Youthful energy vs forces of nature

Lake Illawarra hosts 2006 Yachting NSW Youth Championships

Alisha Kawalla from the Illawarra Yacht Club took out the RS:X Sail Board Division last week, adding the 2006 NSW Youth Championship to her accolade of medals

Photo by Stephen Leahy

LAKE Illawarra was a flying spectacle of colour and action over the October long weekend with the best young sailors in New South Wales hitting the water for the 2006 Yachting NSW Youth Championships.

Day 1 set the scene for the three-day event with thrills and spills galore for over 200 young sailors who braved the gusty south easter.

Wind speeds of up to 25 knots saw many competitors forced to retire due to boat and gear damage, leaving rescue staff flat out towing boats back to the club. However the challenging conditions failed to deter the young competitors who viewed the day as a golden opportunity to pit their skills and experience against the forces of nature.

On Sunday, Day 2 of competition, strong winds returned with competitors applying vigorous boat handling skills whilst race organisers worked round the clock to manage a string of breakages.

The continued testing conditions saw the regatta shape towards an exciting finale, as many results hinged on the outcomes of the final day of racing.

The torment of DNFs and DNSs from the previous days racing were hard to forget on Day 3 as a brisk southerly again raised wind speeds to 20-25 knots continuing the carnage which characterised the event.

Port Kembla Sailing Club locals Dean Souter and Angus Naylor on Misguided Missile had a magnificent performance, winning all five races in their Flying Ant to claim a Division 4 win.

Local Illawarra Yacht Club RS:X sailor Alisha Kawalla took out the Sail Board Division, adding the 2006 NSW Youth Championship to her accolade of medals.