Flying Ants battle for State selection

On the weekend of November 23-24, Flying Ants from around WA converged on Mangles Bay to compete in the State Selections Series, hosted by local club TCYC.

Stakes were high for the junior sailors, who were all vying for the top six positions to secure a place on the WA State team.

Variable winds, shifting from a light four to six knots on the first morning to gusts of up to 35 knots during the final heat, tested and challenged the sailors over the six-race series.

The top positions were hotly contested by current National champions, Dale Brett and Jayden Havelburg on Rhinochaser (TCYC) and runner-up National champions Holly Hunt and Freyja Carlberg on Phantom (MBYC).

Phantom was ahead by just one point after five heats, but after a thrilling final race, in which Phantom capsized in a wild gust on the last spinnaker leg, Rhinochaser reigned supreme.

New Flying Ant pair Caelin Winchcombe and John Clements on Predator (DBYC/TCYC), kept the front runners under constant pressure, stealing three second places in the heats to finish a very close third overall.

Brothers Chad and Dean Cowan, on The Edge (DBYC), sailed consistently to finish fourth in the series.

Local sailors Aaron Kaputin and JJ Dillon, on Equalizer, Andrew Buchan and Alex Craft (Hard Yakka) and Jeremy Kaputin and Tahlia Aitkenhead (Cool Running), all from TCYC, finished in fifth, sixth and seventh places respectively.