High School Students Excel at Sailing J24s

The school backs on to Pittwater and in years gone past, the students could rig their boats at school and simple carry them to the water's edge.

In 1970 the students actually built their first yacht. The idea came to one of the teachers as he sat on the rail of a yacht in the Sydney to Hobart Race in 1968.

The 29ft Diamond class yacht was christened by Lady Cutler 'Kalori' which means 'message stick'. In 1991 the school replaced the original Kalori with the more modern International J24 class and christened her Kalori 2.

Over the past months the current school sailing team trained on Pittwater in preparation for the J24 NSW championships. This was not a school or youth event, but an open regatta sailed entirely by adults with the top three boats qualifying for a position in the Australian team for the upcoming 2006 World Championships to be held in Melbourne.

Over the course of the event year 8, 9 and 10 students raced with their coach as helmsman. The regatta fleet included two Olympians and World, National and State Champions. Pittwater High School won the first two races (eight in total) and finished the regatta third, gaining a place in the Australian team at the 2006 World Championship.

The student sailors were Cameron Edwards, Jill Brajkovich, Jenna Walters, Kate Newling, Jessica Manning, Sarah Lee, Michael Holloway and Jason Waterhouse.

J24s normally sail with five sailors to get to the 400kg weight limit, but as the students are all featherweights they had to sail with seven. The team consists of eight students so they were rotated each day so everyone got a sail.

For more information please contact
Rachel Flemming ( Sports department at PHS ) 9999 4035
Murray Walters ( sailing coach ) 0411643731