Tight racing the theme at halfway mark of 2024 Zhik Youth Sail Queensland

Day two of the Championships at 2024 Zhik Youth Sail Queensland saw 260 boats leave it all on the water, with tight results across several classes promising an exciting final day of racing.

Sailing in the Int 29er class, Gold Coast-based siblings Sophie and Thomas Whitmore (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron) are currently in second place after the penultimate day of racing, having secured two firsts and a second on day two.

“It’s been really fun out there, we’ve had a couple of tough races but we’re really enjoying being out there with so many other boats,” said the 15-year-old skipper, Sophie.

“Yesterday was especially tight and today was too but we were able to hold the clearway a bit more which was good.

“It’s awesome to sail with my brother, it’s so good to be out there with someone you know really well, it makes it really fun.

“We’re just loving the opportunity to sail against so many boats cause there’s only a few where we normally sail - it’s been competitive but really fun. We’ll aim to pull off some better starts and get up there a bit more,” she said.

O’pen Skiff sailor Leo Sparshott (Southport Yacht Club) is also sitting in second place ahead of the final day of racing tomorrow, tied with Francesca Favero (Tinaroo Sailing Club) after six races.

“The racing has been great, the wind has been slightly lighter than I would like but it’s been really good,” said Sparshott.

“My goals for tomorrow are to get really good starts and enjoy the competition. 

“This event is amazing, you get to meet so many people and have so much fun out there sailing. No matter where you come you learn so much while you’re here so I want to make the most of it,” he said.

From the Navy Cadets Gladstone, Zarra Cunningham is currently tied for first place with her older sister, Tarnayh.

“It was amazing out there today, I had so much fun and loved everything about it,” said Zarra.

“My sister is in the same fleet as me so we’ve been competing against each other this week which has been really fun.

“Sometimes we’ll just look at each other in the middle of a race and we can tell on each other's faces that the other one is thinking ‘oh no, she’s going to beat me’. It definitely makes me more competitive,” she joked.

Keppel Bay Sailing Club is hosting this year's event from Monday 16th to Saturday 21st September.

For more information on the Regatta or to follow along with results, click here.

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