Malcolm Page (sailor)
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Page is an Australian sailor
. He was educated at St. Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney. He and team mate Nathan Wilmot
have won five world titles in the 470
class. They also won the Olympic test event in Qingdao
in 2007 and were considered favourites to win the 470 event at the 2008 Summer Olympics
, which they did.
Notes
Since the pair started competing together in August 2009, they have moved from 43rd in the ISAF rankings to 2nd and have won the 2010 470 World Championship and sewed up the 2010 ISAF World Cup title with one regatta to spare. They are the only team in all of the Olympic sailing class disciplines to amass such a record throughout the September 2009 – August 2010 period. Since September 2009, Belcher and Page have won two regattas, including one ISAF Grade I event, with perfect scores, and started Kiel Week and the 2010 470 World Championship with three bullets in one day. Throughout the 2009-2010 Australian sailing circuit they were undefeated in all 28 consecutive races during Sail Sydney, Sail Melbourne and the Australian 470 National Championships. The team has won three gold medals, two silver medals and had one sixth place finish in the six ISAF Grade 1 events that they sailed from December of 2009 through July 2010. While they just missed the podium in the two Grade 2 events that they sailed, they more than made up for it by mathematically winning the 2010 470 World Championship before racing in the Medal Round.
Page is the veteran in the 470 Class. Throughout his early 16-foot skiff, 505 and 18-foot skiff sailing career, he helmed. Committing to an Olympic dream meant zeroing in on the 470, taking advantage of his height and build and moving to the bow of the boat. “It took a couple of years to become a decent crew and another couple of years to become a good crew,” reflects Page. Page and his skipper, Nathan Wilmot, cut their teeth in the 470 Class together for over a decade, winning three 470 World Championship and one ISAF Games World Championship titles, two silver medals and one bronze medals at the 470 World Championships, two 470 European Championships, nine Australian 470 National Championship titles, one Australian Yachtsman of the Year, three Australian Sports Institute Team of the Year and numerous other regional, national, hemispheric and world titles.
Mathew Belcher won the 420 World Championship in 2000. Australia’s promising young athlete was given the distinction of carrying the national flag during the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. At that point, he decided to become an Olympian. Coach Victor Kovalenko invited him onto the Australian 470 sailing squad where he became the tuning partner for Wilmot and Page and other 470 Men’s and Women’s champions. As a helmsman, Belcher rose to the #1 ISAF ranking in 2007. It was a battle of It was a battle of character, personality and intellect and Belcher and his partner put the Australian team veterans to the test, but came up short when they won the 2007 470 World Championship and right to represent Australia at the 2007 Olympic Test event. Wilmot and Page won the Olympic Test Event and clearly demonstrated their medal potential. Dejected, Belcher took time off from sailing and went to school fulltime. As a video boat driver at the Olympics, he had an upfront view of his compatriots on the 470 squad win both the Women’s and the Men’s Olympic gold medals, a feat which they also accomplished in 2000 under Kovalenko.
Belcher and Page’s Olympic 470 program got off to a slow start while they focused on the home front, working, finishing school and getting married. In August 2009 they began competing in ISAF-ranked Grade 1, 2 and national regattas. During their first year together, Belcher and Page never finished below sixth in a single regatta. They had a string of 28 bullets in the 470 regattas that they sailed in Australia and the started one ISAF Grade 1 and the World Championship with three bullets in one day, a feat that rarely happens at any level of sailing competition.
Their support system extends well beyond their spouses, family and friends. It includes their sponsors and members of the Australian Sailing Team development squad, particularly Sam Kivell and Will Ryan, their sparring partners and substitute crew. “We’re really fortunate to have Sam and Will sailing with us. It’s completely open between the two boats. We’re helping each other do well. They are even using our second boat, the one that Nathan and Mal used in the Olympics, at the regattas in Europe,” said Belcher.
Page, who is the International 470 Class representative to the ISAF Athletes Commission, a member of Project 2016, a 470 Class development project and served his term as the President of the Australian 470 Class Association says, “I want to leave a legacy. I love the sport and want others to enjoy it as much as I do. I’m more than happy to help develop Will and Sam. Mat and I are learning from it and our entire squad benefits.”
While Kovalenko has set the achievement schedule, the entire team has worked on its equipment. They continue to contribute to the development of New Zealand made Makay boats, YMS foils, North Sails Japan 470 sails and as many things as they can produce in Australia, including their garage manufactured Gold Spars or VK Spars, depending on whom you are talking to. The three of them, Mat, Mal and Victor have selected sections, drilled tips and tracks, and threaded halyards, and are quite pleased with their efforts.
“Mal’s natural talent is phenomenal. He has incredible ability and instincts in sailing and is exceptional at being about to back his feeling, use his talent and transfer his confidence,” said Belcher who doesn’t know how to rest on his laurels. He keeps working, working, working, but with a World Championship and a World Cup victory, there is a new found smile on his face.
As of early August 2010, Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page have pulled to the top of the ISAF rankings and along the way have won the 2010 470 World Championship, the 2010 World Cup and are the most promising candidates among all of the Olympic Class sailors for sailing’s most coveted title, ISAF’s World Sailor of the Year.
www.BelcherPage2012.com
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
. He was educated at St. Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney. He and team mate Nathan Wilmot
Nathan Wilmot
Nathan Wilmot is a member of the Australian Sailing team sailor. He and team mate Malcolm Page have won five world titles in the 470 class...
have won five world titles in the 470
470 (dinghy)
The 470 is a double-handed monohull planing dinghy with a centreboard, Bermuda rig, and centre sheeting. The name is the overall length of the boat in centimetres . The hull is fibreglass with integral buoyancy tanks. The 470 is equipped with spinnaker and trapeze, making teamwork necessary to...
class. They also won the Olympic test event in Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
in 2007 and were considered favourites to win the 470 event at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, which they did.
Mat Belcher & Malcolm Page 2009 – 2010 Accomplishments - 470 Men's
- Silver – Sail for Gold; Weymouth, Grade 2, August 2010
- GOLD – 470 World Championship, Scheveningen, July 2010(1),(3),(4)
- GOLD – ISAF World Cup, Multiple Events, June 2010 (2)
- GOLD – Kiel Week, Kiel, Grade 1, June 2010 (3)
- Silver – Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik, Grade 1; May 2010
- 6th – Semaine Olympique Francaise, Hyeres, Grade 1, April 2010 (5)
- GOLD – International 470 Spring Cup, Hyeres, Grade 2, April 2010 (5)
- 4th– Princess Sofia Regata, Palma, Grade 2, March 2010
- Silver – Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, Miami, Grade 1, January 2010
- GOLD – 470 Australian National Championship, Grade 3, January 2010 (6)
- GOLD – Sail Melbourne, Melbourne, Grade 1, January 2010 (6)
- GOLD – Sail Sydney, Sydney, Grade 1, December 2009 (6)
- 4th– Sail for Gold, Weymouth, Grade 2, September 2009
Notes
- (1) Page becomes the most decorated 470 Men’s sailor of all time, having won four 470 World Championships and one ISAF World Games Championship, two silver and one bronze at 470 World Championships
- (2) Become the only team to secure 2010 ISAF World Cup victory with a regatta to spare
- (3) Win 3 races in one day
- (4) Mathematically win regatta before competing in the Medal Race
- (5) Mat Belcher sailing with Will Ryan
- (6) Complete entire regatta with perfect score
Malcolm Page Sailing Accomplishments - Other Classes – 2009 - 2010
- 2010 – Farr40 Pre-World Championship - Gold
- 2010 – Farr40 World Championship – 4th
- 2009 – World Master Games, double handed +45 - Gold
- 2009 – Australian Sydney 38 Class – Gold
International 470 Class
- 2009 - 470 World Championship – 5th
- 2009 - 470 European Championships – 5th
- 2009 - Delta Lloyd Regatta - 6th
- 2009 - Skandia Sail for Gold - 4th
- 2009 – Australian National Championship - Gold
- 2008 – Beijing Olympics 470 - Gold
- 2008 – European Championship - Gold
- 2008 – Delta Lloyd Holland Regatta –Gold
- 2008 – Australian National Championship - Gold
- 2007 – ISAF 470 World Championship - Gold
- 2007 – Beijing Olympic Test Event - Gold
- 2006 – ISAF Games 470 - Gold
- 2006 – 470 World Championship - Silver
- 2006 – Australian National Championship - Gold
- 2006 – Sail Melbourne - Gold
- 2005 – 470 World Championship - Gold
- 2005 – Sail Melbourne - Gold
- 2005 – Australian National Championship - Gold
- 2004 – 470 World Championship - Gold
- 2004 – Keiler Wocher - Silver
- 2004 – Australian Representative at Athens Olympics
- 2004 – Australian National Championship - Gold
- 2003 –470 World Championship - Silver
- 2003 – Hyeres Semaine Olympique Francaise - Bronze
- 2003 - Keiler Wocher - Silver
- 2003 – Sail Melbourne - Gold
- 2003 – Australian National Championship - Gold
- 2002 – European Championship - Gold
- 2002 – French Spring Cup - Gold
- 2002 – Hyeres Semaine Olympique Francaise - Gold
- 2002 – Kieler Wocher - Gold
- 2002 – Australian National Championship - Gold
- 2002 – French National Championship - Gold
- 2002 – Sail Melbourne- Gold
- 2001 – 470 World Championship - Bronze
- 2001 – Australian National Championship – Gold
Other Classes
- 2010 – Farr40 Pre World Championship - Gold
- 2010 – Farr40 World Championship – 4th
- 2009 – World Master Games, double handed +45 - Gold
- 2009 – Australian Sydney 38 Class - Gold
- 2006 – Australian Champion Sydney 38 Class - Gold
- 2004 – 420 World Championship - Gold
- 1986 – Australian National Championship Manly Junior Class - Gold
- 1991 - Australian National Championship Flying 11 Class - Gold
- 1995 – 18ft Skiff Grand Prix circuit
- 1993 -2010 Represented Australia in 22 World Championships
- 13 times Australian National Champion
Malcolm Page - Awards/Committees
- 2009 Australian Yachtsman of the Year
- 2003, 04, 05, 06, 08, 09 Australian Yachtsman Finalist
- 2004 & 05 Yachting NSW Yachtsperson of the Year
- 2005, 07 & 08 Australian Institute of Sport Team of the Year
- 2005, 07 & 08 New South Wales Institute of Sport Team of the Year
- 2005, 07 & 08 New South Wales Sport Team of the Year
- 2005 Australia Sports Team Finalist
- 2009, 10 Australian Sports Commission Athletes Commission
- 2009, 10, 11, 12 ISAF Athletes Commission
The Belcher & Page Story
Hours after Malcolm Page had won the 2008 Olympic gold medal in the 470 Men's discipline, he and Mathew Belcher discussed teaming up a 2012 Olympic campaign. For the year following the 2008 Olympics, the team managed to fit 80 days of sailing around their demanding personal lives. Mat finished his business degree and Malcolm worked hard. They both got married and before they knew it, they were sitting down with their coach, Victor Kovalenko. Kovaleko’s alias is the “Medal Maker” and with good reason. Including Belcher ‘s and Page’s 2010 470 World Championship title, Kovalenko has 13 470 World Championship titles and eight Olympic medals to his credit.Since the pair started competing together in August 2009, they have moved from 43rd in the ISAF rankings to 2nd and have won the 2010 470 World Championship and sewed up the 2010 ISAF World Cup title with one regatta to spare. They are the only team in all of the Olympic sailing class disciplines to amass such a record throughout the September 2009 – August 2010 period. Since September 2009, Belcher and Page have won two regattas, including one ISAF Grade I event, with perfect scores, and started Kiel Week and the 2010 470 World Championship with three bullets in one day. Throughout the 2009-2010 Australian sailing circuit they were undefeated in all 28 consecutive races during Sail Sydney, Sail Melbourne and the Australian 470 National Championships. The team has won three gold medals, two silver medals and had one sixth place finish in the six ISAF Grade 1 events that they sailed from December of 2009 through July 2010. While they just missed the podium in the two Grade 2 events that they sailed, they more than made up for it by mathematically winning the 2010 470 World Championship before racing in the Medal Round.
Page is the veteran in the 470 Class. Throughout his early 16-foot skiff, 505 and 18-foot skiff sailing career, he helmed. Committing to an Olympic dream meant zeroing in on the 470, taking advantage of his height and build and moving to the bow of the boat. “It took a couple of years to become a decent crew and another couple of years to become a good crew,” reflects Page. Page and his skipper, Nathan Wilmot, cut their teeth in the 470 Class together for over a decade, winning three 470 World Championship and one ISAF Games World Championship titles, two silver medals and one bronze medals at the 470 World Championships, two 470 European Championships, nine Australian 470 National Championship titles, one Australian Yachtsman of the Year, three Australian Sports Institute Team of the Year and numerous other regional, national, hemispheric and world titles.
Mathew Belcher won the 420 World Championship in 2000. Australia’s promising young athlete was given the distinction of carrying the national flag during the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. At that point, he decided to become an Olympian. Coach Victor Kovalenko invited him onto the Australian 470 sailing squad where he became the tuning partner for Wilmot and Page and other 470 Men’s and Women’s champions. As a helmsman, Belcher rose to the #1 ISAF ranking in 2007. It was a battle of It was a battle of character, personality and intellect and Belcher and his partner put the Australian team veterans to the test, but came up short when they won the 2007 470 World Championship and right to represent Australia at the 2007 Olympic Test event. Wilmot and Page won the Olympic Test Event and clearly demonstrated their medal potential. Dejected, Belcher took time off from sailing and went to school fulltime. As a video boat driver at the Olympics, he had an upfront view of his compatriots on the 470 squad win both the Women’s and the Men’s Olympic gold medals, a feat which they also accomplished in 2000 under Kovalenko.
Belcher and Page’s Olympic 470 program got off to a slow start while they focused on the home front, working, finishing school and getting married. In August 2009 they began competing in ISAF-ranked Grade 1, 2 and national regattas. During their first year together, Belcher and Page never finished below sixth in a single regatta. They had a string of 28 bullets in the 470 regattas that they sailed in Australia and the started one ISAF Grade 1 and the World Championship with three bullets in one day, a feat that rarely happens at any level of sailing competition.
Their support system extends well beyond their spouses, family and friends. It includes their sponsors and members of the Australian Sailing Team development squad, particularly Sam Kivell and Will Ryan, their sparring partners and substitute crew. “We’re really fortunate to have Sam and Will sailing with us. It’s completely open between the two boats. We’re helping each other do well. They are even using our second boat, the one that Nathan and Mal used in the Olympics, at the regattas in Europe,” said Belcher.
Page, who is the International 470 Class representative to the ISAF Athletes Commission, a member of Project 2016, a 470 Class development project and served his term as the President of the Australian 470 Class Association says, “I want to leave a legacy. I love the sport and want others to enjoy it as much as I do. I’m more than happy to help develop Will and Sam. Mat and I are learning from it and our entire squad benefits.”
While Kovalenko has set the achievement schedule, the entire team has worked on its equipment. They continue to contribute to the development of New Zealand made Makay boats, YMS foils, North Sails Japan 470 sails and as many things as they can produce in Australia, including their garage manufactured Gold Spars or VK Spars, depending on whom you are talking to. The three of them, Mat, Mal and Victor have selected sections, drilled tips and tracks, and threaded halyards, and are quite pleased with their efforts.
“Mal’s natural talent is phenomenal. He has incredible ability and instincts in sailing and is exceptional at being about to back his feeling, use his talent and transfer his confidence,” said Belcher who doesn’t know how to rest on his laurels. He keeps working, working, working, but with a World Championship and a World Cup victory, there is a new found smile on his face.
As of early August 2010, Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page have pulled to the top of the ISAF rankings and along the way have won the 2010 470 World Championship, the 2010 World Cup and are the most promising candidates among all of the Olympic Class sailors for sailing’s most coveted title, ISAF’s World Sailor of the Year.
www.BelcherPage2012.com