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The final day of the 2017 Bayleys Laser Nationals at Lake Taupo was abandoned on Sunday due to high winds, meaning Andrew McKenzie defended the open fleet title he won a year earlier.
The strong northerly winds that buffeted the country last weekend hampered racing, meaning the standings after Saturday’s racing stood – three days of racing was possible.
McKenzie might have won consecutive titles but there were new champions in three other fleets.
Outstanding youth sailor Josh Armit won the open Radial fleet and apprentices Phil Wild in the Masters Radial and Anthony Merrington in the Masters Standard both won their respective titles by just a single point.
Other division winners included last year’s Radial champion George Gautrey, who picked up the under-21 cube in the standard fleet and open women's champion Susannah Pyatt and youth women's champion Olivia Christie in the Radials.
In the standard masters, Giles Grigg was second overall and the leading master, Peter Kempkers the leading grand master and John Pitman from New Plymouth the first great grand master.
In the Radial masters, Richard Blakey was only one point behind Wild to be leading master, Hamish Atkinson from Naval Point in Christchurch, host for next year’s national championships, was the leading grand master and Gus Fry the leading great grand master.
Many of the sailors will meet again at the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta at Murrays Bay over Waitangi weekend.
