Day two of Sail Melbourne 2024 saw sailors take to the water determined to make the most of the clear conditions and building breeze, with wind increasing throughout the day to a top of 20 knots.

After initial delays for the iQFOiL and Kite Foil classes, sailors took to the water in the early afternoon and completed four races apiece.

Having made the trip across the ditch with several others from New Zealand, Stella Bilger is currently leading the open women’s iQFOiL fleet and says she is grateful for the opportunity to compete at the iconic regatta.

“We decided to make the trip to Melbourne to train and race against the Australians because we want to get closer to the fleet over here,” said Stella.

“It’s been awesome competing against so many new faces and getting that starting practice against more boards than we’re used to. In New Zealand we don’t have as many people, so sailing against so many people here has been great.

“We’ve had some beautiful conditions so far; the people are really lovely here and the racing has been super fun, so I’m glad we came over.”

As the only woman in the Kite Foil fleet, Lucy Bilger echoed her sister's sentiments.

“In New Zealand we don’t have a massive fleet of kiters, so it’s been exciting to come over here and race against more people,” said Lucy.

“I heard from all the Aussie kiters that this is the regatta to go to, and when I checked the entry list and saw some of the names who were registered, I decided to come along.

“Lorenzo [Boschetti] is over here from Italy, and it’s also been amazing to watch him race against Lucas [Walton-Keim], who went to the Olympics for New Zealand earlier this year, at the top of the fleet. It’s been a great opportunity to learn,” she said.

From the Netherlands, Paris Olympian Duko Bos had a solid day on the water, finishing the day in third place overall.

“I was probably expecting a bit more wind today, but even though it ended up being a light sea breeze, I was happy with how I sailed overall,” said Bos.

“My first time back in the boat since Marseille was only a few weeks ago, so this is my first big regatta since the Games. I’m missing a bit of speed, but it’s nice to be racing again.

“I’m enjoying the sailing and I just want to improve my own racing and focus on my goals,” he said.

Sail Melbourne is taking place at Royal Brighton Yacht Club from November 28 to December 1 and is proud to be supported by the Victorian Government’s Significant Sporting Events Program.

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To view full results, click here.