Australia’s Matt Wearn has established a commanding lead in the 2026 ILCA Oceania and Australian Open Championship in Hobart, ending Day Four with a 16-point advantage in the ILCA 7 Class. Wearn secured a bullet in the day’s first race and finished second behind fellow Australian Zac Littlewood in the second race, bringing his total score to 12 points after a drop, while Littlewood sits at 28 points.
The competition has intensified, with Principal Race Officer Dods noting the pressure among the top competitors. “Matt Wearn has consolidated today – he’s really kicked clear of the field. Zac Littlewood’s moved up with great scores of a seven and a one, so he’ll be really happy with the last race of the day. I’m pleased to say that Tasmania’s Eddie Reid is holding his form with scores of a tenth and a fourth today, placing him on 41 points, just one behind Finn Lynch from Ireland.”
Ethan McAullay stands third also on 28 points, while Dutch sailor Duko Bos is in fourth with 33 points. The River Derwent posed challenges due to tricky westerly winds, causing race delays as the committee awaited stabilised conditions. Dods remarked, “We had some oscillations in the breeze, but it finally settled down to a west-south westerly again, with six to seven knots.” This variety in conditions aims to highlight the best and most consistent sailors throughout the regatta.
In the ILCA 6 Gold Fleet, Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert jumped to the lead with a first and second today, putting her on ten points, just one ahead of Hungary’s Maria Erdi, who had previously led this Class. Queensland’s Mara Stransky is also in contention, scoring 25 points and putting pressure on both Plasschaert and Erdi.
“Olympian Mara Stransky, from Queensland, is the big mover today, clocking a net score of 25 points, placing her ahead of Thomson,” Dods said. “Thomson is one point clear of Sylvie Stannage on 26 points, with Queensland’s France Beebe following with 36 points.”
Jasper Stay, the leading Under 19 Male, is creeping into the top ten rankings. Ava Wilson leads the ILCA 6 Silver Fleet with 106 points, followed by Adelaide O’Donoghue and Raphael McLachlan, who share 114 points each. Dods anticipates more changes in the rankings tomorrow as a second discard will take effect post-Race Ten.
In the ILCA 4 Gold Fleet, Callum Simmons stood out with a second and a fourth, accumulating 16 points, while Queensland’s Harry Hogan follows in second place with 18 points. Early leader Thomas Cooper slides to third on 23 points. Tasmania’s Ed Steedman had an inconsistent day with scores leading to 66 points.
Tasmanian sailor Cordelia Davey is thriving at her first Australian Championship, moving into 13th place with solid performances today, while Victoria’s Maya Cantwell leads the ILCA 4 Silver Fleet with 101 points, 11 ahead of Zoe Heffernan.
Words and images: Jane Austin/RYCT Media
For full results, please visit: https://sailingresults.net/?ID=82266.
The event website is available at: https://ryct.org.au/2026-ilca-oceania-australian-championship/.
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