Hobart’s The Hutchins School has taken out the nation’s premier school sailing title, winning the Australian Secondary Schools Team Racing Championship on the River Derwent.
After four days of racing, the school’s top team defeated Scots College from Sydney in a best-of-three grand final, securing two race wins to claim the national title.
Hosted by the Sandy Bay Sailing Club, the event brought together 26 teams and more than 200 sailors from across the country.
Competitors completed 273 races across the regatta in varying conditions before the top four open teams and top two all-female teams progressed to the finals on Sunday.
Finalists faced a strong south-westerly breeze of 20 to 25 knots, testing their boat handling and teamwork.
Moreton Bay College from Queensland won the all-female final, defeating Ascham College in two straight races to successfully defend the title they won in 2025.
Team racing pits teams of three boats, each carrying two sailors, against each other with the goal of achieving the lowest combined score.
The championship featured sailors aged 12 to 18, with younger and older competitors often racing in the same boat.
Sandy Bay Sailing Club commodore Simon Hooper said before the event that hosting the championship was a fantastic opportunity for the club and Tasmania’s sailing community.
“It’s a privilege to welcome the country’s best young team racers to Hobart for this year’s championship,” Hooper said.
Australian Maritime College principal Mal Wise said the college was proud to support the event.
“These qualities help foster confident, capable young people with a strong connection to the ocean and can open pathways to successful careers in the Maritime Industry,” Wise said.
The top three teams from both the open and all-female divisions will represent Australia at the Interdominion Team Racing Championships at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club in Auckland, New Zealand, in October.
