Calvert sails into Youth Worlds team

ROYAL Yacht Club of Tasmania off-the-beach sailor Jock Calvert has been named as a member of the Australian team to contest the 45th ISAF Youth World Championships to be held in Malaysia at the end of the year.

This will be the third Youth worlds in which Calvert has competed, the 17-year-old again contesting the Bic Techno 293 sailboard class.

The Australian team was announced yesterday following the 2015 Queensland Youth Week conducted on Brisbane’s Waterloo Bay by Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.

Eight teenage athletes will make their Youth Worlds debut for Australia, while six will be returning to the team for another Youth World Championship. They will contest the 420 (boys and girls), Laser Radial (boys and girls), Bic Techno 293 sailboards (boys and girls), 29er (open) and Hobie 16 (open) classes.

Calvert will be contesting his third Youth World Championship in the windsurfing class.

This follows standout performances across all selection events, including a win in the January Youth Championships for the third consecutive time as well as the Queensland Youth Week.

“It’s great to have won Queensland Youth Week and making the team for my third time,” Calvert said.

“Malaysia should be quite light, so I’ll have to work on my fitness a bit, but I’m really looking forward to it as it’s another chance to prove myself.

“The last couple of years didn’t go too well for me, so this year I’ll be pushing extra hard as it’s my last Youth year. I want to get a good result and will work hard to get there,” he said.

On Italy’s Lake Garda yesterday, all five Australian boats, including two from Tasmania, qualified for the Gold fleet at the SB20 world championship.