Local sailors blitz competition at State Championships and book ticket to Nationals

Two Rockingham sailors are preparing for their biggest competition yet at the upcoming National Championships in Sydney after being crowned State champions last month.

Held at the Fremantle Sailing Club on November 26 and 27, competitors sailed in almost extreme conditions across a number of races, with wind gusts of up to 27 knots coming through at times.

The competition saw 14-year-old Toby Jones take out the Junior State Championship (U16) on ILCA 4 Slamdunk, as well as runner-up in both the Youth (U18) and Open age groups.

There are three different sail sizes for competition: ILCA4 which is 4.7sqm, ILCA6 which is 5.76sqm and the 7.06 sqm ILCA 7.

At the Olympics, females will sail an ILCA6 and the males an ILCA 7.

Meanwhile fellow Rockingham local Liam Cox, 17, was crowned State champion in both the Youth and Open age groups on his ILCA 6 Risky Business.

Cox is shaping up well for the National Championships after a successful campaign in Houston, Texas in July where he finished 112th in his first world regatta.

The pair have been training two to three days a week at Royal Perth Yacht Club, Cox also training with the Western Australian Sailing Squad and racing both days of the week to prepare for the upcoming Nationals.

Before that, the duo will have their sights set on competing well in Sail Sydney at the Woollahra Sailing Club from December 15-19 as a test-run before the big event.

The Laser Oceania & Australian Open and Youth Championships in Botany Bay will run from January 1-8, 2023, with a total of 151 boats expected to race in their respective age groups.