31st Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship - Day 3
by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club 22 Nov 00:10 PST
19-23 November 2025
At the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, sailors started the day bundled head-to-toe in wet-weather gear on Saturday morning, prepping their boats after breakfast and laughing through the persistent drizzle.
As the Commodore reminded the fleet earlier, "It's a water sport after all," a sentiment that perfectly captured the competitors' resilient and upbeat approach to the blustery Pittwater conditions.
RPAYC Coach Rob Brewer echoed the sentiment, noting how the famously shifty Pittwater breeze has pushed every team to adapt quickly. He praised the strong camaraderie across the fleet, describing the on-water atmosphere as "high-spirited," with teams who know each other well racing hard while maintaining genuine respect.
Brewer also highlighted the longstanding bond between Australian and New Zealand youth sailing programs and the impact this event has on international standings. As a World Sailing Youth Grade 3 match racing event, results from the Championship are submitted to World Sailing, where skippers' Open and Youth Match Racing Rankings are adjusted accordingly.
"Being a well-ranked event, it adds to the rankings on the world scale," Brewer noted. "There's a lot of pressure on these sailors. They come over here, we look after them, and they form friendships, which is a big part of our pool." He added that several teams remain "very much in the mix" for the top spot.
Robbie Wooldridge and Samuel Scott (RNZYS) have remained competitive throughout the day. Winning 6 races each, during the round robin. Wooldridge secured wins over both Scott and Kemp, often through smart downwind sailing and tight covering, while Scott held off late surges from Zach Fong to claim key victories. Mia Lovelady (RFBYC) capitalised on opponents’ errors, breaking clear downwind to secure decisive leads, particularly when rivals faltered at the gate.
Ben Crafoord (CYCA), James Hayhoe (RSYS), and Harriett McLachlan (RSYS) have all had strong moments, with Hayhoe taking wins and pushing Tilly hard, but inconsistent breezes have made it difficult to maintain momentum. Crafoord and Hayhoe faced challenges with separation upwind in several matches.
Zach Fong (RNZYS) closed out the final match of Round Robin 2 with a strong performance, forcing his way past Ben Crafoord (CYCA) to take the win and finish the day on a high note. Earlier in the round, Daniel Kemp (RPAYC) also regained momentum with a win over Ethan Fong (RNZYS), keeping himself in contention for the finals. Other standout performances included Mia Lovelady (RFBYC) holding off Louis Tilly (RPAYC) and James Hayhoe (RSYS) capitalising on tactical opportunities to secure victories. With Round Robin 2 complete, the fleet will return tomorrow at 1000hrs for the Semi-Finals and Finals, where the top skippers will battle it out in the concluding stages of the regatta.
Race-by-race coverage, results, and daily updates will be available online at the official event website: www.intyouthmatchracingchampionship.com.au