The Finn Gold Cup was ultimately won by Italy’s Alessandro Merega, capping off an outstanding championship. The final event of Finn February was the World Masters, which brought another 102 international competitors to RQYS to battle for the coveted title. Perhaps in recognition of the efforts of everyone who had survived the previous weeks, the breeze at last dialled-down to a perfect 10–15 knots, delivering ideal conditions for the entire regatta. And, once again, it was RQYS’s own Brendan Casey who emerged victorious, taking out the Finn World Masters title. Fellow RQYS Member Rafael “Raffa” Trujillo followed closely behind to claim second place. Three major championships, hundreds of sailors from around the world, challenging conditions and an enormous commitment from our incredible Volunteers and race management team made “Finn February” a month that will be remembered for years to come. Other championships hosted by the Squadron included the 2026 WASZP Asia Pacific Championships and the VX One Australian Championships. Success beyond the Squadron RQYS members continue to represent Australia with distinction on the world stage, with sailors competing across a diverse range of classes and age groups. One of the standout performances of the year came from Rory Meehan, who was crowned the Under-19 iQ Foil World Champion. Rory’s continued progression through the high-performance foiling pathway places him as one of Australia’s emerging young sailing talents, with his sights firmly set on representing Australia at the LA28 Olympic Games. Fellow RQYS Members Jarrod Jones and Philip Cripsey are also continuing to ‘fly the flag’ for both Australia and the Squadron in the iQ Foil class, adding further depth to RQYS’s growing presence in this exciting and rapidly developing Olympics discipline. Another emerging partnership is Kris Bilston and Luke Rogers, who have represented Australia in the 49er class at a number of major European events, including the 49er Junior World Championships. In the ILCA fleets, Mara Stransky and Frances Beebe continue to compete internationally in the ILCA 6 class, with Isaac Schotte in the highly competitive ILCA 7 fleet all well on the path to LA28! Brendan Casey in winning form at the Finn World Masters competition in February 2026. Pic: Supplied Jake Liddell and Niamh Meehan in full foiling flight with international competitors close behind. Pic: Supplied Mainsheet 2026 Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Yearbook 14 Marine Sports
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