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Fremantle Sailing Club Youth Sailors are dreaming and achieving big on the World Stage

Medals are being conquered during World Championships all over Europe and America by Fremantle Sailors under 17 years old during the last two weeks.

Fremantle Sailing Club Members and Coaches are receiving great news after great news. Racing has concluded last week at the 2019 Laser Radial Youth Championships held of Kingston Yacht Club (Canada) with Michael Compton as the Under 17 Laser Radial Youth World Champion (backing up his win from last year as U16 Laser 4.7 World Champion) & 3rd overall. “I had to mirror the Phoenix and come back from the shadows”, says Michael after a challenging start to the regatta. Fellow FSC Members placed well with Zac Littlewood 7th overall, Stefan Elliott-Shircore 16th overall & 3rd U17 and Caitlin Shaw 24th overall. “Team Freo” was well represented which included 4 sailors and both of the coaches that supported the Australian contingent are regular FSC Coaches (Ryan Palk & Ben Walkemeyer). The event was well supported with 160 male competitors from around the globe and 48 female sailors.

Last weekend another title was conquered, this time in Poland, Axel Fleet and Kieran Bucktin win the Under 17 Gold Medal at 29er World Champions. Earlier this year, FSC Member Matt Wearn got the Silver Medal at 2019 ILCA Laser Standard Men’s World at Miho Bay in Japan. Zoe Thompson qualified Australia for a spot in Tokyo 2020 in the laser radial class on the closing day of the ICLA Laser Radial World Championship.

Accordingly to World Sailing, a dramatic final race in the Boy’s Laser Radial turned the podium inside out in Gdynia, Poland as the Hempel Youth Sailing World Championships came to a close. Poland’s Tytus Butowski and Australia’s Zac Littlewood (and Fremantle Sailing Club Member, 18 years old) were fighting for gold but got stuck in the middle of the fleet and their match racing opened the door for others to steal gold. Turkey’s Yigit Yalcin Citak saw an opportunity and claimed gold from almost nowhere. Littlewood and Butowski ended up locked on 63 points and the Australian claimed silver having won two races across the nine race series.

These achievements are a combination of both Club and Community so our local youth can practice sports, acquire determination and also experience culture exchange.  Learn to Sail program at Fremantle Sailing Club offers pathways for kids and adults, both are open to the public which means that you don’t need to be a member to experience sailing. Try Sail is a free course open to kids 7-10 years old and runs during the summer sailing season. The Keelboat Course runs during the entire year for 4 Sunday Mornings, is aimed to engage adults into sailing and are an ideal way to learn to crew or helm a yacht, visit www.fsc.com.au for further information.