Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship starts tomorrow

7:59 AM Tue 17 Nov 2009 GMT

'Two NZ teams battle it out in a gybing duel during the 2008 Harken event' Arthur Spithill

The 17th annual Harken International Youth Match Racing Championships, one of the premier events for youth on the match racing circuit gets underway on Wednesday 18th November on Pittwater with the competitor registration, weigh-in and training session followed by an event launch in the evening at the host club, The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

The 2009 Harken International Youth marks the 12th consecutive year with HARKEN Australia as naming rights sponsor. Their ongoing commitment to the development of youth match racing is a credit to this leading manufacturer and marketer of quality sailboat hardware and accessories.

Carl Watson, Harken Australia's Managing Director said, 'It is Harken's commitment to assisting the talents of up and coming sailors that led to the association with the RPAYC. The Harken International Match Racing Regatta has proven to be a great showcase for talent and this year certainly promises to continue with its high calibre of sailors. Many promising young sailors have gone onto further their sailing careers after competing in this regatta. We are pleased to continue our relationship with the RPAYC in 2009.'

'The Harken' as it is known in youth sailing circles worldwide stands out as one of the premier events for youth on the International match racing calendar and has during its 17 year history served as a launch pad for a number of local yachting stars including dual Harken winning skippers James Spithill, Michael Dunstan, Seve Jarvin and more recently Torvar Mirsky who won the event in 2006 and has since become a rising star on the World Circuit.
This year eight teams from Australia and New Zealand will compete for the Rockin' Robin Perpetual Trophy* with three teams from New Zealand and five from Australia.

The event will be sailed in the Club's fleet of Force 24' yachts which are purpose built for match racing and extremely popular with competitors due to their lively performance. Each team can have up to five crew with a maximum crew weight limit is 350Kg, all of who must be under 21 years of age.

Crews will certainly be looking forward to some excellent sailing conditions this week on the Pittwater track with the bureau's outlook on Day one of racing forecasting temperatures in the low 30's with the breeze out of the North East at 10/15 knots building to 15-20 knots the following day.

The teams will sail a complete round robin with every team sailing once against each other. The teams will then progress through to a three-match repechage/knockout round. The team at the bottom of the ladder after each three-match decider will be knocked out of the competition. This will continue until there are only two teams remaining. The two remaining teams will then sail a best of five final to decide the winner of this year's event.

The eight teams are:
Team Skipper
1 Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club (NZ) Matthew Stevens
2 Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (NSW) Olivia Price
3 Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZ) William Tiller
4 Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (NSW) Jordan Reece
5 Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZ) Harry Thurston
6 Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (NSW) Reece Tailby
7 Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (NSW) Jason Waterhouse
8 Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (WA) Peter Nicholas

The host club, the RPAYC will provide two teams for the event, one being skippered by 18 year-old Harken debutante and current Hobie 16 Youth World Champion Jason Waterhouse who will line up with some of his RPAYC Youth Development compatriots of 2009 including Michael McCormick, Stephanie Doyle, Matt Stenta and Max Voss.

Waterhouse said, 'I've been contesting a few match racing events this year to broaden my experience and give myself a new challenge and I'm really enjoying it. We've been training hard so I can't wait to have a crack at my first Harken!'

The other team is also made up from the RPAYC's respected Youth Development program with Reece Tailby on the helm backed by Elyce McClelland, Gemma Rasdall and John Vincent.

The NZ teams always bring some tough competitors to the event given their intense youth development programs they operate across the Tasman. This year Matthew Stevens (RPNYC) and William Tiller (RNZYS) will go into the Championships as slight favourites along with Olivia Price (CYCA) who will bring her heavily campaigned international experience in 2009 to the Harken, having made the Women's Australian Sailing Development Squad.
Last year's winner Tom Spithill (RPAYC), in his final attempt at the Harken became the sixth RPAYC member to win the event alongside his brother James twice in 1996 and 1998 and sister Katie in 1999. Tom no longer qualifies for the event due to his age but had this to offer the competitors.

'The Harken is a great regatta with a long history and offers some pretty exciting match racing experience and the opportunity to build some pretty strong friendships with the other teams from Australia and overseas. It's always a tough program over the four days but if you've done the yards prior to in training, you should have the stamina and focus to hang in there. And it's always good to catch up with Robyn Wiltshire who donated the perpetual Rockin' Robin trophy,' said Tom.

The 2009 Harken International event is certified Grade 3 for ISAF match race rankings. After team training and event launch on Wednesday, match racing will commence on Pittwater on Thursday, 19th at around 10am and conclude with the finals on Sunday 22nd November. The course is set just north of Scotland Island and spectators are encouraged to come along. Follow all the action on the water from Thursdayat www.rpayc.com.au/harken-youth-match-racing-regatta.html

Spithill on his way to winning the 2008 Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship - Arthur Spithill

PRO for the event will once again be Ted Anderson whose experience goes back to the Olympic match racing in 2000 and Chief Umpire will be Phil Mostyn who leads an international cast of umpires, many with Americas Cup experience. International and interstate teams will be billeted with RPAYC Club members, a custom that has forged many longstanding friendships in past years. The organisation of an event of this calibre would not be possible without the aid of a dedicated team of volunteers and RPAYC members.

The 'Rockin'-Robin Trophy'
Robyn Wiltshire presented the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club with a perpetual trophy named the 'Rockin'-Robin Trophy'. Robyn presented the trophy in memory of her husband Grant and son Robert, Andrew Young and Jeff Smith, all Club members who tragically lost their lives at sea aboard the yacht 'Rockin' Robin' whilst on passage to Fiji in 1990. Many Club members provided financial assistance and volunteered their time to help with the Search and Rescue, after the group was spotted next to their partially submerged yacht approximately 200 nautical miles off the Australian Coast. Even after an extensive Search and Rescue lasting more than one month, the sailors or the vessel were never sighted again.

by Damian Devine