The first leg of the South Australian Youth Tri Series in Port Lincoln will still go ahead this weekend, despite the state being hit with a flurry of wild weather.
Beaches across the state are about to be dealt the worst of the weather with more than 40 knots forecasted at Outer Harbour’s Black Pole at 10pm tonight.
The optimist fleet off the start line at last year’s Youth Tri Series event in Port Lincoln.
However for Port Lincoln this weekend we can expect moderate northerly winds on the Saturday and a comfortable 15-knot westerly on Sunday, which should make for a quality weekend of racing after the town recovers from recent power outages.
Port Lincoln remains without power after it went out yesterday afternoon.
On the water this weekend, the state’s best youth sailors will battle it out and look to put vital points on the board for their respective clubs in the first of three Tri Series events and the only to take place outside of Adelaide.
International cadet class
Last year’s Tri Series winners Elise Franson and Rachel Huczko in Cheeky Monkeys (LBSC) and reigning state champions Alyssa and Mitchell Kelsey in Tacktical (PLYC) will head into this year’s event as favourites after great seasons last year.
Sam Paynter and Gil Casanova in Full Speed Ahead (PLYC) are also looking to impress after being selected to compete in the world championships in Argentina later this year along with the Tacktical team.
The cadet fleet will likely be strong again for another year with the state fleet pushing about 20 boats.
The international cadet fleet off the line of last year’s Tri Series event.
420 class
In the 420 class, several skippers that were regulars at the front of the fleet last year, including Angus Higgins, Alex Higgins and Matt Meaney, are returning from New Zealand after competing for Westminster School in the Pacific Rim International Teams Racing Regatta.
Angus Higgins and crew Josh Tonkin (BSYC) were last year’s overall winners of the Tri Series after competing in all three events but were closely followed by Meaney and his crew Sam Magarey (BSYC) and Alex Higgins and his crew Joal Mackenzie (BSYC).
The Port Lincoln combinations of Marty and Hannah Hood and Lauren Henderson and Rose O’Donnell were also competitive last season and we’ll wait and see if they’re competing this year.
Optimist open
This year’s optimist fleet will be one of the most competitive seen in a number of years with Ben Hinks (ASC), Jonas Barrett (BSYC), Quinn Auricht (BSYC) and Harry Higgins (BSYC) are all in the mix depending on who of those are making the trip to Port Lincoln.
There will be a long list of other sailors on the entry form that will be around the mark so we will have to wait and see what happens in one of the most competitive and unpredictable fleet of the weekend.
Ben Hinks (ASC) sailing in Port Lincoln at last year’s Tri Series event.
Optimist green
The green fleet sailors had an absolute blast last time the Tri Series went to Port Lincoln and this year we will hopefully see a strong group of new sailors taking it up and having a red hot go.
To register for the weekend click HERE.
For more information about the South Australian season click HERE.
