Matt Allen and his Ichi Ban Team have another trophy to add to their cabinet after claiming Allen’s third Australian Yachting Championship

Three champions successfully defended their divisional titles and one new 2019 Saint Moritz by GURNERTM Australian Yachting Championship winner was declared after Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron rolled out a full series over three days.

Light sea breezes 5-8 knots and flatwater closed out the final races on Port Phillip, eight in total for the IRC fleet and six for the multihulls.

Matt Allen's Sydney-based TP52 Ichi Ban top-scored across many of the seven windward/leewards plus the single passage race to record a series win by three points from Marcus Blackmore's Hooligan. This is Ichi Ban's second consecutive championship win.

"Our success was based on teamwork and everything we've learned about the boat over the last year," suggested Allen's longtime tactician Gordon Maguire. "Things go wrong but when they do there's never a witch hunt, we just get back in the game. It was a big deal to beat Hooligan, we have the greatest respect for them as competitors they are not an easy nut to crack. After consistent sea breezes for the first two days today was really flakey, nine knots at the top of the rig and five on the water; nothing was dead certain," Maguire added.

Allen, who last won at this regatta in 2003 & 2018 said it was a great thrill to claim the Championship again.

Congratulations Ichi Ban!