08/04/2025
The only all girl team, Tara and Asha Wilson have arrived in Durban after a long journey, and plan to take on the world.
Asha also happens to be the youngest competitor that will be hitting the water, aged only 7 she has been crewing for her Mom for two years already.
This is their first time travelling to South Africa, living in New South Wales, ‘We lived in a rural town for 6 years and travelled 2 hours to sail on Lake Albert in Wagga Wagga when it came out of drought a few years ago. It is an inland manmade lake. We recently moved back to the Blue Mountains and have been commuting down to Sydney to sail at Connells Point Sailing Club since the end of January.’
‘It is the first time that the kids will be in an airplane and my husband has not been outside of the Australia/New Zealand bubble before. I grew up lucky enough to travel with my family but this is my first time in South Africa.’
Growing up in Sydney, Tara sailed with her Dad and her brother, ‘I started sailing with my dad in a Mirror in 2005. Over the years I have sailed Mirrors, Flying 11s, and Tasers. I was part of the university sailing Team which competed in the inter university teams events. And the bigger boats, I have only been on a yacht a few times competitively for club racing on Sydney Harbour and one Sydney to Pittwater Race.’
‘Asha has only sailed in the Mirror with me as most clubs in Australia would say that she needs to be 8yrs old before she can take part in any learn to sail programmes.’
‘This will be Asha's first Worlds. I have sailed the Mirror Worlds in 2010 (Albany WA AUS), 2017 (UK), 2019 (Sydney NSW AUS), and crewed the Taser Worlds when they were in Australia in 2015. I can be competitive at times but at the moment it is more about sailing with my daughter and having fun on the water whilst hopefully doing well.’
Asked how the build up to the worlds has been going, Tara replies, ‘We have really just tried to do as many regattas as possible over the last two to three months. This has included the Australian Nationals which were held in Albury; Sail Country in November last year; NSW States and Vic States a few weeks ago. As we have lived in a mostly isolated location over the past few years, we were keen to get in as many starts as possible for practise.’
Concluding, we asked what Tara thinks Asha most enjoys about sailing a Mirror?
Asha is notorious for falling asleep in the middle of a race. She likes to curl up in the sunshine and sleep. Though in the Victorian States she was starting to do more of the Jib work and launching the spinnaker pole.
So, sailors, be mindful when sailing alongside our fab visitors, little Asha might be having a well-deserved nap in the Durban sunshine.
Asha and Tara are pictured with their silverware, the family trophy, after the Vic States a few weeks ago.
