ELSA SWETENHAM, a talented Hobie Fleet helm, recently competed in the New South Wales Hobie Cat State Championships at Lake Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains.
A former Youth and Women’s Hobie Channel Islands champion, Swetenham teamed up with top Australian helm Paddy Butler to secure third place in the Hobie 16 event.
The pair narrowly missed second place after a close battle over seven races, eventually losing out on countback.
The championship was held in challenging conditions, with strong, shifty winds gusting to 30 knots, providing a tough test of boat-handling skills for all competitors.
During her time in Australia, Swetenham reunited with Gavin Luxton and his son Flynn.
Gavin, a former Australian Champion, who also won the Hobie 16 European Championships in the Silver Fleet when the event was last held in Jersey, has become a familiar face in the Channel Islands sailing scene – joining the local fleet, and racing in several local championships during his time in the UK.
Swetenham has had a busy sailing season, spending much of the summer racing yachts in the Mediterranean after a stint in the Caribbean.
Her next major challenge is the iconic Sydney to Hobart race, starting on Boxing Day.
Before heading to Australia, the sailor returned to Jersey to compete in the final two races of the Hobie Fleet’s Winter Series.
Swetenham, daughter of Club Commodore Jeremy and fellow Hobie sailor Sandrine, has been a key member of the local fleet and the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club wished her fair winds and great success in her upcoming Southern Hemisphere ocean race.
NSW Hobie 16 Results
First: Dan & Hayley Fisher, Palm Beach SC
Second: Bryn & Adrian Mills, Vincentia SC
Third: Paddy Butler & Elsa Swetenham, Vincentia SC
