Issue date
The 2021 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards are just around the corner and some winners have already been announced. In the second of a three-part series, meet the winners in the youth performance category supported by Harken.
Unfortunately we have had to cancel this year's Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards dinner, which was due to be held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on November 12, because of the ongoing lockdown in Auckland. We still think it's important to recognise all of this year's winners so will look to host an online awards. Details of this will be announced closer to the time.
Amelia Angus and Carrington Brady (Wakatere Boating Club)
Photo: Yachting New Zealand.
The 29er has grown into the biggest fleet in the youth classes for both boys and girls. Amelia Angus and Carrington Brady teamed up 12 months ago and put together a series of top results, including wins at the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta (and second overall), North Island champs (second overall), Auckland champs (second overall) and Kohi Girls Regatta. They were also second at the 29er nationals and Sir Peter Blake Regatta and Amelia won the girl’s 420 with Rebecca Hume at the 2020 New Zealand Youth Championships.
Caleb Armit (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
Photo: Yachting New Zealand.
Caleb Armit has been one of the country’s best youth Laser Radial sailors for some time and solidified that reputation over the past 12 months with his results on the domestic scene. He took out the big one, the 2020 New Zealand Youth Championships which would have seen him compete at the 2020 youth sailing world championships had it not been cancelled due to Covid-19, and backed it up with wins at the 2021 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta and Sir Peter Blake Regatta. He was also third youth Radial at the Laser national championships in Wellington.
Brayden Hamilton & Seb Menzies (Wakatere Boating Club & Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
Photo: Yachting New Zealand.
Brayden and Seb have already assembled very impressive CVs in their short careers but are also turning into very versatile young sailors. The pair teamed up in mid-2020 and quickly accumulated a series of good results including a win at the 2020 North Island champs and second (on countback) at the New Zealand Youth Championships before jumping in a 49erFX – and also switching roles – to fast-track their development. They finished first in the 49erFX at the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta before returning to the 29er and have been unbeaten in the class since, with wins at the nationals, North Island champs and Auckland champs. They also picked up national titles separately, with Brayden helming his Westlake Boy’s High School team to victory at the Harken Secondary Schools Keelboat National Championships and Seb helping Rangitoto College to victory at the secondary schools teams racing nationals. Seb also took out the slalom title at the Waszp nationals.
Sean Herbert (Manly Sailing Club)
Photo: Foil Bay of Islands.
Sean Herbert made a name for himself as a three-time Starling national champion but has kicked on with a number of other successes in a variety of different classes. He teamed up with sister Imogen to win two RS Feva open national titles in the past 12 months (they won every race on home waters at Manly in 2021), came out on top at this year’s Waszp nationals and also finished first when winning every race in the Waszp at Foil Bay of Islands. On top of that, he finished an impressive fourth with Joshua Bull in a largely unfamiliar boat at the 29er nationals championships among a strong fleet that included five Australian crews.
Rebecca Hume (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
Photo: Yachting New Zealand.
Rebecca rounded out her youth career with victory in the girl’s 420 with Amelia Angus at the New Zealand Youth Championships which would have seen the pair compete at the Youth Sailing World Championships had it not been cancelled due to Covid-19. The pair dominated the girl’s event and finished second overall, with three race wins. Rebecca then teamed up with younger sister Megan to win the 420 national championships in Lyttelton before switching to the mixed 470 and placed third with Simon Cooke at the national championships.
Lucy Leith & Lizzie Shapland (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
Photo: Yachting New Zealand.
The hard work put in by Lucy and Lizzie really started to pay off over the last 12 months, with the pair winning the two biggest events of the year and backing it up with a number of other impressive results. Lucy and Lizzie dominated the girl’s 29er at last year’s New Zealand Youth Championships, winning with a race to spare and earning a place in the NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team when still only 15, and backed that up with victory at this year’s 29er national championships (and fifth place overall) in a strong field. On top of that, they won at the Sir Peter Blake Regatta and 2020 North Island championships and Lucy also captained the Rangitoto College team to victory at this year’s secondary schools teams racing nationals.
Blake McGlashan & Jack Frewin (Murrays Bay Sailing Club & Howick Sailing Club)
Photo: Yachting New Zealand.
Blake and Jack have recently transitioned into the Olympic classes, being part of the contingent fast tracked into the 49erFX squad, but rounded out their youth sailing careers with a handful of notable achievements. At the top of the list was victory in the 29er at last year’s New Zealand Youth Championships, which they won on countback on a dramatic final day, but they were also second at the 2020 North Island championships. The pair then went on to finish as the first youth crew (and third overall) at the 49erFX national championships and Blake, who is a member of the Aon Fast Track Programme, was also second in the Waszp at Foil Bay of Islands.
Mason Mulcahy & Cam McGlashan (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
Photo: Yachting New Zealand.
Mason and Cam quickly forged a very successful partnership across a number of different classes. The pair dominated the boy’s 420 at the New Zealand Youth Championships despite teaming up only six weeks before the regatta, and also took out the 420 at the Sir Peter Blake Regatta and Murrays Bay Winter Champs. On top of that, they were also members of the Westlake Boy’s High School team which triumphed at the Harken Secondary Schools Keelboat National Championships and Interschools Fleet Racing Regatta and finished second at the secondary schools teams racing nationals. The lack of international racing meant Mason and Cam jumped in a 29er to diversify their skills, where they achieved some handy results.
Greta Pilkington (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron)
Photo: Yachting New Zealand.
Greta Pilkington has established herself as this country’s top female youth dinghy sailor, adding a host of titles to her collection. On top of the list in the past 12 months was victory at last year’s New Zealand Youth Championships, when she was some distance ahead of the next female and would have taken her place in the NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team for the 2020 youth worlds. She also finished as first youth female at the Laser Radial nationals championships, Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta and Sir Peter Blake Regatta and trained regularly with the top Laser Radial exponents in the country.
- See here for part one of our series on this year's winners, the Service Awards supported by Boating New Zealand and Cruising Award supported by Wichard on Safety at Sea.
