The WASZP Nationals were sailed from the Perth Dinghy Sailing Club over 4 days last week in near perfect conditions on the Swan River. The fleet of 40 WASZP sailfoilers included six RPAYC representatives (pictured). Youth eastern states sailors dominated in the fresh seabreezes and the event was taken out by Geelong sailor Conall Green, with RPAYC’s Louis Tilly 2nd and WSC’s Keizo Tomoshima 3rd. These three were a class above the rest and were exchanging race wins blow for blow throughout the week.
The first race went to plan for Tilly as he extended his lead with a 2nd place and Green an 8th and Tomishima in 3rd. Young WA local Tommy Devine made it 2 wins in 2 races by taking the first race of the day in a commanding performance as he found his form late in the event.
The next race Green roared back into contention with a win while Tilly and Tomishima finished in 8th and 12th respectively. Leaving it up to the final race to decide the championship. This is the beauty of WASZP one-design racing, rarely is an event decided until the final race of the day and often the final run to the finish. This championship was no exception.
Unfortunately for Tilly, a UFD in the final race cost him the series, before it could even get on the race track, leaving the race between Green and Tomishima for the title. Green however, cool as a cucumber took the win with Tomishima back in 4th place, thus making Green the overall Australian Champion and breaking the NSW stranglehold on the trophy, taking it back to Victoria for the first time since Tom Trotman in 2019.
In other divisions, Brad Devine fought off Jervis Tilly for the Super-Masters division, finishing a very creditable 8th overall. Tristan Brown took out the Apprentice trophy, while Elise Beavis continued her form by taking out the women’s trophy. Mark Louis from Canberra won the Youth division and James Kornweibel took a close win against Al Murchison in the Masters division.
Louis led into the last day but Conall won the last 2 races to clinch the series and was crowned WASZP National Champion for 2022/2023 (see photo). Top female was current world champion Elise Beavis from New Zealand and local WA sailors dominated the 6.9 rig division. Ronstan Clearstart watches (as official timekeepers of the event) were presented to all the category and division winners.
The event was also the basis for selection for some sailors to the SailGP Inspire program. Inspire is a potential launch-pad for young sailors to further a career in sailing by getting involved in the world of SailGP with training and guidance from top foiling coaches, technical tour of the F50 base and opportunity to race as part of the TV broadcast of SailGP Sydney.
The top boy and top girl from Sydney win through to the grand final event in San Francisco.
The four sailors qualifying for Inspire from the WASZP Nationals were; Louis Tilly and Isabella Holdsworth (RPAYC) and Hanako and Keizo Tomoshima (WSC) – see photo with PDSC Commodore Stewart Sloss.
Other RPAYC sailors have been selected for Inspire based on an application process – more specifics and Inspire news in an upcoming edition…
