Latest News

11 December 2023


Photo by RPAYC. 

Zac West and his team of Jameson Prescott, Emily Keg, James Hayhoe and Katina Casimaty have been officially crowned the winners of the 2023 Harken Youth Match Racing Championship. Racing took place last week from 4 - 8 December on stunning Pittwater, hosted by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. 

West took on Ben Tylecote from GBR for Rutland Sailing Club with three wins in a best-of-five finals round. Tylecote won over race three, closing the gap to make the Finals a thrilling series for spectators on the race-track. Both teams fought hard and sailed exceptionally well to a close finish. 


Coach Nev Wittey and the RSYS Team. Photo by Zac Quinlan. 

The week was an impressive show of skill in beautiful Sydney Summer weather, despite winds being lighter and shiftier than ideal. The Grade 3 match racing event attracted top youth sailors including competitors from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, Ireland and Great Britain. 



RSYS Members Xavier McLachlan and Riley Evans, as well as Daniel Kemp, hopped aboard the Royal Saint George Yacht Club and Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Boats, respectively. 

Zac West told RSYS Media that “It was a super intense competition. All the teams were so evenly matched, and they were probably the most evenly-matched competition I’ve ever competed against. We had a close round-robin and came away with third place, so this result was just enough to get us through to the Semi-finals.



He continued, "We had a lot of fun against the Kiwis and won to compete against the UK team in the finals: the European champions. We had some awesome battles with them, both up and down the course and are stoked to have come away with the win.”


Proudly sponsored by Sail Racing. Photo by Zac Quinlan. 

Principle Race Officer Ted Anderson told RPAYC that "the 29th Harken International Youth Championship was his best event ever, not from just the skill of the teams, the quality of umpires, and his champion team on water but from the camaraderie and mateship of all involved in the event."



Thank you to event host Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club for holding a fantastic regatta with their trusty team of Race Officials. Thanks also to the umpires, coaches and volunteers who made the regatta possible. 

Thanks also to Sail Racing for supplying the highest quality technical gear, keeping our sailors cool and unsafe throughout the entire regatta. 

Harken Photos: Alex Dare - Tidal Media Australia for Down Under Sail.