Rockal Evans sailed his way to the top of the podium competing in the Finn class at the second annual Sail Port Stephens Off The Beach Regatta in New South Wales, Australia, at the weekend.

The Bermudian won the regatta, hosted by the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, by a comfortable seven-point margin over nearest rival Marcus Whitley of Australia. Whitley’s compatriot Phil Chadwick rounded off the podium a further two points back in third.

Evans has produced a string of impressive performances in the one-design Finn class lately and that trend continued with a dominant display competing on the waters of Port Stephens, where he won three of the four races contested and finished no lower than second.

“The first day the conditions were 14 to 18 knots, with gusts around 23 knots,” Evans told The Royal Gazette.

“The sea state was a short, steep chop that made for some physically challenging sailing upwind. But on the downwind we had some perfect waves to surf.

“We had a total of four races and the first race I won with a comfortable lead.

“The second race I had one small mistake at the start and then missed a few wind shifts trying to make up from my bad start. But I passed a few boats downwind and recovered to finish second.

“The last two races of the day I won the starts and sailed my own race, resulting in winning with comfortable leads.”

The second and final day of the regatta was postponed owing to lack of wind.

The victory was Evans’s fourth of the year in the class having emerged triumphant on three occasions competing in the 2022 Woollahra Sailing Club Summer Series in Sydney Harbour.

The multiple national champion has also enjoyed success competing in the TP52 Gold Cup Series Down Under as a crew member aboard rival yachts Matador and Gweilo.