2010 Australian RS:X Championships: Chang, ENP athlete tops the fleet

7:28 AM Mon 22 Feb 2010 GMT

'Howard Chang - ENP athlete Howard Chang, of Chinese Taipei, came first in the RS:X event. Australian RS:X Championships and the Emerging Nations Programme (ENP) Regatta, February, 2010' Perth 2011 Click Here to view large photo

Emerging Nations Programme athlete, Howard Chang, of Chinese Taipei, who in is Perth training with the ENP, topped the RS:X fleet this weekend, as a competitor in the 2010 Australian RS:X Championships.

Although Chang placed first, he was ineligible to be Australian Champion and the coveted award went to West Australian sailor Tim Gourlay. Gourlay placed second overall at the Championships, to take out the sought after Men's 2010 National RS:X Championship title in the medal race, off Fremantle.

Gourlay was racing on home waters, as a member of Fremantle Sailing Club, where this year's National Championships were held.

The ENP Regatta was held in conjunction with the RS:X National Championships and Laser, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 sailors competed. Ki-Raphael Sulkowski beat the Laser fleet home, followed consecutively by ENP athletes Nik Ashraf, of Malaysia, and Alexandr Denisiuc, of Moldova.

Nik Azizan - ENP athlete Nik Azizan, of Malaysia, came second in the ENP Regatta in the Lasers. Emerging Nations Programme (ENP) Regatta, Laser & Laser Radials), February, 2010 - Perth 2011 Click Here to view large photo

Two of the 11 participants at this third Perth 2011 ENP Intensive Training Session, which winds up on February 25, are women - Rohini Rau, of India and Anna Aile, of Latvia. Both women placed well in the Laser Radial event at this weekend's ENP Regatta.

The Perth 2011 Emerging Nations Programme is not only assisting top athletes from developing sailing nations but is also providing fantastic opportunities for local sailors, including those training with the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS). WAIS sailors have had the chance to participate locally in international standard regattas, such as the one held this weekend.

Further, many of the younger WAIS sailors are currently benefiting immensely from the ENP programme by participating in on and off-water training sessions, listening to motivational speakers and learning sailing tactics from two of the best in the sport - ENP Head Coaches Belinda Stowell and Arthur Brett.

Full results from the weekend may be found at:
www.perth2011.sailing.org.au/site/yachting/event/31246/default.html

by Perth 2011