Top Optimist Sailor Helps Mako Melges 24 Crew to Aussie Victory

Mako Melges AUS 762 is unmistakably the Australian Sport Boat Champion for 2009. The winning team of Heath Walters (Skipper), Murray Walters, Rob Brewer, James Brewer and John Suriano won four of the eight races and finished the regatta 10.5 points ahead of their nearest competitor Chris Williams. The next Melges 24 Wha Tha skippered by Heath Townsend from Western Australia took fourth place.

The National Sports Boat Championships were hosted by Royal Geelong Yacht Club in Victoria. Skandia Geelong Race Week is held over the Australia Day Long weekend celebrations, it is the largest regatta in Australia and attracts the sports elite.

Up and coming 14 year old Optimist sailor James Brewer played a vital role in Mako Melges success. James is heading for Brazil later in the year to represent Australia in the Optimists. James credited his calling of the winning shifts to the high performance Mako Sunglasses the crew wore.

First day of racing was abandoned due to 50+ knot winds, the following three days saw the conditions vary from 8 - 20+ knots demonstrating the teams experience and versatility on the Melges 24.

Team Faz on Vitesse AUS 710 progressively improved throughout the regatta racing a blinder in the last heat in the stiffest conditions of the regatta crossing the winning M24 and applying the accelerator.

Full results, photos and videos are available via WWW.GEELONGWEEK.COM.AU

The friendly competition and banter is sure to be tested at the Melges 24 Australian Championships to be held at SAIL PORT STEPHENS in April 2009.