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While Tauranga sailors Peter Burling and Jason Saunders take on the world at the 2012 Olympics off Weymouth, the northern summer season beckons for other young locals.
Young Tauranga boardsailor, Alex Hart leaves tomorrow Friday 3rd August to compete in the Bic Techno 293 world
Alex Hart. Photo by Richard Hart
championships in the Netherlands. Alex is the current National Champion in the under 17 male division. Along with Alex are two female Techno sailors, from Christchurch and Auckland.
The Techno is the international junior racing class and will feature in the Youth Olympics in 2014. This has helped generate huge interest worldwide and there are expected to be over 300 competitors in this month’s event, which is being held at Medemblik, on the IJselmeer.
Having seen the standard at the same event which he attended last year in San Francisco, Alex hopes to be competitive in this huge fleet but his expectations are realistic, and his aims are to do better than last year, learn heaps and have a good time. Helping the latter goal will be his visit to Weymouth on the way over. He and father Richard hope to get a day there to take in the atmosphere and wave a kiwi flag.
Meanwhile Oscar Rorvik is competing in the 420 world champs in Austria, where he and crew Taylor Burn are placed a creditable 41st out of 108. The 420 is the junior version of the Olympic 470 in which Jason Saunders and Paul Snow-Hansen are now racing. Much of this very competitive fleet has had a build up of serious regattas such as the ISAF Youth Worlds, whereas Taylor and Oscar have been training in Picton without the benefit of large fleets on the start line and around the course.
Other recent successes include Trent Rippey who with Alex Munro came 8th at the ISAF Youth Worlds, sailing in the 29er class. Like the 420, the 29er is the junior version of an Olympic class, in this case the fast and exciting 49er in which Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are currently in the Silver medal position.
Meanwhile back home the Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club continues the winter series this Sunday and is planning the annual Fathers Day Family Fun Sail for the public on 2 September.
