Sailors gearing up for National Titles

ILLAWARRA Yacht Club (IYC) is a strong chance of bringing home titles from the upcoming National Flying Ants Championships in Perth. So said IYC Commodore Todd Lindsay after the club’s Flying Ants crews met in the Illawarra for an emerging athletes camp on the weekend.

The camp was in preparation for the national titles from December 28 to January 3.

The top six NSW Flying Ants crews will make the trip to Perth; five of them are from IYC.

The championships leader is A Blonde Moment, manned by Ryan Lindsay and John Liddle.

Second is Excalibur, manned by Phoebe Thomas and Victoria Liddle, followed by Jack Flash, including a crew of Kaitlyn Middleton and Hamish Cowan.

Fourth and fifth place on the NSW Flying Ants regatta standings are filled by the IYC’s On Fire (Adam Jones and Ryan Dryden) and Speed Demon (Tegan Lindsay and Amy Middleton).

IYC Commodore Todd Lindsay is confident his club’s crews can bring back the prestigious state team’s trophy and overall championship.

“I would be surprised if they didn’t come home with the state team’s trophy,” he said.

“They are all a shot of winning the overall title.”

Lindsay nominated A Blonde Moment and Excalibur as the standout contenders for the national title.

“A Blonde Moment came third at last season’s Flying Ant titles and Excalibur is equal with them in the NSW standings,” Lindsay said.

NSW is the defending state team’s title champion and their flotilla was mainly comprised of IYC boats.

“Most of these crews have represented NSW before in different classes; they have just started steering their own boats,” Lindsay said.

“These kids have the chance to move onto Australian youth level.”