Australia wins Gold at Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship

1:34 AM Sat 18 Jul 2009 GMT

'Jason Watherhouse and Lisa Darmanin win Gold for Australia in the Hobie 16 Open Multihull class at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2009' Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race &copy Click Here to view large photo

The OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australia Youth Sailing Team has won Gold at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship with Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin taking victory in the Hobie 16 class.

Waterhouse and Darmanin went into the regatta's final race in a three way battle for Gold with the French and Italian crew and sailed a strong race to cross the line third and finish on the top step of the podium by one point over the French crew of Romain and Valentin Bellet.

Waterhouse said he was relieved to finally have Gold in his fourth Youth Worlds and that all the hard work in the lead up to the regatta had paid off.

'It was the windiest we've had in Brazil out there today and there were a few dramas with ripped kites but luckily everything stayed in one piece for us and we brought it home and did enough to win the Gold,' said Waterhouse.

'Now that I've got the Gold around my neck it's not coming off,' he said.

Cousin Lisa Darmanin was equally thrilled with her first Youth Worlds medal.

'It's pretty exciting stuff and we've got so many emotions racing around now,' she said. 'Today we just went sailing cause that's what we know how to do and we kept an eye on the French and Italian crews and came home with the Gold.'

The final day of the regatta was a positive one for all the Australian crews with strong performances throughout the team.

In the 420 boys class David Gilmour and James Omay finished in ninth place, moving up the ladder on each day of the regatta.

Adelaide's Lauren Thredgold and Megan Soulsby mirrored their teammates finish to end up ninth in the 420 girls fleet, tied on points with the eighth placed French team.

Ashley Stoddart had a fourth placing in the regatta's final race to finish sixth overall with five top ten finishes throughout the week, a positive results as she now heads to Japan for the Laser Radial World Championships.

Fellow Queenslander Curtis Skinner ended up 23rd in the Laser Radial boys fleet with his 16th in the final race his second best finish of the regatta.

In the RS:X class Australia's Joanna Sterling and Luke Baillie finished 13th and 20th respectively with the pair improving with every race in Buzios.

The OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Sailing Team finished sixth in the prestigious Volvo Trophy with a number of the team keen to return next year for another shot at Gold.

by Craig Heydon