The Musto International Youth Match Racing Regatta, Australia’s premier match racing event, will take centre stage on beautiful Sydney Harbour once again this year from 27-30 November, with some of the best youth match racers from across the country and around the world competing for the ‘Joy Ride’ perpetual trophy.
Hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), home of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, 12 teams from four countries are set to take part in the only youth World Sailing Grade 2 match race event.
Not only will the winner of this year’s event take home a bounty of points towards their world ranking but will also receive an invitation to a lucrative World Sailing Grade 1 event in 2019. In a new exciting partnership between the CYCA and Yacht Club Locarno, Switzerland, an invitation will be extended to compete in the Match Race Switzerland 2019, taking place from the 3-7 April.
The World Sailing Grade 1 event is even more enticing, as it also includes free entry fee and accommodation provided by Yacht Club Locarno. On top of this, the CYCA will also offer a $3,000 travel grant to the winning team for the Grade 1 event.
“We strongly support youth sailing activities and therefore we would be proud to invite the winning team of the Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship to the Match Race Switzerland 2019,” Match Racing Switzerland Event Manager, Felix Somm, says.
Coverage of the event will also be bigger and better than ever with the Finals Day live streamed via social media.
“Musto Australia is proud to be the official partner of the Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship,” says General Manager, James Meggison.
“We have been a long-term partner to this event and have seen it grow from a small locally focused regatta into the world-class event it is today. It is without doubt the pre-eminent youth match racing event in the world and we look forward to some great racing.”
This year, half of the competitors will travel from overseas. A record three teams are coming from the United States, with other entrants from France, New Zealand and Australia taking part.
There is no doubt that one of the strongest contenders for this year’s title will once again come from the CYCA’s current Youth Match Racing National Champion, Tom Grimes.
Grimes, the World Number 36, and current University world champion, will face his biggest threat from the event’s highest ranked competitor, New Zealand’s James Wilson (RNZYS), who is currently ranked 25th in the world.
CYCA will have two other entries with Finn Tapper and James Hodgson, who received invitations after finishing runner-up in the 2018 Sharp Australian Youth Match Racing National Championship in October.
Other Australian entries include Clare Costanzo (RPAYC), Ethan Prieto-Low (RFBYC in WA) and Charlotte Griffin (RSYS).
The United States has the largest international fleet, with three teams traveling from Los Angeles. Balboa Yacht Club will have two entries, with David Wood returning. He will be joined by Jeffrey Petersen. Frankie Dair, from the California Yacht Club, will complete the USA line-up.
Rounding out the competitors list are international entries are Tom Picot from Cercle Nautique Caledonien, New Caledonia and Emma Hyde from the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, New Zealand.
Crews will use the CYCA’s fleet of Elliott 7s, with racing starting at 10am on Tuesday 27 November when the qualifying round robin series is scheduled. The knockout stages start two days later. Racing can be followed live via the CYCA website and Youth Sailing Academy Facebook page.
CYCA
