18th Mirror World Championship at Woollahra Sailing Club

18th Mirror Worlds in Sydney © Robert Owe-Young

John and Tyler Dransfield won the 18th Mirror World Championship on Sunday, sailing on behalf of the Netherlands in a borrowed boat. Australians John and Tyler had not intended to sail in the Mirror Worlds, hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club, but when Dutch boat Rumble Fish became available after an eye injury to owner Alle Roodbergen, they stepped in with style.

The six day regatta began with light winds which saw only one race completed on the first day, with two-time National Champion Damian Carey taking an early lead with crew Austin Freer in Bob. The second day saw Wave Catcher (2017 World Champion Cullen Hughes and crew James Hughes) make their move with two bullets to jump to the top of the table. The Dransfields in Rumble Fish started slowly, but by the third day they made their mark. Rumble Fish claimed two wins out of three to move to within a point of Wave Catcher.

The scene was set for a crucial Day Four, and Sydney turned up the drama with a full blown Southerly Buster, combined with an afternoon thunderstorm. With great sailing in strong winds, Rumble Fish claimed the first race to move into the lead for the first time in the regatta. Britain's David and Imogen Wade in Blue won the second race before racing was called off, but a third place to Rumble Fish was enough to give them a seven point lead over newly crowned National Champions McMissle (Campbell and Stirling McKay), with Wave Catcher four more points adrift.

18th Mirror Worlds in Sydney - photo © Robert Owe-Young

For the final day, Sydney Harbour reverted to back to light winds, and with three races to go we were set for a tantalising finish.

The first race on the final day was won by Jonathan and Phoebe Branch in B2, claiming their first win for the Worlds. Wave Catcher came second, but Rumble Fish came third, preserving their lead.

In the second race, Rumble Fish came first to pull further away on the leader board, with B2 second and Wave Catcher third. With one race to go, and a second drop now applying, only a disaster could stop Rumble Fish now.

18th Mirror Worlds in Sydney - photo © Robert Owe-Young

As the leaders crossed the line, it was Bob (Damian Carey and Austin Freer), ending as they had begun with yet another race win. Second was Bulletproof (Simon and Tyson Barwood), with Rumble Fish in third to clinch the title in emphatic style.

18th Mirror Worlds in Sydney - photo © Robert Owe-Young

For photos, video and race updates see the New South Wales Mirror Class Association Facebook page (@MirrorSailingNSW).

At the Prize-Giving Ceremony, Olympic gold medallist and America's Cup winner, Tom Slingsby, and Wendy Tuck, Clipper Round the World skipper and the first woman to win a Round the World Race, were on hand to help celebrate and hand out the prizes. Tom, who lives in the area, said he had seen the Mirrors out during the week and was thinking of them during the big winds on Day Four. Wendy said she was sailing a 30 ft yacht at the time and she didn't want to be out sailing, let alone in a Mirror.

John, a three-times Fireball World Champion, said he began sailing Mirrors at Albert Sailing Club in Melbourne and won his first State Title at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and gave some words of encouragement to the young sailors in the room. "We were scared too!" he said, as he congratulated them on sailing the Southerly Buster.

Rumble Fish's owner, Alle Roodbergen, was also on hand to celebrate the win, and John thanked him for preparing a fast boat. John's advice to new sailors was to get a good boat and a good crew, and he said with Rumble Fish and Tyler, he had both.

Second place went to Wave Catcher (Cullen and James Hughes), and third place to McMissile (Campbell and Stirling McKay). Wave Catcher also picked up the prize for Best Home Boat, as the Dransfields were sailing for the Netherlands in Rumble Fish.

Fourth place went to Bob (Damian Carey and Austin Freer); fifth place to Waterborne At Last (Douglas Raftesath and Spencer McKay); sixth place to Ripples (reigning British National Champions, Chris and Daisy Fuller); and seventh to Blue (David and Imogen Wade).

The Ireland Trophy for the Invitation Race went to Bulletproof (Simon and Tyson Barwood). The Seafort Trophy for the highest ranked female helm went to Foxy Lady III (Jessie Andrewartha and Grant Atherton). The Under 19 prize went to Dash (Charlotte Raftesath and Benedict McKay). And the Junior prize went to the courageous Irish team of Eoghan Duffy and Cathal Langan in A Close Shave.

The Master's Trophy (helm over 40) went to Bob (Damian Carey and Austin Freer), and the Veteran's Trophy went to Waterborne At Last (Douglas Raftesath and Spencer McKay).

In the Classic Division, the winner was Blistering Barnacles (Sarah and Tika MacMaster) who did extremely well to place 30th overall.

Full prize list available here.

With the prizes given out, the penultimate act of the 2019 Worlds was to hand the Mirror flag over to the next host, Sligo YC, represented by Emmet Duffy. The flag was handed over by Douglas Raftesath, the newly elected President of the International Mirror Class Association, with Kuba Miszewski stepping down after three successful terms.

The final act of the night was a special thank you to Stan Bland, President of the New South Wales Mirror Class Association, who was the driving force behind the bringing the Worlds to Woollahra Sailing Club, and an indispensable contributor to the success of the 2019 Worlds.

Overall Results: