49er Crews on Show
The 49er Nationals are being hosted out of Jervoise Bay Sailing Club with racing schedule to take place on the Success and Owens course areas being used for the Worlds from 3-18 December.
Nine Australian crews are racing within the 41 team fleet, including the World No. 8 crew, Will and Sam Phillips, who finished second in Sail Melbourne earlier this month.
World No. 1, Australian Nathan Outteridge and crew Iain Jensen, are not racing because of a prior commitment, but they are ones to watch in the 49er World Championship, which starts in the second week of Perth 2011.
Their most recent victory was at Sail Melbourne where they just squeezed into first place by four points.
Spokesman for the 49er class, Perth skipper Matt Jahn, says there will be hot action all weekend with excellent viewing from the shore.
Races are scheduled morning and afternoon with the earlier races on the Success course, moving to Owen (closer to Woodman Point with more sheltered water) in the afternoon.
The national title can only go to an Australian crew but the international sailors say it will be valuable experience leading into the ISAF Sailing World Championships.
World No. 5 Allan Norregaard and Peter Lang from Denmark have been training off Fremantle for two months, adding to the experience they gained in the Perth 2011 test event in November 2010.
They say Nathan Outteridge from Lake Macquarie in NSW will be the one to watch at the worlds.
“Nathan is one who will be fighting hard for both the World Championship and Olympic selection (for London 2012) before an Australian audience,” said Norregaard, who is hoping to be the best of the four Danish crews and also win Olympic selection.
The 49er skiffs will provide exciting action in the second week of Perth 2011 with their first of 15 races on 12 December.