RQYS MAINSHEET 2024

Sailing Academy Report

Lucas Patrick and Luke Rogers spent many an afternoon training on their own without a group or training partners. “L-Squared” as they are affectionately known perfected their craft of tacking, gybing, spinnaker up and down, and the focus over 12 months was laser-sharp. This honing of their basic skills gave the team the ability to race at World level in the 29er class this year in Denmark. Against more than 500 sailors from 30 nations, the lads won one race of the Worlds and finished 10th overall. The Squadron’s ILCA classes (4.7, Radial and Full Rig) are currently full of talent with Caterina Myer, Hugo Ralph, Henry Piggot, Jackson Black, Wilbur Bright, Molly Schotte, Isaac Schotte, Frances Beebe and Ruby Carter all experiencing competition in Europe this year.

Caterina backed-up this international experience winning our Queensland ILCA State Championship at Lake Cootharaba earlier this year against all comers. This win etched Caterina into Queensland ILCA history books as the youngest competitor to win the Open title. Our own Mara Stransky, who represented Australia at the Tokyo Olympic Games, is currently back home training with Frances Beebe and the QAS Squad under the guidance of Head Coach Mitch Kennedy and Annie Eastgate. Frances has stepped up her training with Mara this year and is at the Squadron most days, either on the water or at the gym. We are indeed fortunate to have such a role model as Mara at RQYS for all our Junior and Youth sailors to look up to, emulate and train with.

Our Foil sailors are a large team who are pushing towards the international level. Sammi Costin is leading the charge again towards the LA 2028 Olympics, and in the Men’s Division we have Scotty Luxton, one of our RQYS Coaches, Jarrod Jones, Jo Foley, and Rory Meehan. Our Wing Foil team also had a busy year of international- level racing in Europe. The Squadron is busy every day of the week with Schools, Tackers classes, and Green Fleet all having record attendance — surely the best ‘breeding-ground’ for future generations of RQYS Olympians! Thank you to all who have supported the Academy this year, and following the positive feedback on our participation statistics in last year’s “Mainsheet” we are delighted to provide the tabular 2024 update below! n

XMAS Hols 2023–24

Term 1 2024

EASTER Hols

Term 2 2024

JUN/JUL Hols

Term 3 2024

SEP Hols

Term 4 2024

Participants

Course

Level

199

Tackers 1–3 Sail and Play

Learn to Sail

58 74 30 21 11 19 33 22

Dinghy Course

Start Sailing 1 & 2

Start Crewing and Helming

Start Crewing (NEW) Start Helming (NEW)

Keelboat Course

Start Skippering Start Windsurfing Powerboat Handling Safety Boat Operator Youth Adventure (Quest) Year 3 - Tackers 1 Years 4/5 - Tackers 2/3 Year 6 - Start Sailing 1 Elite - Coaching Intraschool saling (NEW) Manly SS, MBBC, Redlands College, Carmel College, et al Year 2 - Intro to Tackers

Windsurfing

Powerboat Handling

5 9

Out there Sailing Total all courses

162

44

78

34

41

31

54

37

481

School Sailing (Gumdale SS)

707

School Sailing (others)

81

Total all schools

56

205

252

275

788

All AUS Sailing courses total

162

100

78 239

41 283

54 312

1,269

Green Fleet - Opti

Intermediate Fleet - Opti Open Fleet - Opti Green Fleet - Quest Feva Laser 4.7 Laser Radial 29er - Sailors Nacra - Sailors Youth Squad casuals Foil Squad Windsurfing

Youth Squad

470

a. Discover Sailing Experienc

1

Dinghy/Keelboat/Windsurfing

Level 2

b. Private Coaching

168

Head Coach

c. Coaching Camps

150

d. Corporate Events & Birthdays Bookings (all)

1 2

Sessions (10 / 20)

e. Sail our Boats

10

Total Hires

Sub-total (a–e) above

332 802

Total all Squad,lessons, hires, etc

TOTAL ALL 2024 PARTICPANTS / SESSIONS

2,068

Mainsheet 2024

23

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Yearbook