An extremely determined Australian Sailing Team athlete, Matt Wearn OAM, was at his best in the ILCA 7 Medal Race at the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma on Saturday local time, showing the same grit that won him Gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year.

The West Australian athlete started on the back foot in Palma, two breakages on Day 1 left him in 122nd place overall. Few could come back from that and lift to third place overall, to go on and win the Medal Race to claim the silver medal. It was an extraordinary performance by any measure. 

Wearn achieved Silver on one of the most difficult days of sailing this week. A predominantly 10 to 11 knot offshore breeze from the mountain was beset by lulls of 5 knots and gusts of 20 and 40-degree shifts. He picked the shifts well to lead the race from halfway up the first leg after an even start. 

Matt Wearn CREDIT Sailing Energy

“It was very tricky sailing. We don’t normally do a downwind finish either, but it made the day exciting,” the 26-year-old acknowledged. 

On how he came back against all odds to win Silver, Wearn said, “It was the motivation not to lose. Regardless of the position I’m in, I always go out to win. I came to Palma for one thing and one thing only. 

“I rely on my processes when things are bad. I’ve done so much work over the last 10 years. Just keep competing and re-start again each time.”

Matt Wearn CREDIT Sailing Energy

Wearn had this advice for those who find themselves in a similar situation: “You have to make little goals for yourself. Like get into the Gold fleet, then make the Medal Race and once there, lets win a medal. 

“Take little steps and believe in the ability you have. You can do anything if you want to. I took this lesson from the Tokyo Games; how to come back from adversity and never give up,” he recalled of recovering from a disastrous start in Tokyo to winning Gold. 

Australian Sailing Squad athlete, Elyse Ainsworth, went into the ILCA 6 Medal Race with nothing to lose. The gold medal was decided yesterday. Silver and Bronze were also spoken for, only the order had to be decided between Great Britain and Greece. 

This is the first time the 23-year-old has made a Medal Race in Olympic classes competition. She started well and maintained fourth place for most of it and finished in that position.

Elyse Ainsworth CREDIT Beau Outteridge

Buoyed and pushed by her three Australian team mates the whole way through the regatta, the Fremantle Sailing Club athlete said, “They wished me good luck before I went on the water.

“I also received some good sailing advice from Blackers (Michael Blackburn, the Australian Sailing Team’s Technical Director) and Swifto (Luke Elliott, who competed in the ILCA 7). It wasn’t the advice I expected, but it was very good advice, from their own experiences. 

“I had absolutely nothing to lose so I went out and enjoyed myself. It was hard in the respect that the racing was so close. You have the jury following you around, so you’re not sure how hard to push it.” 

Ainsworth is pleased with her result: “I was consistent this week and that’s a pretty good turning point for me. I sailed well against the best in the Medal Race. I am very excited for this year and what it holds. This week has given me confidence.” 

Before heading to Hyeres in a week’s time, both Wearn and Ainsworth will attend a cycling camp and relax. Ainsworth also plans to do some uni work towards her degree in Exercise and Health. 

Many of the team will move on to Hyeres for the French Olympic Week regatta, which will take place from 23-30 April on the Mediterranean coast.

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

470 Mixed Gold fleet – 10 races (one drop)
18th – Chris Charlwood and Amelia Catt (ASS) 15, 4, 8, 6, 19, 22, 23, 11, 8, (31) = 116 points
30th – Nia Jerwood and Conor Nicholas (ASS) 1, 5, 1, 17, 29, (UFD), 19, 26, DNC, DNC = 166
 
470 Mixed Silver fleet – 10 races (one drop)
57th – Sophie Jackson and Angus Higgins (ASF) (DNC), DNC, 17, DNC, 11, 26, 19, 20, 15, 20 = 196 points

ILCA 6 Medal Race final results (Medal Race points in brackets)
Gold Sarah Douglas (CAN) (12) – 28 points
Silver Hannah Snellgrove (GBR) (18) - 59
Bronze Vasileia Karachaliou (GRE) (20) - 62 
10tth Elyse Ainsworth (ASS) (8) - 102 

ILCA 6 Gold fleet – 10 races (one drop)
13th – Zoe Thomson (ASS) 8, 8, 12, 4, 4, (31), 31, 6, 15, 14 = 102 
14th – Casey Imeneo (ASS) 14, 19, 8, 1, 17, 9, (26), 9, 8, 18 = 103
22nd – Mara Stransky (AST) 5, 16, 12, 22, 29, 7, 24, 30, (32), 8  = 153

ILCA 7 Medal Race final results (Medal Race points in brackets)
Gold Michael Beckett (GBR) (14) – 51 points 
Silver Matt Wearn (AST) (2) - 57
Bronze Philipp Buhl (GER) (29) - 68

ILCA 7 Gold fleet – 10 races (one drop)
14th – Luke Elliott (AST) 19, 2, 1, 6, 28, 16, 4, 18, (33), 25 = 119 
15th – Finn Alexander (ASS) 3, 14, 6, 3, (47), 27, 7, 33, 8, 21 = 122
35th – Ethan McAullay (ASS) 3, 9, 18, 5, 27, 21, 25, 40, 40 (42) = 188 

ILCA 7 Silver fleet – 10 races (one drop)
69th – Samuel King (ASF) 27, 31, 25, 27, 10, 10, 29, (36), 5, 22  = 186 points
73rd – Stefan Elliott-Shircore (ASF) 15, 20, 31, 20, 22, (43), 21, 32, 4, 33 = 198

ILCA 7 Bronze fleet – 10 races (one drop)
112th – Michael Compton (ASF) 36, 38, 33, (42), 3, 13, 18, 4, 11, 2 = 158 points
154th – Zac Littlewood (AST) (DNC), DNC, 41, 5, 4, DNC, DNC, , DNC, DNC = 386

iQFOiL Men Gold fleet – 19 races (four drops) 
41st – Grae Morris (ASS) 10, 14, 14, 8, 20.50 (20.50), 14, (19), 15, BFD, (46), 29, 45, 36, 36, (46), 41, 43, 12 = 372.5 points

iQFOiL Men Silver fleet – 19 races (four drops) 
60th – Will McMillan (ASF) 23, 9, (DNC), (DNF), DNC, DNC, 9, 21, 7, 3, 10, 5, 2, 5, 24, (RET), (DNC), DNC, DNC = 223.6 points
69th – Caelin Winchcombe (ASS) (DNF), 32, (38), 36, 35, 35, 36, 35, 9, 7, 12, 18, 19, (33), (25), 8, 20, 6, 20  = 328
81st – Jack Marquardt (ASF) (DNC), (DNF), 37, 37, 40.50, 40.50, 38, 38, 23, 23, 20, 33, 22, (DNC), (DNC), 21, 29, 35, 26  = 463

iQFOiL Women (74 entries) – 18 races (three drops)
38th – Natasha Bryant (ASF) 43, 48, 42, (50), 41, 41, (49), (52), 15, 23, 19, 23, 24, 42, 39, 21, 49, 27, 33  = 530 points
42nd – Samantha Costin (ASF) 48, (52), (52), 44, 46, 46, 47, 34, 27, 19, 27, 40, 38, 31, 15, (56), 36, 36, 36 = 570

49er Gold fleet – 12 races (one drop)
19th - Jim Colley and Shaun O’Connor (ASS) (DNC), 5, 3, 13, 3, 6, 17, 8, 11, 16, 24, 21  = 127 points
21st - Tom Needham and Joel Turner (ASS) 4, (DNC), 5, 9, 13, 19, 21, 9, 13, 23, 10, 14 = 140 

49er Silver fleet – 12 races (one drop)
51st - Ryan Littlechild and Jack Hildebrand (ASF) 16, 17, 19, 22, 14, (DNC), 22, 18, 23, 23, 19, 5 = 208 points

49er Bronze fleet – 12 races (one drop)
52nd - Jack Ferguson and Max Paul (ASS) (DNC), DNF, 20, 20, 4, 10,6, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1 = 96 points
58th - Otto Henry and Miles Davey (ASF) (DNC), DNC, DNF, 16, 8, 5, 18, 6, DNS, 4, 5, 5  = 147

49erFX Silver fleet – 12 races (one drop)
32nd - Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine (ASS) 20, 8, 21, 13,14, 15, 1, 9, 9. 11. (24), 5  = 126 points
55th - Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot (ASS) DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, (DNC), DNC, 20, UFD, DNC, DNC = 325

Nacra 17 (38 entries) - 12 races (one drop) 
30th - Emma Jones and Max Puttman (ASF) (33), 30, 29, (34), 28, 27, 23, 26, 23, 29, 27, 28  = 303 points
33rd - Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AST) (DNC), DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, 4, DNC, DNC, DNC, 11, 20, DNC = 347 
*35th - Jake Liddell and Lucy Copeland (AST) (DNC), DNC, DNC, 12, 29, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC, DNC =  392 
*Lisa Darmanin substituted for Lucy Copeland on Day 3

Formula Kite Men – Silver fleet – 16 races (three drops)
32nd - Scott Whitehead (ASS) (16), 10, 14, (DNC), 9, 9, 15, 3, 9, 7,  4, 5, 6, 5, 10, 7  = 98 points
46th - Alexander Landwehr (ASF) 14, 13, 13, 14, 14, 11, 19, (DNC), (DNC), 14, (DNC), DNC, 13, 7, 16, 15  = 189
48th - Zac Pullen (ASF) 17, 19, (DNF), 16, 17, 15, 17, (20),13, (22), 16, RDG, 17, 11, 17, 9 = 202.3

Formula Kite Women (38 entries) – 16 races (three drops)
16th – Breiana Whitehead  12, (25), (21), 19, 18, 16, 9, 21, 15, 9, 14, 16, 13, 15, (DNC), 14 = 191 points

Follow the regatta, including full results here.

By Di Pearson