Team Australia Ready to Take On The World

Well… let’s find out a little more about our team.

And first up, we head north to Queensland to meet one of the great characters of the Australian radio sailing scene — Aaron Farrar.

Now if you lined up the world’s best radio sailors and asked people to pick the former rugby league prop forward, Aaron would probably be the first one selected.

Because before he was tuning rigs, chasing shifts and sailing a cutting-edge V12 around race tracks, Farrar built a reputation in Queensland rugby league as a hard-running powerhouse for the Wallabys Rugby League Club in Gladstone.

That’s right — from charging into defensive lines to threading an IOM through a crowded top mark rounding. Who would have thought?

And perhaps that explains a few things.

The determination. The resilience. The refusal to back down in a tight contest.

Fortunately for the rest of the fleet, collisions are frowned upon in radio sailing.

Aaron has been involved in radio sailing for around 15 years and has quietly built an impressive sailing résumé along the way. His achievements include victory at the 2021 Queensland State Championships, multiple podium finishes at state and regional level, and a solid 26th placing at the 2024 World Championship on home waters in Gladstone.

In fact, Aaron wasn’t just competing at those Worlds — he was also part of the organising team behind the hugely successful event, helping showcase Australian radio sailing to the world.

Not bad for a bloke whose sporting background involved considerably more physical contact than an IOM transmitter.

Aaron describes his greatest achievement as developing consistency at regattas, and that steady approach has made him one of Australia’s most reliable performers over recent seasons.

For Datchet, Aaron will be sailing a recently launched V12, one of the hottest boats on the international scene and a yacht that has already attracted enormous attention worldwide.

But unlike many campaigns obsessed purely with results, Aaron’s outlook on the trip perhaps captures the spirit of international competition perfectly.

Yes, he wants to improve on his 2024 Worlds result.

Yes, he wants to compete hard against the world’s best.

But he also sees the championship as the beginning of something bigger — a four-week adventure through Italy and Greece with his wife after the regatta concludes.

From rugby league grounds in Gladstone to the waters of Datchet and then onto the Mediterranean coastlines of Europe… not a bad way to spend a few weeks.

And if Aaron sails the way he once played rugby league, the fleet better be prepared for someone who is tough, determined, and very difficult to stop once he gets rolling.

 

Glenn Dawson, WA

Glenn Dawson has been involved in radio sailing since 1984.

Which is remarkable really, because when Glenn started, there’s a fair chance radios hadn’t even been invented yet and competitors were probably steering their boats with bits of string from the shoreline.

And after more than 40 years in the sport, Glenn himself admits:

“You’d reckon I’d be better by now!”

Thankfully for Team Australia, he’s actually pretty handy.

Datchet will mark Glenn’s third International One Metre World Championship campaign, having previously competed at San Francisco in 2015 and at Gladstone in 2024. Across four decades of racing, Glenn has become one of the most recognisable and respected sailors in Australian radio sailing.

Representing Western Australia, Glenn will also be sailing a V12 fitted with Airtech sails from Steve Sedgmen, and while the equipment is modern, the experience behind the transmitter is decidedly old-school.

When he’s not sailing his IOM, Glenn can also be found racing his F6 Marblehead, Sanga Ten Rater, or heading out from Perth Dinghy Sailing Club in his Sabre dinghy.

In other words, if it floats, Glenn will probably race it.

Now Glenn will be the first to admit that light air sailing in the Sabre is not exactly his favourite thing. There are probably several theories as to why that might be… but for legal reasons, and in the interests of maintaining harmony, we probably won’t explore those too deeply.

One thing Glenn is looking forward to is the challenge of the enormous 84-boat fleet at Datchet.

“Yikes,” was his assessment.

And he’s right.

With fleets expected to have 22 or 23 boats on each start line, clean air, strong starts, and avoiding trouble will be absolutely critical. The standard of competition will be relentless from the very first race through to the final heat on day six.

But that’s exactly what Glenn is looking forward to most — testing himself against the very best sailors in the world and delivering his strongest performance possible across the entire championship.

After 40 years in the sport, Glenn still clearly loves the challenge.

Even if he still reckons he should probably be better at it by now.

 

Paul Jones, NSW

Ah yes… Jonesy.

If Australian radio sailing had a hall of fame for competitors who are equal parts brilliance, determination, and absolute chaos when things go wrong, then Paul Jones would probably have his own wing.

According to Google, Paul Jones is “a highly decorated Australian radio sailor.”

Which, for once, might actually be underselling things a little.

Based in New South Wales, Jones has spent decades cementing himself as one of Australia’s most successful and respected IOM skippers. State titles, national success, Oceania champion, world championship campaigns — the résumé is enormous.

But there’s one title that has stubbornly refused to land in the trophy cabinet.

World Champion.

And maybe… just maybe… 2026 could finally be the year.

Because if there’s one thing Jonesy knows how to do, it’s perform on the world stage.

His record at World Championships is seriously impressive:

• 3rd in Australia (2005)
• 3rd in Vancouver (2003)
• 6th in Malta (1999)
• 6th in Brazil (2019)
• 10th in Croatia (2022)
• 9th in Gladstone (2024)

That level of consistency over more than two decades at the very highest level is extraordinary.

And yet somehow, the big one still eludes him.

Much like Australian titles lately.

Now before anyone gets upset — yes, Jonesy has won plenty of major events and absolutely remains one of the elite sailors in the country. But since his last Australian Championship victory in 2018, he’s developed an uncanny ability to get painfully close without quite finishing the job.

Second. Third. Losing by a point. Losing on countback. Taking it right to the final race.

The sort of finishes that slowly age a man.

Jones is a fierce competitor with an aggressive racing style and an incredible instinct for positioning his boat exactly where it needs to be. For a long time he carried the nickname “Eagle Eye Jones” thanks to his remarkable eyesight and his uncanny ability to round distant marks with millimetres to spare.

How he could even see the mark from over 100m away remains one of radio sailing’s great mysteries.

What is not a mystery, however, is when things are not going well.

Because somewhere around the course, usually heard echoing across the water after an unfavourable shift, awkward port-starboard crossing, or disastrous top mark incident, comes the unmistakable soundtrack of Jonesy’s racing campaign:

“Bloody hell!”

Sometimes once.

Sometimes repeatedly.

Sometimes loud enough for nearby suburbs to hear.

But that passion is exactly why Jones remains one of Australia’s greatest competitors. He cares deeply, races hard, and never gives an inch.

At Datchet, Jonesy will once again line up against the world’s best with all the experience, talent, and determination needed to finally capture the one title that has escaped him for so long.

And if the racing comes down to the final heat on the final day?

You can absolutely guarantee Paul Jones will be right in the middle of it.

 

Then there’s Gary McCarthy.

Or as absolutely everybody in Australian radio sailing knows him — Macca.

Macca has been around the sport long enough that most sailors can’t actually remember a regatta without him turning up somewhere near the front of the fleet for a momentary visit, usually with a smile on his face, a story to tell, and enough branded gear to open his own merchandise stand.

Because when Macca likes something, he really likes something.

And right now, that something is the Ciccarelli-designed Venti and GC24.

In fact, his devotion to the designs has reached the point where he seemingly owns more GC24 shirts, jackets, towels and accessories than the actual designer himself. Rumour has it he arrived in the UK prepared to hand out merchandise to fellow GC24 sailors across the boat park.

Or at least that’s what he claims.

Originally from Queensland, Macca made the move to Hobart late last year and wasted absolutely no time making himself at home, promptly winning the Tasmanian IOM State Championship soon after arriving.

Which was a bit rude, really.

He also made a sensational start to the Oceania Championship campaign late last year, immediately putting himself right in contention early in the regatta.

Now some people might say that came down to excellent preparation, experience, and quality sailing.

Others might suggest he simply happened to have the right rig in at the right time because, let’s be honest, nobody has ever accused Macca of overcomplicating things with excessive strategy.

Personally, I think “happy accidents” probably sums it up nicely.

What nobody can deny, however, is that Macca has an enormous amount of sailing experience behind him. He’s spent a lifetime around boats and competition, and that experience shows when conditions get difficult and races become scrappy.

At Datchet, Macca’s goals are refreshingly straightforward — gain more experience, enjoy the event, and have a good time competing against the world’s best sailors.

And knowing Macca, that’s exactly what will happen.

There’ll be moments where everything clicks and he looks unstoppable.

There’ll also probably be moments where things unravel spectacularly.

But through all of it, Macca will be enjoying himself, talking to everyone in the boat park, and proudly flying the flag for both Tasmania and Australia.

Preferably while wearing at least three different GC24 shirts across the course of the week.

 

And now we come to the youngest member of the Australian team — Alex Scapens.

Or as the rest of the team affectionately know him… “The Kid.”

At an event filled with seasoned campaigners who have spent decades sailing IOMs, Alex represents the next generation of Australian talent and already looks frighteningly comfortable mixing it with some of the best sailors in the world.

Of course, no international campaign would be complete without proper support staff, and Alex will be accompanied by his father Phil.

Now technically Alex is more than capable of travelling on his own.

But when you have the opportunity to bring your own personal boat assistant, travel coordinator, sail organiser, moral support unit and general equipment carrier all rolled into one, why wouldn’t you?

It’s basically a professional sports setup at this point.

Whether Phil realises he has officially become part of “Team Alex” is another question entirely.

Still, if The Kid starts demanding someone polish the boat before racing each morning, we may need to intervene.

Alex has been competing seriously in IOM sailing since 2021 and in a remarkably short period of time has already established himself as one of Australia’s leading young sailors.

His results speak for themselves:

• 3rd at the 2023 Australian Championship
• 4th at the 2024 Australian Championship
• Back-to-back South Australian State Champion

Not bad at all for someone still being referred to as “The Kid” around the lake side.

Datchet will be Alex’s second International One Metre World Championship campaign after finishing an impressive 17th at Gladstone in 2024, and this time he arrives with a very clear objective — improve on that result.

But perhaps the coolest part of Alex’s story is how quickly things have come full circle.

As a kid, he used to sit and watch IOM World Championship videos on YouTube — especially the 2011 Worlds — never imagining that one day he would actually be competing at that level himself.

Now, only a few years later, he’s lining up against the very sailors he once watched online, representing Australia on the biggest stage in the sport.

That’s pretty cool!

What makes Alex particularly dangerous is that he combines youthful confidence with genuine pace and composure under pressure. While some sailors spend years trying to adapt to international competition, Alex already looks entirely at home in elite fleets.

And unlike some of his older teammates, he also still has functioning eyesight, knees, and reflexes — all of which are probably helpful.

One thing is certain: The Kid won’t be overawed by the occasion.

And if things go well at Datchet, the rest of the world may soon discover that Australia’s youngest team member could also become one of its biggest threats.

 

Finally, we arrive at Richard Smith.

Or as he’s more commonly known around the Australian team — Dickie.

Now, truthfully, we don’t actually know that much about Dickie these days because he seems to spend most of his time living over in Italy.

Terrible life really.

One minute we’re all battling winter weather back home and the next thing Dickie is sending photos from Italian lakes, eating pasta somewhere overlooking the Mediterranean while pretending it’s all part of “boat preparation.”

Some people just suffer differently.

This year’s International One Metre World Championship at Datchet Water will actually be Dickie’s first international event representing Australia, and it’s clearly something he is enormously proud of.

Over the past four years he has immersed himself in the highly competitive Italian IOM scene, racing regularly on the national circuit while learning under the guidance of respected Italian sailor Paolo Cappa.

That experience has not only sharpened his sailing but also introduced him to the unique blend of intense competition and strong camaraderie that makes international IOM sailing so addictive.

Like many Australian sailors, Dickie’s background started in full-sized sailing, racing dinghies and keelboats before eventually being drawn into the world of IOMs.

And as so many discover, once the class gets hold of you, there’s really no escaping it.

The tactical intensity, constant development, close racing and worldwide friendships quickly become impossible to resist.

But sailing is only part of Dickie’s involvement in the class.

He’s also heavily immersed in the technical side of IOM development, particularly in 3D printing and component design, an area that has become a major passion alongside his racing.

Which basically means while most sailors are still trying to remember where they left their transmitter charger, Dickie is probably manufacturing prototype boat parts somewhere in Italy at two o’clock in the morning.

For Datchet, Dickie will be sailing the latest Proteus EVO V1.6 designed by Craig Richards specifically with the Datchet conditions in mind.

No pressure there then.

One thing that immediately stands out about Dickie is his genuine enthusiasm for the event and the opportunity to learn. While many sailors arrive at a Worlds obsessed purely with results, Dickie seems equally excited about the experience itself — racing the best sailors in the world, absorbing knowledge, and representing Australia on the international stage.

Of course, after spending four years racing in Italy, there is also a fair chance he now gestures with his hands while discussing wind shifts and refers to tuning adjustments with a slight Italian accent.

We’ll monitor that situation throughout the week.

What is certain, however, is that Dickie brings a unique mix of sailing experience, technical knowledge, and international racing exposure into Team Australia.

And if the Italian circuit has taught him anything, it’s how to handle pressure, close racing, and highly competitive fleets — all things he’ll face plenty of at Datchet over the coming week.

 

On behalf of all Australians - good luck team!