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YNZ’s Regional Support Officer for the Northern Region, Hamish Hey recently organised a pre-season Coaching Clinic including Optis, P Class, Starling, Board Sailing and 420s for more than sixty youngsters.
The Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club hosted the sailors and their families who came from as far afield as Napier and Auckland, some of whom slept overnight in the yacht club bar! – which we understand was firmly locked.
Hamish coached the Green Fleet Opti’s for the weekend and was joined by a talented team of coaches including Luke Stevenson (Opti Open and P), Sven Pedersen (Boards), Ben Goodwin and Gareth Moore (Starlings) and Andrew Brown – Force Racing (420)
A huge thanks, to all the parents and children of the centreboard division at the TYPBC that contributed to make the training weekend an outstanding event and family affair. The kitchen rocked along with gurus Kerrie, Sharon and Caroline making lunches for both days and conjuring up a huge BBQ dinner and desert – complete with ice cream, for over 70 people on the Saturday night.
After a light start to Saturday morning an awesome 10-14 knot Westerly breeze kicked in Saturday afternoon, allowing most of the “classroom” work to be done and dusted by lunch time.
Sunday saw local Race Officer Warren Belk integrate the coaching with the final day of the club winter series. In a light 6-8 knot easterly and outgoing tide, ‘The Pond’ held its water long enough to allow to four races to be completed. The tide provided plenty of lessons for the young sailors, many of whom sail on inland lakes.
The cold didn’t seem to matter too much…the ‘P’ class sailors looked the bluest when they were sent back to the beach to warm up.
It was a fantastic weekend for the coaches working with motivated, hardy young sailors, no slackers only interested Kids!
The weekend concluded a winter coaching program that had seen the Waikato and BOP attend clinics in Rotorua in July and Tauranga in August, designed by Hamish (YNZ RSO) to keep the kids motivated over the off season and start the new season having built on the lessons of the last, consolidating their sailing skills and providing advice on tweaking, maintenance and development of their boats in preparation for the season ahead.
To top things off, Olympic Silver medallist Peter Burling came down to the club with his medal for the Winter Series Prize Giving. Thanks Peter for shaking all the kids hands – an awesome role model.
Check out some images from the weekend on YNZ’s Facebook page here.
