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Those that headed south were Rio 2016 Silver Medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin, who again excelled in the Nacra 17,  and will be bringing home a gold medal. Also competing in the Nacra 17 were Palm Beach Sailing Club members Paul Darmanin and Lucy Copeland who placed 4th overall and 2nd in races 7 & 8 of the ten race series. 

Must be something going right in these families - sister and brother and cousin all in the same class and all doing more than just a little well.

Nina Curtis and Haylee Outteridge just keep getting better and better too since teaming up and will be bringing home a bronze from the 49erFX class. This will be the second medal the girls have won this year after bringing home second overall in the Women's in the Hobie 16 Worlds in June 2016.

Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club sailors Kurt Hansen and Jim Colley have been pitting their skills against fellow Australians and Rio 2016 Silver Medallists Matthew Belcher and William Ryan as part of the 470 fleet and are sure to have gained some great experience. In December 2015 the pair took gold in the 29er at the Sailing World Cup.

A report from Daniel Smith, World Sailing, that opened the week gives an insight into some of the great international sailors who have made their way to Melbourne this week to put on a dazzling display of skill in the 49er, 49erFX, Men's and Women's RS:X, Nacra 17, Formula Kite, Men's and Women's 470, Laser, Laser Radial and Finn.

That courtesy of the Australian Sailing Team provides a post medal overview after the finish of racing in the Nacra 17 on Saturday December 10th.

The spectacular photography is courtesy of Pedro Martinez/Sailing Energy/World Sailing.

On 5 December 1956, the Melbourne Olympic Games sailing competition drew to a close with some tense final races across the five classes.

Scandinavian sailors came out on top winning three of five golds and legends such as Paul Elvstrom (DEN) and Peter Mander and Jack Cropp (NZL) etched their names into the history books.

Sixty years on, it's fitting that the Olympic legacy left behind at the St Kilda Sailing Precinct continues with the venue once again welcoming a new generation of Olympic heroes whose success stories from Rio 2016 will be celebrated at the Sailing World Cup Final presented by Land Rover.

The St Kilda Sailing Precinct hosted the 1956 Games and the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron is full of stories and memorabilia dedicated to that competition. Most of those racing at the World Cup Final, December 4-11, 2016 are starting their Olympic journey however they carry the same end goal as the '56 sailing teams; the ultimate prize in sport, an Olympic medal and to follow in the footsteps of legends.

A recent rivalry will be renewed at the Sailing World Cup Final when Tom Burton (AUS) and Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) go head to head once again.

Burton and Stipanovic tussled for Laser supremacy for four years and this culminated at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games when they locked horns in the Medal Race. Burton managed to overturn a ten-point deficit in the last double points race to clinch gold for Australia, relegating Stipanovic into silver medal spot.

Burton and Stipanovic will be front and centre at the World Cup Final after their Rio duel as they join more than 200 competitors from 31 nations racing across ten Olympic events and Open Kiteboarding. Several Olympic medallists will compete in the finale of the 2016 World Cup series and a whole host of upcoming, exciting talent will join them as they look ahead to Tokyo 2020.

Joining Burton and Stipanovic in the 20-boat Laser fleet will be former World #1 Matt Wearn (AUS), Belgian Olympian Wannes Van Laer, London 2012 silver medallist Pavlos Kontides (CYP) and American Rio 2016 sailor Charlie Buckingham.

In the Laser Radial fleet, Rio 2016 gold medallist Marit Bouwmeester (NED) is favoured to win. The Dutch champion controlled the field at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with an astute, professional display and quickly turned her attention to Tokyo 2020 immediately after winning Rio gold, heading to Japan to start familiarising herself with the next Olympic waters.

Danish Rio bronze medallist Anne-Marie Rindom will face off against Bouwmeester again, this time hoping to upset the Dutch party.  Joining the Rio medallists in the fleet is current Laser Radial Youth World Champion and Rio Olympian Maria Erdi of Hungary who will warm up for the Youth Sailing World Championships by competing at the World Cup Final.

Great Britain's two-time Olympian Alison Young was down to race in Melbourne but sustained an ankle injury in the lead up and withdrew.

The Women's RS:X welcomes some leading sailors including London 2012 gold medallist Marina Alabau (ESP), bronze medallist Zofia Klepacka (POL) as well as the two-time Youth Worlds champion and Rio 2016 bronze medallist Stefania Elfutina of Russia.

Further Olympic podium finishers across the fleets include Rio Men's 470 silver recipients Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS), American Finn bronze medallist Caleb Paine and Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin who took silver in the Nacra 17.

Racing across all classes will commence at 12:00 local time on Tuesday 6 December with bragging rights heading into the new Olympic quadrennial as well as a share of the $200,000 AUD prize pot up for grabs. Medal Races on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 will draw the competition to a close.

ustralians have won Gold in two classes, Silver and Bronze on the penultimate day of SWC Melbourne 2016, the final…

Australians have won Gold in two classes, Silver and Bronze on the penultimate day of SWC Melbourne 2016, the final event on the World Cup circuit for 2016.

Rio 2016 Silver Medallists, Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin won the medal race today to take the Gold in the Nacra 17. The Aussies were very happy with the win, particularly given this week was their first time sailing the Nacra together since the medal race in Rio.

“We had a really fun day out there,” said Waterhouse at the conclusion of race. “It was really shifty and quite challenging. We were watching the other fleets and we saw several start line disqualifications, so we knew we had to be careful.

“When we finally got out there, we got a good start and controlled the race from there. We were leading at the first bottom gate and probably made the wrong call so we had to fight our way back, but we had fun doing it.

‘Next up is a bit of training back at home (Sydney) and then I’ll head back to Bermuda (for America’s Cup preparations) in the new year. Lisa and I will try and do a training camp in Bermuda ahead of our first big regatta next year - the Nacra Europeans in Kiel during July.”

In the 49erFX class, Tess Lloyd and Eliza Solly also won their medal race to take the Gold in their class. The Aussie girls have sailed consistently this week, winning three of the six races in the preliminary series. Haylee Outteridge and Nina Curtis finished today’s medal race in fifth place, which was enough for them to secure the Bronze.

In the 49er class there was heartbreak for the Phillips brothers in today’s medal race. The Aussies were blackflagged in the medal race, dropping them from their overnight lead to fifth place overall. Harry Morton and Harry Price won the Silver, while David Gilmour and Joel Turner finished in fourth place.

It was a mixed day for Jake Lilley in the Finn class, sailing in the final races of his preliminary series. Lilley was u-flagged in the first race of the day, but came back to win the second race of the day. He takes a six point lead into tomorrow’s medal race ahead of Great Britain’s Ed Wright. Oli Tweddell goes into tomorrow’s final race in fifth place, after scoring a 3 and a 5 in today’s two races.

“I’m very happy to be back racing the Finn,” said Lilley. “I'm just suprised I can remember how to do it and I'm actually really pleased with how I am racing at the moment.”

In the Laser class, Matt Wearn takes the overall lead into tomorrow’s medal race. Wearn scored 4,9,1 in today’s three races, and is only three points ahead of London 2012 Silver medallist, Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus. Rio 2016 Gold medallist, Tom Burton is currently third overall after scoring 2,6,3 today.

Mat Belcher and Will Ryan also had a mixed day. In the shifty conditions, they were u-flagged in their first race, but came back to win the second race of the day. They take a 20 point lead into tomorrow’s medal race.

In the women’s 470 Carrie Smith and Jaime Ryan had two second placing’s today, finishing behind the Austrian team of Vadlau/Ogar in both races. The Aussies go into tomorrow’s medal race six points behind the Austrians, so it will be nail-biting action!

In the Laser Radial, Australia’s Ashley Stoddart has dropped to sixth place overall after scoring 8 and 13 in today’s two races. Stoddart will sail in her medal race tomorrow.

In the RSX Women’s event, Joanna Sterling finished her regatta in ninth place overall after an eighth placing in the medal race.

Carrie Smith (WAIS) and Jaime Ryan (QAS): (5), 4, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2 - 2nd

Mathew Belcher (QAS) & Will Ryan (QAS): 1, (2), 1, 1, 1, 1 , (UFD), 1– 1st

Will and Sam Phillips (VIC): 5, (DNF), 8, 1, 1, 3, 1, BFD – 5th

David Gilmour (WAIS) and Joel Turner (QAS): 6, (16), 6, 6, 2, 7, 2, 10 – 4th

 

Tess Lloyd (VIS) and Eliza Solly (VIS): 1, 1, (4,), 1, 2, 3, 2 – 1st

Haylee Outteridge (NSW) and Nina Curtis (NSW): 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, (5) , 10– 3rd

Jake Lilley (QAS): 1, 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, (UFD), 1 – 1st

Oliver Tweddell (VIS): 5, 2, 6, (6), 3, 4, 3, 5 - 5th

Tom Burton (NSW): 7, 4, 1, 7, (12), 5, 2, 6, 3 – 4th

Matt Wearn (WAIS): 2, 2, 2, (5), 1, 1, 4, (9), 1 - 1st

Ashley Stoddard (QAS) : (11), 10, 3, 2, 4, 7, (16), 8, 13 – 7th

Jason Waterhouse (NSW) & Lisa Darmanin (NSW): 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, (DNF), 2, 2 - 1st

Joanna Sterling (QLD): 4, 7, 7, 5, 6, 5, 8, (9), 6, 16 – 9th