High achiever at international sailing championships

Eighteen-year-old Casey Bates, a Year 12 student at Wesley’s Glen Waverley Campus, has returned from the 10th World Musto Skiff Sailing Championships in Medemblik, Netherlands, with third place in the Under 25 category and second in the Under 23 category.

The youngest competitor at the international championships, Casey was one of five sailors representing Australia, placing a competitive 45th overall, behind his father and sailing mentor, Wayne Bates (OW1985) in 20th place – but, according to Wayne, those bragging rights are likely to be short lived.

‘Casey is really good, and as I’m getting older, Casey’s getting better,’ Wayne said in an interview with Diana Bogaards at the Championships. ‘The tide is going to change soon. There are a couple of other father/son combinations in the fleet, where the son is beating his dad. That will happen to me for sure, soon enough.’

Casey has progressed through the Minnow, 420, 29er and 49er classes, and currently crews a 49er with Hayden Harding (OW2017) at the helm. The single-handed Musto Skiff attracts many sailors from the Olympic 49er class, and with several Olympians in the fleet, Casey, Hayden and Wayne faced some strong competition.

For the record, Casey placed ahead of Hayden at the Championships. Overall, Bruce Keen from Britain won the championships, ahead of last year’s title winner, Australia’s Jon Newman, who placed second this year, ahead of Britain’s Georg Hand in third.

Watch all the action from the 10th World Musto Skiff Sailing Championships