The Club Captain’s Column features weekly perspectives on different happenings around SSCBC. Each week the invited columnist takes time to reflect on their unique experiences in relation to sailing or boating. If you would like to provide feedback, or to submit your own story for consideration, please send an email to: [email protected].
This week we have an exciting account of the recent 29er State Titles sailed over the long weekend. The 29er class has been the backbone of the SSCBC junior and youth program for over fifteen years, since Sorrento held the 29er and 49er Worlds in 2008 – a regatta that firmly announced the arrival of many local sailors, including Will and Sam Phillips, among others. The 29er is a pivotal boat in the pathway between youth and established classes and provides a testing ground for young sailors to expand and grow their skills against other sailors on a state, national and international platform. We see the 29er class as a vital boat that links high performance sailing to junior classes, and have doubled down on efforts to see our fleet at Sorrento grow once more. Bret Levenspiel, father of Miles and Henri and past Commodore of Mornington Yacht Club, gives us the low down on this journey so far.
Strategic Success: Supporting the 29er class
By Bret Levenspiel
What a whirlwind of excitement our sailing season has been for the 29ers! The strategic decision to nurture and grow our 29er fleet has ignited a transformative journey within our Club and the 9er sailing community. Led by Club Captain Harry Mighell and Gavin Wall, we’ve been on quite an adventure.
Harry assumed the helm of the initiative, supported by Tess Lloyd in her role as SSCBC’s 29er Class Representative. With the sailing season unfolding, Tess and Harry’s collaboration with David White took shape in the form of a program that aimed at enticing junior sailors to explore the 29er class, encouraging friendships across all our OTB sailors and delivering top-notch coaching opportunities to aspiring competitors.
Central to the program’s success were the ‘Try Days’ organised and run by Tess. These events provided juniors with invaluable firsthand experiences in 29er sailing. Many junior sailors from SSCBC and clubs around the bay got a chance to sail a 29er with our Olympian Tess Lloyd, Olympic Coach Harry Mighell and accomplished sailors James McLennan and Jack Lloyd. These days left an indelible mark on participants, and have clearly sparked an interest in the 29er class. The ripple effects of these events are evident as several SSCBC juniors are now poised to continue their journey in 29er sailing, with one junior recently investing in their own boat, heralding a promising surge in participation for the upcoming summer season.
In line with fostering camaraderie among sailors, SSCBC took proactive measures to ensure that friendships forged in junior sailing remained vibrant and inclusive. Hosting a camp organised by the Class Association provided an excellent opportunity for new friendships to form, as junior sailors witnessed a larger cohort of 29ers sailing together, nurturing a strong sense of community and belonging within Team Sorrento.
Moreover, SSCBC’s commitment to providing unparalleled coaching opportunities bore fruit as evidenced by the progress of Henri and Miles. Training alongside teammates and seasoned sailors Mason and Jorja Mahoney, they benefited from nine days of focused training over the season. With the expert guidance of Tess, Chloe Fisher, James McLennan, Jack Lloyd, and Harry, Henri and Miles underwent a transformative growth phase. Their performance, culminating in a 2nd place finish at the 9er State Championships held at SSCBC last weekend, underscores the depth of SSCBC’s support and coaching infrastructure. The results were not sympathetic to Mason and Jorja’s on water breakage but their sailing during the championships was nothing short of fantastic.
As we wrap up this chapter of our 29er journey, let’s take a moment to applaud our incredible Race Management and volunteers who ran the 29er Championships over the weekend. The messages pouring in speak volumes – SSCBC is making waves in the 29er sailing community.
The State Championship results were:
1st Liam Stevens / Josh Griffith SYC
2nd Henri Levenspiel / Miles Levenspiel SSCBC
3rd Daniel Conacher / Felix Duell SYC
