David Jury, with Lidgard the top helmsman for the New Zealanders.
While the TransTasman Cup was a fleet racing regatta, the TransTasman Youth Cup was a match-racing contest, sailed in Elliott 6s, with the RSYS team of Jordan Reece, Anousha Fluck and Kathleen Stroinovsky beating the Kiwi crews of Rowan Swanson, Andrew Walsh and Bianca Cook 3-0 in the best of five race series.
While Jordan was the team captain, Anousha Fluck, 19, helmed the RSYS boat, showing exceptional sailing skills.
After scoring two straight-forward wins, the RSYS crew had to overcome a penalty to win the deciding third race and regain the Transman Youth Trophy.
From Peter Campbell
M: 0419 385 028 E: peter_campbell@bigpond.com
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