Issue date
The Anchor AIMS Games returns in September after it was missing from the calendar last year due to Covid-19 but time is running out for sailors to get their entries in.
Registrations close at 11.59pm on June 9 and must be made by the school. The Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club will host the sailing, which runs from September 4-7, and a limited number of charter boats are available.
The AIMS Games (Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools) was introduced in 2004 and in 2019 attracted more than 10,000 intermediate-aged children competing across 24 sports from golf and gymnastics to mountain biking and multisport. Sailing was added to the programme in 2015 and in 2019 the O'pen Skiff joined the Optimist as the classes contested.
For many children, this is their first experience of a super-scale sports event, complete with an opening ceremony and livestreaming, and it's also a rare chance for young sailors to compete for their school.
Schools which have two or more sailors in a class are eligible for team honours.
Sailing in Tauranga in September can be challenging and cold, meaning it's a requirement for sailors to have completed Yachting New Zealand's learn to sail level 3 and to have competed in at least one regional (two-day) regatta to show they are sailing at a standard to enjoy this event.
See here for more information or contact Yachting New Zealand regional support officer Kelly Mulcahy on kellym@yachtingnz.org.nz.
