WindsurfingSA news

Eamon Robertshaw

In nine short months 15 year-old Eamon Robertshaw (WA) has gone from being a complete novice to one of the most accomplished youth Bic Techno sailboarders in Australia.

Previous experience in the Optimist class won him a grant to help enhance his sailing opportunities enabling him to purchase of his first Techno with assistance from a Yachting Australia scheme to introduce the board into Australia.

After only 12 weeks sail boarding experience he entered the 2009 OAMPS Australian Youth Championships at Mandurah finishing with the amazing score line of 3,3,1,3,3,3,3,3,3,1,1 to finish third overall and in March, whilst recovering from a nasty ankle fracture he was offered a scholarship with the WA Institute of Sport Sailing Team.

In early June he travelled to the Bic Techno 293 Friendship Regatta which combined with the RSX nationals at beautiful Port Stephens in NSW. Attended by international sailors, this was the biggest fleet of Techno 293’s seen so far in Australia. Eamon dominated the fleet winning 6 races and now has his heart set on moving into the RSX aiming at an Olympic campaign.

ISAF has identified the Bic Techno 293 for the windsurfing events at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. The Bic Techno 293 board is the feeder board into the RSX class and has been designed for youth sailors under the age of 17 years.

The Techno class is strong in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Champions 2009

Laser Radial Boys – Curtis SKINNER (QLD)
Laser Radial Girls – Ashley STODDART (QLD)
BIC Techno 293 Boys – Luke BAILLIE (QLD)
BIC Techno 293 Girls – Joanna STERLING (QLD)
420 Boys – David GILMOUR and James OMAY (WA)
420 Girls – Lauren THREDGOLD and Megan SOULSBY (SA)
420 Mixed – Jack OLIVER and Wendy JOHNSON (WA)
Laser 4.7 Boys – Nicolas POREE (FRA)
1st AUS – Andrew TORPELUND (QLD)
Laser 4.7 Girls – Alison DALE (VIC)
29er Boys – James SLY and Andrew GILLIES (VIC)
29er Girls – Bec TUMA and Emma Louise DALY (VIC)

for further details…

The Australian Windsurfing website now has a page dedicated to the Techno 293 One Design Class. It features links to international and national class association sites, and info on obtaining sail numbers.
Visit www.windsurfing.org/techno293.htm

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has announced that the Bic Techno 293 windsurfer and the Byte CII dinghy have been chosen as equipment for the four sailing events at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

details: http://www.techno293.org/page0001v01news96.htm