OCIUS Youth Match Racing Championship 2026 - Day 1
by Jordan Reece 29 Aug 02:08 PDT
29-30 August 2026
OCIUS Youth Match Racing Championship 2026 - Day 1 © CYCA / Ashley Dart
The opening day of the 2026 OCIUS New South Wales Youth Match Racing Championship has delivered a tight battle at the top of the leaderboard, with James Hayhoe and Craig Wright finishing Day 1 locked on equal points at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
Eight teams took to the waters of Sydney Harbour for the opening day of the World Sailing Grade 4 event, completing qualifying racing by the end of the day.
A light to moderate southerly breeze provided a challenging day on the Harbour, with the wind shifting towards the south-east and easing as the afternoon progressed. The changing conditions placed an emphasis on strong race strategy and boat speed rather than match racing tactics.
RSYS's James Hayhoe and CYCA's Craig Wright emerged as the standout performers of the day, each recording six wins from their seven matches to sit equal at the top of the leaderboard. Wright emerged as the regatta leader having beaten Hayhoe in their race.
"We had a good day on the water after a loss in the opening race. We realised early on how unstable the wind was and then focused on trying to identify as many shifts as we could." Commented Wright following racing.
Hayhoe is fresh off racing in the United States and is a pre-regatta favourite heading into the weekend. Close behind were Ben Crafoord and Louis Tilly, who each finished the day with five wins from seven races. With only one point separating the top four competitors, the race for the 2026 OCIUS NSW Youth Match Racing Championship remains wide open heading into the final day.
Massimo Henderson sits fifth after recording three wins, while Josh Paulson finished the day with two victories. Lucy Ferguson claimed one win during the opening round robin, while Heidi Ferguson will be looking to bounce back on Sunday.
The 2026 OCIUS New South Wales Youth Match Racing Championship concludes tomorrow at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, where the next NSW Youth Match Racing Champion will be decided.
The CYCA has hosted every NSW Youth Match Racing Championship since the event's inception in 2001, with the Club holding a long and successful history in the event. This year OCIUS has joined as the Naming Rights Partner.
Follow the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy for updates throughout the final day of racing. Racing begins at 1000hrs (AEST) with live results here.