Warren Jones International Youth Regatta, the result of a superb Australian adventure!
Remember the 6 young Norman sailors that the FIVA Group supported for their participation in the “Warren Jones International Youth Regatta” held in Perth (Australia) from 28 January to 1 February 2019. To make us relive their journey, they prepared a short assessment for us. The crew is yours!
“In Australia, sailing is a religion! We have understood this well by arriving in this gigantic Perth Yacht Club where all the walls are full of trophies. The Warren Jones Regatta, intended for under-25s, is a a real institution. This Grade 2 competition (international) brings together the best young internationals for more than 15 years. In addition, it takes place during the sailing festival and the Australian National Day! In other words, it is actively monitored and publicized. The day after our arrival in Australia, we trained thanks to the “Colin” regatta Mullins International Youth Regatta”. A great warm-up for taming boats. From the very first games we became aware of the work of progress that we were going to have to do to accomplish. So we had to quickly adapt and learn from the boat. We let’s finish 3rd in this regatta! It is now time to tackle to the big fish and start the Warren Jones Regatta. The first day proved difficult for us who were not technically up to standard. We we were able to win starts but the opponent, more comfortable on the boat, had a better command of the latter and was able to surpass us. A first day encouraging but also frustrating. So we have started the second day more uplifted than ever. Of the improvement there are had, we gained technicality, so did the other crews. Nevertheless, we won more games. The last two days of competition were similar enough, we won matches but not enough to make it into the final square (4 teams). We finished 9th in the final ranking. It was the Dutch who won against the local! The winners had finished 9th last year, just like us! Apart from the competition we also had the opportunity to meet several people: Christine CASERIS, President of the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Barry Sammels, Mayor of Rockingham. This Australian adventure has been rewarding at sports, human and cultural level. We are ready to come back stronger next year! »
