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2022 Allen Flying 11 Australian Championships at Gosford Sailing Club

by Mark Rothfield 21 Jan 2022 19:14 NZDT 11-15 January 2022
2022 Allen Flying 11 Australian Championships © Mark Rothfield

With Queensland to host the Olympic sailing a decade from now, it's possible that some of our future representatives were competing in the 2022 Allen Flying 11 Australian Championships at Gosford Sailing Club last week.

It was watching the 2000 Games in Sydney that ignited the passion of Gosford local Tom Slingsby, who went on to win multiple consecutive world championships and Olympic gold in the Laser class, and Brisbane should provide a similar incentive.

Right now the talent of 2032 are likely aged 10 to 15 and a golden opportunity awaits, based on the skills displayed at the Flying 11 nationals. It helps that the two-handed class is a highly competitive, high-performance training platform for both the 49er and 470, with a proven track-record over many years.

You just have to look at some of the names who've progressed through the class into the Olympic realm: Malcolm Page, Nathan Wilmot, Nathan Outteridge, Iain Jensen, Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Katie Spithill, along with legends Iain Murray, Michael Coxon and Adam Beashel.

Adam Beashel's son Joel won the previous Flying 11 nationals with Marshall Day. He then sold the boat, Cheeky, and handed the baton to his former for'ardhand for this year's regatta.

Marshall, 13, delivered on the big stage, now sailing with young Leo Pirret who progressed from Sabots. Joel attended the presentation last Sunday to award Marshall and Leo the trophy.

Marshall's sister Keisha, 15, was also skipper in the top all-girl crew, finishing 4th overall with Amy Ellis. Marshall also collected the first-time skipper award and the junior skipper award, so the Day's car was certainly full on their return trip to Lake Macquarie.

Manly's Sam Stodart finished runner-up for a second year after being pipped on the last day as the wind faded. The breeze direction also changed from nor-east to sou-east, necessitating a full reset of the race course on Brisbane Water.

Belmont held the teams trophy but handed it back to Manly's sailors, who showed great consistency at the pointy end of the fleet. Fortunes fluctuated during the week as conditions favoured the lighter crews. The heaviest breeze was 13 knots and there were frequent times when it fell below 3 knots.

The strongest squall of the event came during the presentation, when a storm cell brought lightning, hail and heavy rain. Market umbrellas began to rip as Marshall was mid-speech.

Fleet size (51) was slightly diminished, with only one Brisbane boat venturing south due to Covid uncertainty - otherwise, there would be up to a dozen. Two boats also withdrew during the regatta as a result of being close contacts.

The young sailors all enjoy the F11's performance and competitiveness. As Ellen Murray from Helter Skelter commented: "You have to think a lot more. Single-handed boats are pretty easy but when you get to Flying 11s there's more to consider.".

Former class president Hugh Stodart has had two sons go through the class, his eldest now sailing 29ers and younger son sailing his last regatta at Gosford.

"For us, the Flying 11 has been a really good class to develop their sailing. They can sail a two-person boat with their mates, and the boat teaches them good techniques, good boat handling and they go fast," he said.

"It has put them in a really good position to move on to whatever's next for them, be that an Olympic pathway in the 49er or 470, or into the skiff classes. It's a very equal class. We've had all-female national champions and a lot of mixed crews. It tolerates quite a high weight range and everyone has a lot of fun."

Overall Results: (full results can be found here)

PlcSail NoBoat NameSkipperCrewClubFromR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9Pts
11327CheekyMarshall DayLeo PirretBelmont 16sNSW29325451224
21383The MuppetsSam StodartAsh NapperManly 16sNSW144211665833
31402Dirty RatLiam KarunaratneBen MilhamManly 16sNSW518831136337
41370Giggle & HootKeisha DayAmy EllisBelmont 16sNSW17754611321351
51386AeolusTom CameronBeau DransfieldManly 16sNSW1621261112131056
61345SuspiciousJames HopkinsBaden ThomasManly 16sNSW101641272411656
71363Knot ShoreJemma HopkinsHarrison ThomasManly 16sNSW113610109148562
81393WaverunnerDavid TulkAlex BaldiManly 16sNSW9119785891666
91352Up 2 No GoodCharlie NosworthyAidan NosworthyPort Macquarie SC / Belmont 16NSW1317135121424467
101336HydromaticMakenzie MayneFlynn BeckLane Cove 12 ft Skiff ClubNSW31211DPI2811121770
111331General LeeBanjo NicholsonBella JonesBelmont 16sNSW7DPI79937222277
121407Flying Star IISebastian SpencerChristian SpencerBelmont 16sNSW11612313719181585
131392GaryNoah SteensonConnor RadfordBelmont 16sNSW18310174191520187
141397ArtemisTheo FranklinLucas RolfeManly 16sNSW4151511191010102494
151379FireflyLucas PatrickZachary PatrickRQYSQld81914241416121514112
161366ProtagonistMax NearnZac GolovoskyVA12FtSCNSW614352216152714DPI128
171388ZephyrKye RiversJacob WestGosford Sailing ClubNSWOCSDPIDPIUFD1517977135
181399NomadTaj WatersMackenzie PatersonBelmont 16sNSW20517131813262626138
191338BraceCoby NapperLachlan JansenManly 16sNSW121822161735242325157
201361MayhemDon RowlisonTayla LeesManly 16sNSWPEN2128182223231627178
211339Luff Me KnotIsabella ArmisteadBailey MayneLane Cove 12 ft Skiff ClubNSW223321192021331930185
221395AirborneZackary WyattZara WyattHKSCNSW252824142537372411188
231401OndalayJadon MorrisPhoebe PilgrimBelmont 16sNSW153218332420293518189
241405Don't Tell MumPeter RoweHenri DeheGosford Sailing ClubNSW34.529.5272128241625DPI195.5
251369RaptorOllie BarrettMax BarrettHKSCNSW272320152640172840196
261384Don't WorryThomas MilhamJaden KellyManly 16sNSW282419202725323139206
271254Helter SkelterEllen MurrayAmelia PilgrimBelmont 16sNSW34.52637232934202119206.5
281406FangingEvie DoolanCharlotte FletcherDrummoyne Sailing ClubNSW412029292322213431209
291389MojoJack PatersonNicholas DrummondBelmont 16sNSW373423313527222912213
301263OscarByron LoweWill HardingHKSCNSW242733283036251733217
311404SchmickNatasha KempEmily KempMiddle Harbour Skiff ClubNSW234038272131183829225
321323Up In FlamesIsaac RobbinsCooper LoweHKSCNSW323531253826391334234
331396Flying ByeRyan MorrisElijah MorrisBelmont 16sNSW293925303442352723242
341377Cool RunningTomas ArmisteadEoin CullinaneLane Cove 12 ft Skiff ClubNSW334326323118343732243
351353Flying HellfishLily SpringettMatilda KingManly 16sNSW3122343632293130DPI245
361364DynamiteZara CoatesGus KingManly 16sNSW3029.532343333284035254.5
371381Flight TimeAbigail RolfeChloe FranklinManly 16sNSW262541403630303238257
381252Hard DriveSophie PilgrimZali WatersBelmont 16sNSW384136354132383321274
391333Sudden ImpactMillie CullinaneMax NicholsonLane Cove 12 ft Skiff ClubNSW4036304139284139DPI286
401387MarvellousSophia UgarteHugo MinnettVaucluseNSW3631403737393636DPI292
411275BluebirdCaitlin GongEmily ArmisteadLane Cove 12 ft Skiff ClubNSW393839394038404136309
421347VirevolterLiam BabbElla BabbDrummoyne Sailing ClubNSW424242384241424241330
431357SpeedyJoe MillsLevi WindustManly 16sNSW2137DNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNC334
441149SandflyMax LaneMary‑Lou DoolanDrummoyne Sailing ClubNSW4344434243DNCDNCDNCDNC353
451385DaringyanHarry WyerElliot WyerGosford Sailing ClubNSWDNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNCDNC368

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