Perth – Last week our RPAYC Youth Development team of Daniel Kemp (skipper), Belle Holdsworth, D’Arcy Kemp, Charlie Verity, Lachie Wallace, and Louis Tilly competed at the 2025 edition of the Warren Jones International Youth Match Racing Regatta, hosted by the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. 

The regatta was sailed between 27 and 31 January in sweltering Perth heat, in excess of 40 degrees each day of racing. A low pressure system generating an easterly gradient unfortunately also ameliorated the strength of the afternoon seabreeze, forcing the organisers to shorten the regatta format by replacing the second round robin with a quarter finals series.

The conditions also presented the teams with the challenge of racing each morning in light and flukey Swan River gradient land breezes. 

For Kemp’s team, recent RPAYC Harken champions, the event marked their first time match racing bigger yachts than the familiar Elliott 7s, with the regatta being sailed in the Foundation 36 class. Of this change in boats Kemp commented:

“It has been a massive week of learnings for us, trying to figure out crew processes and closely watching the boat handling of the more experienced teams to try and emulate their polished manoeuvres.”

After a tough first day with a scorecard of 3-1, the team found form and qualified for the quarter finals stage at the end of round robin racing. In the quarters, our team was paired with home favourite Marcello Torre’s RFBYC team. In the first race of the series, our team were able to capitalise on the shifty conditions to sail to a 1-0 lead, however, as the seabreeze built, a polished Torre team showed their experience in these boats to take the series 3-1, qualifying for the semi finals.