Media report by Michael Lockley
Team Aftershock, proudly representing the RPAYC and CYCA , delivered an outstanding performance in winning the International 11 Meter One Design world championship 2026. very successfully run by the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club and Hanko Yacht Club off the Island of Hanko, Norway.
Our crew, Michael Lockley skipper, Mark Griffith co-skipper and helmsman, Steve McConaghy on tactics, Tom Spithill on trim and strategy, and Mal Richardson on the bow showed exceptional teamwork, skill and resilience throughout the event, competing against 22 teams from Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Turkey, the USA, and Australia.
The regatta was run in very challenging conditions with strong tides and variable winds.
Day one presented varying conditions, with winds ranging from 10 to 20 knots. We secured a win in race one and a third-place finish, for a 7-point total. Our consistency and boat speed in some very tight racing gave us an 11-point lead.
Day two, saw a strong Southerly current flow test the fleet. After three general recalls, we were black-flagged, which dropped us to fourth place with 33 points.
Day three brought 25 to 30-knot breezes and 2-meter swells, resulting in racing being abandoned for the day.
Day four: light winds building throughout the day and low visibility allowed for three races, in which we achieved a first and two fourths. Thanks to a drop coming in, we regained the lead, finishing the penultimate day on 17 points and a 10-point margin.
Day five featured medium breezes, 7–10 knots, and 1-meter seas. A third-place finish in the first race of the day secured a 13-point lead going into the final race.
The black flag was again displayed after a general recall. With our earlier black flag disqualification and no more drops, we started very conservatively, finishing 13th in the last race, which was enough to win the regatta by 3 points over the Bluebarry Guys from Norway, skippered by Dag Usterud, a Norwegian Olympian and European champion.
We are incredibly proud of what we achieved together as a team, this victory is a testament to the team’s dedication and hard work. Together, we accomplished something remarkable. We look forward to future races with this amazing team!
Thanks so much for the help and hospitality from the Norwegian, Swedish, and Hungry teams, who not only took us under their wings but kept us on the water with spare parts, Shane Guanaria, who developed seriously fast sails for us, and the Pittwater 11m fleet, who sharpened our skills and were so supportive.
Team Aftershock was developed from the very successful Aftershock Davidson 60 yacht, completing on the Asian circuit, part-owned by Mark Griffith and Steve McConaghy.
RPAYC caught up with Steve McConaghy after the regatta to get his insight into the competition, the team’s strategy and what ultimately helped Team Aftershock secure the World Championship.
With a fleet featuring Olympians, World Championship sailors and professional crews, Team Aftershock knew they would face strong competition in Hanko. For Steve McConaghy, the regatta was also a return to familiar territory. Having won the 11 Metre World Championship in 2004, 2005 and 2006, he had only sailed the class a handful of times since, but found that the memories of how to make the boats go fast came flooding back quickly.
I had sailed at Hanko 4 years ago in the 5.5 Worlds with Mark Tolhurst, the year fellow RPAYC member John Bacon won. I remembered that the left side of the course was often favored, especially when the tide was ebbing out of the nearby river in a south-westerly breeze.
3/5 days saw exactly these conditions with a perfectly laid start line. We started up towards the low-risk, committee boat end and were able to hold our lane and push to the left-hand side of the course without too many boats crossing our bow. This enabled us to get around the top mark in the top 5 in most of the races. Our downwind strategy was probably the best of the fleet, always gaining a few places, staying in clear air and watching the lanes of pressure. As with all fast downwind boats, sailing the correct angle to the wind was crucial, especially with masthead symmetric spinnakers.
We had a very solid team, and our sail trim and crew work were flawless. It’s quite amazing that the first time we sailed together was only 2 days before the regatta! A remarkable achievement that ultimately helped carry Aftershock to its World Championship victory.