Issue date
In the final installment of our three-part series, we introduce you to the six sailors from New Zealand and six from Australia who will compete in Sunday's Zhik Trans-Tasman eSailing Championships.
Remember, you can watch the live stream on the Yachting New Zealand Facebook page from 8pm. There's a $500 Zhik voucher up for the winner with $300 for second and $200 for third and the top five net scores from each country will count to see which nation comes out on top.
New Zealand
James Bichener
Age: 18
Club: Plimmerton Boating Club. I'm also a member at the Worser Bay Boating Club
eSailing boat name: James B
Finishing position in Zhik New Zealand eSailing Challenge: 1
eSailing experience: Roughly three months
Regular sailing experience: I sail predominantly a Laser Radial and have been doing that for roughly six months.
Best result: I haven't done any notable regattas in it yet
Sailing ambition: I would love to travel around the world sailing and competing in different locations and boats, but most of all I just want to get faster sending it
Chris Salmon
Age: 51
Club: Pupuke Boating Club
eSailing boat name: CoolRunning - the reason I chose this name is that, just like the Jamaican bobsled team, I had no idea about sailing when I started eSailing so the name seemed appropriate
Finishing position in Zhik New Zealand eSailing Challenge: 2
eSailing experience: two years
Regular sailing experience: I am a non-sailor in the real world but I'd like to buy my own boat or crew on a keelboat
Best result: N/A
Sailing ambition: To sail on a real boat under race conditions
Australia
Josh Griffith (Victoria)
Age: 17
Club: Sandringham Yacht Club, VIC
eSailing boat name: NO///NAME
Zhik Australian eSailing challenge: 1st
eSailing experience: World No 266, played for about 1 year
Regular sailing experience: I've sailed a 29er for 2 years
Best result: 15th at the NSW youth championships, fourth at the Victorian state championships and third in the Victorian Sailing Cup 2018-19
Sailing ambition: To represent Australia
Matt Blakely (Victoria)
Age: 41
Club: Port Melbourne Yacht Club
eSailing boat name: Hitchhiker
Zhik Australian eSailing challenge: 2nd
eSailing experience: 7th world championships 2018, 10th world championships 2019
Regular sailing experience: I've been sailing a Laser for the last 24 years
Best results: Australian youth Laser champion 1997, New Zealand national laser champion 2001, Asia Pacific Laser champion 2005, second at world apprentice masters championships 2015
Sailing ambition: World champion in masters Laser or eSailing
