Western Australians David Gilmour and Joel Turner were clearly the dominant team this past week at Outer Harbour, taking out the Australian 49er Championship ahead of the young guns Harry Price and Harry Morton from New South Wales as part of the SA Summer of Sail Festival.
The victory comes just a few months after Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen claimed silver at the Rio Olympics in the same class.
Gilmour and Turner competed alongside Outteridge and Jensen at a number of World Cup events and were competitive sparring partners for the Olympic medalists in the lead up to Rio — and have now made a fair claim for the top spot at the Tokyo games in 2020.
In the 49erFX class, which is the women’s equivalent in the Olympics, Tess Lloyd and Eliza Solly finished as the first all-women team and second overall to Isabelle Kenny and Jasper Warren, a mixed team competing in the event.
Tess Lloyd and Eliza Solly were the first placed all-women team in the 49erFX fleet. Photos: Beau Outteridge.
After sailing with different pairings last season, Lloyd and Solly now have their sights firmly set on being the first Australians to represent the country in the 49erFX class at the Olympic games.
The youth feeder class to the 49er and 49erFX, the 29er class, was also on the water for the national championship with a strong fleet of 56 boats on display.
Henry Larkings and Miles Davey sailed well throughout the 16-race series to take out the overall title on a count back.
The 29er class, which has been one young Australian sailors have excelled in, will be on display again from January 10 to 14 at the Australian Youth Championships to be held at Adelaide Sailing Club.
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Henry Larkings and Miles Davey were the winners of the 29er fleet and will also compete at the Australian Youth Championships. Photos: Beau Outteridge.
