The 2021 Australian Para Sailing Championships will be held as part of an Inclusive Classes Regatta at Sail Melbourne from January 16 – 19 January.

Open fleet racing in the 2.4mR, Hansa 303 and SKUD 18 classes will be conducted over four days, with the scores of teams which include eligible para sailors extracted to decide the Para Sailing Championship winners.  The Liberty class will be sailed as an open division.

Chris Symonds, winner of Australian Sailing’s 2020 Para Sailor of the Year - “I’m very excited to be heading to Melbourne for the Para Nationals, it’s been a year of uncertainty and once the expression of interest and the Notice of Race was on the website I was quick to register my interest and to support Sail Melbourne.  Speaking with many of my sailing friends we are expecting a strong turn out in the para classes”.

Past Australian Para Sailing Champions Neil Patterson VIC (2.4mR), Chris Symonds TAS (Hansa 303 1-person), Bradley & Colin Alderton NSW (Hansa 303 2-person) and Ross Manning & Max Quan QLD (SKUD 18) will be at Royal Brighton Yacht Club to defend their past titles.  2020 Liberty Champion Robert Crofts from WA will move in to the SKUD 18 this year to take on the experienced Queenslanders.

Other Para Sailing activities schedule before and during Sail Melbourne are:

· Free Coaching Camp on 14 – 15 January with Grant Alderson – Register here

· Para Classification on 15 January with Sarah Ross and Katie Dunoon – Register Here

· Para Sailing Forum on 17 January after racing with David Staley – Bayview Room @ RBYC

January 2021 is the commencement of the period when all existing para-classifications need to be reviewed.  In most cases, para-classifications will remain valid until 2024.  There is no fee for para-classification.

We ask that all athletes interested in the above activities register at the earliest opportunity. 

Daniel Belcher – Australian Sailing President “Australian Sailing is pleased to be sanctioning annual Australian Para Sailing Championships as part of the sport’s inclusive competition pathway”, he said.

The Sail Melbourne event webpage is now live and essential information, such as race documents and online entry link.