Competitor & Officials List

Media Release Day 3; Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship

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.

Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship
Pittwater, Sydney, Australia
Day 2 Media Release

Day 2 of the 2025 Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship unfolded under a moody Pittwater sky, with rain and a firm southerly breeze shaping another day of match-racing.

Despite the challenging conditions, teams demonstrated impressive adaptability, keeping the pressure high as Round Robin 1 concluded and Round Robin 2 commenced.

Race Officer Ted Anderson noted the evolving weather pattern:
“Today will be very similar to yesterday with a strong southerly, then tomorrow it looks like it’s going to go a little bit more east and slow. Then Sunday, It’s not ideal but that’s what the weather does.”

The wet start did little to dampen competitive spirit. The morning flights delivered tight crosses, aggressive starts, and an increasing emphasis on boat handling as visibility and grip varied through passing showers.

Club Commodore, Robert McClelland, praised the increasingly impressive performances emerging from newer competitors:
“Every time you go sailing, you can’t control the weather, so you just use it to your advantage. There are some very good new teams here, and what we’re hearing is that the new guys are doing better than the older guys.”

The strength of the New Zealand contingent has become one of the standout narratives of the regatta. Coach Zak Merton echoed this momentum:
“I’m pretty happy with how the Kiwis are going so far. We have four teams here so my work’s been cut out for me. It’s a lot to keep track of but I’m happy their speed and boat handling is good,  they just need to clean up the decision-making and I think we’re in for a good shot. Two of our boats are in first and second on the leaderboard, (currently) we’ve got another one in about fifth thats climbing rapidly, and then Zach Fong — it’s his first time on the stick. He’s part of the best youth match racing team in the world (Waitematā Racing) and his improvement rate is already rapid.”

Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship
Pittwater, Sydney, Australia

Day 1 of the 2025 Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship delivered a full spectrum of match-racing drama on Pittwater, with fluctuating breeze, precision pre-starts, and hard-fought tactical duels defining the opening exchanges. A steady south-easterly built throughout the day into a 10–18-knot southerly, creating superb racing conditions and multiple opportunities for teams to demonstrate composure under pressure.

The morning’s flights saw several unexpected upsets as teams settled into race mode, refined their timing to the line, and executed increasingly well-coordinated pre-start manoeuvres. As the Round Robin progressed into the afternoon, the fleet’s overall standard tightened significantly, producing close finishes and notable shifts on the evolving leaderboard.

Kemp v Crafoord saw Kemp make a minor tactical error. Kemp fought back hard to the bitter end, but Crafoord was just inches ahead and took the win. 

The match of the brothers Zack and Ethan Fong, both representing RNZYS, was one to watch with no family rules at play; each was out to win and claim bragging rights, with Ethan taking the final win.