Last month the Royal Perth Yacht Club in conjunction with Swan River Sailing, and the SheSails initiative, held the annual Women’s State Keelboat Championships. Saturday, March 19, saw six teams from across WA’s metro clubs board the Foundation 36 one design yachts a compete on a standard Windward/ Leeward race course.

The championship is designed to fit in as many races as possible across the day which allows the teams to drop their worst race/ score. Royal Perth Yacht Club team skippered by Jennifer Richardson finished the first race with a win helped by the home club advantage. From there it was an almost all Fremantle Sailing Club affair. Jessica Lundh skippered a team of well experienced ladies such as; Robyn Martin on Main Sheet, Olympian Tessa Parkinson on Trim with Kate Henderson. Olympian Monique De Vries in Pit, Kimbra Bridges on Mast and Carolyne Bush on the Bow. The team were Coached by Caitlin Shaw.

The ladies enjoyed a podium finish in every race apart from Race 5 where they received a technical penalty dropping them back to 5th place. However, with seven races held they dropped that result and finished with four firsts and two seconds for a decisive victory. RFBYC took both minor standings.

The following day some of the teams fronted back up for the 2022 State Youth Championships.
RFBYC team of Lucy Alderson started strong with three wins and a podium finish in every other race. However, it wasn’t enough as the RPYC team, skippered by Janekovic, broke a 27-year drought and secured the trophy. Impressively winning the last four races back to back to tie with RFBYC ultimately winning on countback. The team was almost an all families affair; Lawson, William and Ethan McAullay, Antun (Skipper) and Juarj Janekovic and Lachlan Hawkins. Celebrations went on long into the early evening as it was a school night after all. Visit swanriversailing.com for all the results.