On Day 4 of the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma, the ILCA 6, ILCA 7, 470 Mixed, 49er, 49er FX and Nacra 17 classes moved into the Finals stage and multiple athletes from the Australian Sailing Team (AST) and Australian Sailing Squad (ASS) made it into their respective Gold fleets, among them Matt Wearn, who moved up to third place in the ILCA 7.

Wearn, the Tokyo Games gold medallist in the class, has come a long way over the past four days and is primed to make Saturday local time’s Medal Race.

Luke Elliott and Matt Wearn CREDIT Beau Outteridge

“It was a typical Palma day, which was nice for a change,” Wearn said in reference to genuine spring weather after competitors tolerated days of icy conditions.

“The first race was around 12-15 knots, which I seem to be more comfortable in at the moment. I sailed well and finished third. The breeze increased in the second race. I got caught on the wrong side of a shift and had to chip away to get back up to finish 12th.” 

Like Wearn, Luke Elliott remains in form, sitting in in 10th place overall after fourth and 18th place finishes. Focus will be key tomorrow as there are others breathing down his neck.

Wearn and Elliott were not the only West Australians to enjoy notable results. In the ILCA 6, Perth athletes Elyse Ainsworth and Zoe Thomson are respectively 10th and 13th overall. Victorian Casey Imeneo is” 18th. Tokyo Olympian, Mara Stransky, in 27th overall. 

Elyse Ainsworth CREDIT Beau Outteridge

“I’m on an upward trajectory. I have to keep doing what I’m doing, one race at a time and swing it hard,” Ainsworth commented. Tomorrow’s forecast is for weather similar to today’s; good wind and waves. What more could you want?”

Of what has been tight competition between the four Australians in the class, each having had their moment in the sun, Ainsworth said: “We’ve worked really hard for it, so it’s exciting to see all of us up there.”  

The conditions certainly suited Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club 49er sailors Jim Colley and Shaun O’Connor, as they moved up to eighth overall in the Gold fleet. The pair need to maintain the status quo to make Saturday’s Medal Race. 

“This regatta has had its ups and downs. Staying consistent is so important. Shaun and I are happy with our speed, but we made errors today. Having said that, we had a good day result-wise. 

“The forecast is for similar weather tomorrow, so we’ll take what we learnt from today and tidy up our skills,” Colley said. “We’re taking it one race at a time, but our aim is to make the Medal Race.” 

The NSW athlete added, “It’s been two years of a lot of training and not competing. It’s so good to be racing again and to be rewarded with good results is gratifying.”

Jim Colley and Shaun Connor CREDIT Beau Outteridge  

Racing continues tomorrow (Friday) local time. The Olympic classes regatta concludes on Saturday 9 April local time, with the Final Series in the iQFOil and Formula Kite classes, with a Medal Race for the top ten in the remaining classes. 

Australian Sailing Team (AST), Australian Sailing Squad (ASS) and Australian Sailing Futures (ASF) results and overall placings:

470 Mixed Gold fleet – 8 races (one drop)
17th – Chris Charlwood and Amelia Catt (ASS) 15, 4, 8, 6, 19, 22, (23), 11 = 85 points
23rd – Nia Jerwood and Conor Nicholas (ASS) 1, 5, 1, 17, 29, (UFD), 19, 26 = 98
 
470 Mixed Silver fleet – 8 races (one drop)
57th – Sophie Jackson and Angus Higgins (ASF) (DNC), DNC, 17, DNC, 11, 26, 19, 20 = 161 points

ILCA 6 Gold fleet – 8 races (one drop)
10th – Elyse Ainsworth (ASS) 13, 12, 7, 16, 11, 4, 8, (18) = 71 points 
12th – Zoe Thomson (ASS) 8, 8, 12, 4, 4, (31), 31, 6 = 73 
18th – Casey Imeneo (ASS) 14, 19, 8, 1, 17, 9, (26), 9 = 77
26th – Mara Stransky (AST) 5, 16, 12, 22, (29), 7, 24, (31) = 115

ILCA 7 Gold fleet – 8 races (one drop)
3rd – Matt Wearn (AST) (DNC), 26, 2, 1, 2, 2, 3, 12 = 48 points
10th – Luke Elliott (AST) 19, 2, 1, 6, (28), 16, 4, 15 = 66 
24th – Finn Alexander (ASS) 3, 14, 6, 3, (47), 27, 7, 33 = 93
25th – Ethan McAullay (ASS) 3, 9, 18, 5, 2), 21, 25, (40) = 108 

ILCA 7 Silver fleet – 8 races (one drop)
76th – Samuel King (ASF) 27, 31, 25, 27, 10, 10, 29, (35)  = 159 points
77th – Stefan Elliott-Shircore (ASF) 15, 20, 31, 20, 22, (43), 21, 32 = 161

ILCA 7 Bronze fleet – 8 races (one drop)
114th – Michael Compton (ASF) 36, 38, 33, (42), 3, 13, 18, 4 = 145
146th – Zac Littlewood (AST) (DNC), DNC, 41, 5, 4, DNC, DNC = 274

iQFOiL Men Gold fleet – 15 races (three drops) 
40th – Grae Morris (ASS) 10, 14, 14, 8, 20.50 (20.50), 14, (19), 15, BFD, (46), 29, 45, 36, 36 = 276.5 points

iQFOiL Men Silver fleet – 15 races (three drops) 
60th – Will McMillan (ASF) 23, 9, (DNC), (DNF), DNC, DNC, 9, 21, 7, 3, 10, 5, 2, 5, (24) = 174 points
71st – Caelin Winchcombe (ASS) (DNF), 32, (38), 36, 35, 35, 36, 35, 9, 7, 12, 18, 19, (33), 25 = 299
84th – Jack Marquardt (ASF) (DNC), (DNF), 37, 37, 40.50, 40.50, 38, 38, 23, 23, 20, 33, 22, (DNC), DNC = 403

iQFOiL Women (74 entries) – 14 races (three drops)
43rd – Natasha Bryant (ASF) 43, (48), 42, (50), 41, 41, (49), (52), 15, 23, 19, 23, 24, 42, 39  = 400 points
44th – Samantha Costin (ASF) 48, (52), (52), 44, 46, 46, 47, 34, 27, 19, 27, 40, 38, 31, 15 = 414

49er Gold fleet – 9 races (one drop)
8th - Jim Colley and Shaun O’Connor (ASS) (DNC), 5, 3, 13, 3, 6, 17, 8, 10 = 65 points
21st - Tom Needham and Joel Turner (ASS) 4, (DNC), 5, 9, 13, 19, 21, 9, 12 = 92 

49er Silver fleet – 8 races (one drop)
50th - Ryan Littlechild and Jack Hildebrand (ASF) 16, 17, 19, 22, 14, (DNC), 22, 18 = 128 points
53rd - Jack Ferguson and Max Paul (ASS) (DNC), DNF, 20, 20, 4, 10,6, 1 = 88
60th - Otto Henry and Miles Davey (ASF) (DNC), DNC, DNF, 16, 8, 5, 18, 6  = 107

49erFX Silver fleet – 8 races (one drop)
30th - Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine (ASS) 20, 8, (21), 13,14, 15, 1, 9  = 80 points
55th - Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot (ASS) DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, (DNC), DNC = 209

Nacra 17 (38 entries) - 9 races (one drop) 
31st - Emma Jones and Max Puttman (ASF) (33), 30, 29, (34), 28, 27, 23, 26, 23  = 219 points
*34th - Jake Liddell and Lucy Copeland (AST) (DNC), DNC, DNC, 12, 29, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC = 275  
36th - Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AST) (DNC), DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, 4, DNC, DNC, DNC = 277 
*Lisa Darmanin substituted for Lucy Copeland on Day 3

Formula Kite Men – Silver fleet – 12 races (three drops)
31st - Scott Whitehead (ASS) (16), 10, 14, (DNC), 9, 9, 15, 3, 9, 7, 4, 5  = 70 points
48th - Alexander Landwehr (ASF) 14, 13, 13, 14, 14, 11, 19, (DNC), (DNC), 14, (DNC), DNC  = 138
50th - Zac Pullen (ASF) 17, 19, (DNF), 16, 17, 15, 17, (20),13, (22), 16, RDG = 148.3

Formula Kite Women (38 entries) – 12 races (three drops)
17th – Breiana Whitehead  12, (25), (21), 19, 18, 16, 9, (21), 15, 9, 14, 16 = 128 points

Follow the regatta, including full results here.

Words by Di Pearson