FATHER and daughter sailing team Rob and Haylie Andrews from Cleveland finished in the top 10 in the World Championships in China this month.
The pair, representing Australia, returned from the 21st Hobie 16 World Championships in Dapeng, China, after finishing eighth in the Open division of the regatta.
Haylie, who is in Year 12 at Ormiston College, also competed in the Women’s division where she teamed up with her 17-year-old friend Milly MacFarlane from Manly to finish fourth in the World in that division.
Rob and Haylie, sponsored by Cleveland-based restaurant chain Hogs Breath Café, have been sailing Hobie Cats for a decade but the China event was Haylie’s first World Championship regatta.
“I was so proud of Haylie and Milly and their result in the Women’s division and it was one of the highlights of my life to sail with her in the Open division to finish in the top 10,” Mr Andrews said.
“Our initial goal was just to try to make the final 56. We won the qualifying series for this Championship quite convincingly, which boosted our confidence going into the semi-finals and then the final.”
Haylie will have plenty of stories to share with friends when she returns to school after the holidays and is already planning her assault at the next World Championships to be held in France in 2018.