Sailing’s elite take part in Bellarine training camp

OLYMPIC level sailing coaches visited the Bellarine recently to share their knowledge with eager participants who attended a training camp at Indented Head Yacht Club.

The training camp was organised by the Victorian Laser Association (VLA) and held over the weekend of April 28 and 29.

The camp was led by Mark Tonner-Joyce an elite sailing coach who brought with him two former Olympic athletes and a former Australian Radial National Champion Rhett Gowans.

One of the coaches, Sarah Blanck, represented Australia in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Sailing the woman’s single handed dinghy, Sarah finished fourth in both games.

Krystal Weir of Sandringham Yacht Club is a former Laser Radial World Champion and competed in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, where she finished in 10th and 12th place, respectively.

Indented Head Yacht Club is a small family-orientated club, so to attract Olympic level coaches was a major coup for the club and for the region.

Many club members are laser sailors who are training towards the Laser Masters World Championships to be held at Royal Geelong Yacht Club in 2020.

There were 50 boats participating in the camp across three laser classes.

The weekend produced a range of wind conditions presenting challenges and learning opportunities for all sailors involved.

Indented Head Yacht Club is keen to work closely with the VLA to ensure that the training camp remains a regular fixture.

Many camp participants were first time visitors to the Bellarine and were hugely impressed by the clean and safe waters off Indented Head.