The Yachtsman 2017-2018 The Yachtsman 2017-2018 | Page 24

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
the gap well but it was too much. With two losses they were out of
the semi-finals. And so, the next series of races for them were
to determine the positions 5 to 9.
With the break between series they came over to the
spectator boat where the coach was located and had a brief
discussion on what needed to be altered to improve the
windward performance. The jib cars were moved further
forward to give more power in the light conditions, the
traveller was moved up to centre the boom and the crew were
encouraged to sit forward and close together, and to not try to
sail too high because they were stalling and slipping sideways
in the light conditions, speed, not height. The Elliot 6s have
very small keels and need speed to create lift.
In the first race of the sail-off the pre-start was excellent
and they clearly outmanoeuvred their competitor, forcing
a penalty on them. After a good start they unfortunately
continued to pinch a bit and, while not as slow as before,
were still slower than their competitor upwind. Again, the
downwind performance was impressive but the upwind issue
cost them the race.
In the second sail-off the pre-start was again excellent
and they won the start. This time they sailed fast, not high,
upwind and rounded the top mark first having sorted out
what they needed to do to make the boat fast upwind. The
kite set was excellent but they allowed their competitor to “sit
on their wind” and so the competitor slowly ran them down
to be a boat length ahead at the bottom mark (this was their
worst run of the day). Rounding the bottom mark on the
transom of their competitor they pointed high, and stopped.
While the upwind performance was much improved, they
couldn’t recover the loss at the bottom mark and on the run
to the finish, while they closed up to being overlapped, their
competitor just crossed the line in front. A disappointing
result but a good lesson regarding being covered downwind
and rounding the bottom mark without speed. It was a race
they could have easily won in an event with a lesser standard
of competitor, but here, one mistake and you pay heavily,
still, some very good lessons learnt.
The third race was the last in the sail-off and, believe
it or not, all the learning over the past three days came
together. Great pre-start tactics saw the RPAYC cross the
start line right on time and in a controlling position. With
the upwind issue now fully sorted they romped away from
their competitor. Even a slight mix-up with the first kite set
(which made the coach’s heart stop for a short while) was
well recovered, although they had given the competitor
the opportunity to catch up their lesson from the previous
race about keeping clear wind downwind paid off. On the
next upwind the RPAYC team again steamed away with an
impressive display of upwind sailing. Downwind to the finish
they played conservatively, but well, to at last finish where
they deserved, in first place.
So, while they left it to the last race to “put everything
together” it was clear they had learned a great deal over
the regatta and had been eventually able to translate that
learning into a well-deserved, and controlled, success. It was
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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
W O M E N ’ S M AT C H R A C I N G
no “fluke”, they were impressive throughout the race, and
looked competent, a force for the future.
DAY 4
The RPAYC crew (and coach) along with all but the four
finalists spent the day on the changeover boat watching the
finals and swimming in the crystal-clear water. Waiting for
wind, any wind! It took all day to get sufficient periods of
up to 3kts of wind to complete a shortened finals series. And
very painful for the finalists and for the Race Director Ted.
In the end, the last race of the series was commenced at one
minute before the official cut-off time! Well done Ted. We
enjoyed a very friendly prize giving at the junior Club house.
All teams mixed together and enjoyed each others company,
despite some language challenges!
So, in the “wash-up” the RPAYC were in a triple tie
for 6th place in the open and the same for 4th place in the
“juniors” (most junior teams were somewhat older than the
RPAYC crew). The tie-break relied on performances during
the “round robin” so they slipped back to 7th place in the
open and 5th in the juniors, splitting the two KIWI teams
who had tied with them for the 6th and 4th. The result was
a very credible result with the very experienced crews form
Nouméa taking out the major positions, with some brilliant
racing, particularly in the very difficult light winds on the
last day.
In all, as coach, I must say it was a pleasure to work with
these four young people, “they did the Club proud”. Everyone
at the regatta knew the RPAYC crew was the least experienced
as a match racing crew and the general comment on how well
they improved during the event was a well-deserved reward
for their efforts. They were always eager to learn and discuss
issues and you could see the improvement as they listened
to advice and applied themselves to overcoming issues. They
discussed matters between themselves and, although of very
different personalities, worked well as a team. Each brought
special skills to the team and I wouldn’t like to single any one
out as they all put in equally. Except, and I suspect none of
the crew will mind me making special mention of our team
interpreter, India, who ensured we understood what was on
the menu at the restaurants and that our orders were delivered
with no surprises. There is a lot to be said for having someone
who studied extension French at school, as part of the team.
I
n a powerful Westerly breeze on Sydney
Harbour, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht
Club (RPAYC) member, Juliet Costanzo
and her team of elder sister Clare, Jess
Angus, Ann Scholten and Emma Rankin
became Australia’s newest Women’s Match
Racing National Champion, defeating New
Zealand’s Celia Willison 3-0 in the finals.
Epic conditions were in order for the final
day of the Australian Women’s Match Racing
Championship, hosted by the Cruising Yacht
Club of Australia (CYCA), with winds
averaging 20 knots for the day, the biggest
gust on record topping 35 knots.
The Race Committee got the teams out
on time and in a light northerly wind to start
the day, with the semi-finals getting underway
with Round Robin winner, Costanzo matched
up against the CYCA’s India Howard. The
girls from the RPAYC only needed two
matches to dispatch Howard on a difficult
race track as the breeze fought its way round
to the west.
In the other semi-final, Celia Willison gave
it their all against Charlotte Griffin from the
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. Both teams
have traded blows throughout the competition
and today’s semi-final dust up was exactly the
same and went to a third and deciding race.
Celia, only sailing through to the Finals on
the last run of the race after Griffin overlaid
into the finish and broached.
With the winds building in the last flight of
the semi-finals, the Race Committee advised
the teams to take refuge behind Clark Island,
dropping their mains and remaining under
tow till it was safe for racing to continue again.
Holding the teams under postponement for
a 20-minute break seemed key for the Race
Committee as the breeze dropped down to 14-
22 knots, enabling the Finals to commence.
In the petit-finals, after a disastrous first
race, hooking the top mark, India Howard
and her team of Elyse Guervara-Rattray,
Dana Tavener, Katherine Shannon and Jaime
Swavley outsailed the RSYS’s Charlotte
Griffin to take a come-from-behind victory
and steal third overall for the week.

RPAYC’s Juliet
Costanzo and Team
crowned Champions
Report and images
courtesy of CYCA
In the Finals, both teams fought for every
inch around the race track but superior boat
handling enabling fast tacks, sets and drops
saw Juliet Costanzo take out the series in
commanding styling. Costanzo led at nearly
every turning mark and took out her first
Women’s National title as helm with an
unbelievable scorecard of 19-2 over the three-
day event. This is Juliet’s second National
title, having last won the event as crew for her
sister, Clare, back in 2016.
I for one, was very proud of their efforts, performance
and behaviour, as should Club members be. With these young
people “on board” things look bright for the future of both
sailing at RPAYC and for the Club’s culture, and reputation.
The CNC yacht Club was very friendly and helpful as
were the Umpires and the Race Director (Ted Anderson)
and the whole event was very professionally run. Throughout
the series the winds varied from gusts approaching 20 knots
to nothing “glass out”! Very testing and excellent racing in
challenging conditions against very good match racers.
Angus Gordon
R PAY C YA C H T S M A N
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