Held at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, this year’s Zhik Youth Sail TAS 2023 event began with more than 60 enthusiastic sailors and 9 coaches taking part in a two-day coaching clinic.  
 

Excited sailors had the opportunity to learn from some of Australia’s best coaches including, Amelia Catt, Tom Squires and Luke “Swifto” Elliott. We also had our best Tassie coaches involved teaching the sailors from around the state and supporting our Green Fleet.  
 

With difficult October weather, the coaches and sailors were kept busy dealing with gusty winds and cold conditions. Our Green Fleet sailors definitely were challenged but learnt so much while being supported and coached through the conditions. The Green Fleet sailors were presented with daily awards for displaying various qualities such as persistence, support and teamwork. 
 

The skiff and foiling classes had some interesting times with challenging winds and shifts contributing to some exhausted and very wet sailors at the end of the day. Foiling Coach, Tom Squires, provided valuable feedback and well received practical sessions for the IQ Foils. 
 

Following the coaching clinic, a two-day Championship was held with more than 70 sailors racing on the Derwent River. In Typical Tassie style, we had every wind direction and speed creating a nightmare for our Race Officer, Nick Hutton. Only one day of racing was completed, and with not enough wind we saw the IQ Foil and WASZP classes unable to finish the required three races to complete a series.  
 

Congratulations to all the sailors who participated in the event and for making the Zhik Youth Sail TAS worthwhile. With ten different classes, we definitely had the challenge of ensuring that we catered for different speeds, styles and abilities.  

The final results can be found HERE and photos and videos of the event are here – Australian Sailing TAS on FACEBOOK. 
 

Australian Sailing thanks the host club the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania for providing a welcoming and relaxed venue. The facilities were excellent and helped ensure a smooth-running Youth Sail. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who worked on and off the water to make the event possible. We also thank our sponsor Zhik for their generous support towards the Zhik Youth Sail TAS 2023 event.
 

TAS GM Felicity Allison said, “It was wonderful to see so many sailors on the water from different clubs and various parts of the state. To have this event at the beginning of the season has provided a perfect opportunity for all sailors to get ready for the sailing season ahead. Having our TAS Coach, Amelia Catt, present and an active part of Youth Sail, provided a supportive and positive role model for our coaches and sailors.”
 

We hope to see more sailors next year and pray that the ‘weather gods’ look after us with sunny and consistent breezes.