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New Zealand's top young sailors have moved a big step closer to representing their country at the youth world championships at the mecca of the sport after securing titles at the New Zealand youth trials.
Thirteen sailors were crowned champions across five classes following four days of close racing at Murrays Bay Sailing Club on Auckland's North Shore.
The Yachting New Zealand selection panel will convene in the coming days to select a team for the 2024 youth worlds in Lake Garda, Italy from July 13 - with the winner of each youth class put forward for nomination.
Geoff Woolley, Yachting New Zealand's talent development manager, was impressed with the quality of racing at the youth trials - with the winner in several of the fleets only confirmed on the final day of competition.
"It's encouraging to see the close racing and the improvement of many of the sailors on the water with each day of the regatta," Wolley said.
"It has been a long season for the sailors with two youth trials in the space of seven months and while many will now take a well-earned break, the work will start soon to ensure we keep improving in the lead-up to Garda through a series of Aon national youth clinics, squad training and coach-led race sessions."
Will Leech and Sean Kensington (boys' 29er). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
Bella Jenkins and Nicola Hume (girls' 29er). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
Two recently formed crews won in the 29er class, with Will Leech and Sean Kensington taking out the boys' title and Bella Jenkins and Nicola Hume claiming the honours in the girls' event.
Leech and Kensington won half of the 12 fleet races to finish 15 points ahead of Tom Pilkington and Morgan Lay, with Oli Stone and Marcel van der Voort third.
Jenkins and Hume (10th overall) beat Madi Russell and Kate Rasmussen (second female crew and 11th overall) and sisters Erin and Isla Kee (third and 12th) by 12 and 24 points, respectively.
The 420 competition was much closer, with Cam Brown and Alex Norman finishing four points ahead of defending champions Joe Leith and Josh Ferrissey.
Cam Brown and Alex Norman (boys' 420). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
Leith and Ferrissey were fifth at Brazil's 2023 youth world championships - the best result by a Kiwi crew at the event - and followed it up with a bronze medal at the 2023 420 open worlds late last year.
They couldn't keep up with Brown and Norman this week, however, with the winning crew managing six bullets in 10 completed races in light and shifty conditions.
Tessa Clinton and Jess Handley (girls' 420). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
Day one leaders Tessa Clinton and Jess Handley finished third overall, only three points behind Leith and Ferrissey, and are likely to represent New Zealand in the girls' 420 in just under three months.
Zach Stibbe pipped Winston Liesebach by a single point in a hotly contested ILCA 6 fleet - gaining the lead after Liesebach suffered a late post-race disqualification on day two.
Stibbe held on to the lead despite Liesebach finishing strong on the final day with back-to-back race wins. Miro Luxford was third.
Chloe Turner had far less trouble winning the girls' competition, comfortably finishing first female and 10th overall in the 17-boat fleet, followed by Rose Dickey and Mabel North.
Zach Stibbe (boys' ILCA 6). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
Chloe Turner (girls' ILCA 6). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
Sofia Currie secured the girls' iQFOIL title in the last of 18 races when she crossed the line three spots ahead of Daniella Wooldridge. Currie was the first female and fifth overall, with Wooldridge three points adrift in sixth.
Sofia Currie (girls' iQFOIL). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
A dominant Jack Parr had all but secured victory in the boys' event on the penultimate day but added a string of first places for a total of 11 race wins and a winning margin of 14 points from Vlad Misescu in second.
Jack Parr (boys' iQFOIL). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
Hugo Wigglesworth left it late to secure the wingfoil crown, overtaking Kosta Gladiadis in the 18th and final race to win by one point.
It was the first time the popular discipline has been contested at the NZ youth trials but it won't yet feature at the youth worlds in Garda.
Hugo Wigglesworth (wingfoil). Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
Wigglesworth is expected to represent New Zealand in the kitefoiling competition in what would be his third appearance at the youth worlds.
"Lake Garda is an amazing place to sail with a strong thermal breeze coming in every afternoon, and hundreds of boards and boats out on the water," Woolley said.
"It is a quick turnaround from last year's youth worlds in Brazil, but we will keep working hard over the next few months to ensure that we are in the best possible position to perform well in Italy."
Yachting New Zealand chief executive David Abercrombie congratulated the winners - and had a word of encouragement for those who didn't make it onto the podium this week.
"This is only the beginning of your sailing career and many of the sailors who never won a youth trials have gone on to do great things in sailing," Abercrombie said.
"It's equally important to have fun and make friends at this event. A number of the friends you make here will remain your friends for a long time. It's good to see the sense of camaraderie and friendship off the water, even though the competition on the water was intense."
Final results and standings for the 2024 NZ youth championships at Murrays Bay Sailing Club
29er fleet (14 boats):
1. Will Leech (Charteris Bay Yacht Club)/Sean Kensington (Kohimarama Yacht Club) 3 (6) 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 4 2 1 - 20 points
2. Tom Pilkington (RNZYS)/Morgan Lay (RAYC) 4 (9) 5 2 4 2 6 4 4 1 1 2 - 35 pts
3. Oli Stone/Marcel van der Voort (Kohimarama Yacht Club) 8 1 3 (9) 2 8 2 3 3 3 9 4 - 46 pts
10. Bella Jenkins/Nicola Hume (Kohimarama Yacht Club) (12) 7 9 11 5 9 8 7 9 6 11 10 - 92 pts
11. Madi Russell (RAYC)/Kate Rasmussen (Maraetai Sailing Club) 13 10 4 10 11 7 13 (14) 13 11 7 5 - 104 pts
12. Erin Kee/Isla Kee (Kerikeri Cruising Club) 11 11 7 12 8 11 12 10 8 12 (15UFD) 14 - 116 pts
420 fleet (6 boats)
1. Cameron Brown (Wakatere Boating Club)/Alex Norman (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 (4) 1 - 14 pts
2. Joe Leith/Josh Ferrissey (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 2 (4) 1 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 - 18 pts
3. Tessa Clinton/Jess Handley (Wakatere Boating Club) 1 2 (3) 3 2 3 1 3 3 3 - 21 pts
4. Isla Barker/Lucy Luxford (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 5 3 (7RET) 6 4 4 5 5 1 4 - 37 pts
5. Thomas Jurczyluk/Oliver Wyeth (Wanaka Yacht Club) (6) 6 5 4 5 5 4 4 6 5 - 44 pts
6. Zara Scott/Amelia Higson (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 4 5 4 5 6 6 (7DNF) 6 5 6 - 47 pts
ILCA 6 fleet (17 boats)
1. Zach Stibbe (Otago Yacht Club) 2 (5) 3 1 1 2 1 1 3 5 - 19 pts
2. Winston Liesebach (Napier Sailing Club) 4 2 1 (18DSQ) 2 1 3 5 1 1 - 20 pts
3. Miro Luxford (Charteris Bay Yacht Club) 6 3 2 2 5 4 2 3 (18BFD) 7 - 34 pts
10. Chloe Turner (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) (12) 11 7 4 10 8 10 9 10 9 - 78 pts
12. Rose Dickey (Napier Sailing Club) (17) 8 16 12 11 14 14 12 4 6 - 97 pts
16. Mabel North (Wanaka Yacht Club) 7 14 13 (18DNS) 18DNS 18DNC 18DNC 18DNC 8 10 - 124 pts
iQFOIL 8m fleet (7 boards)
1. Jack Parr (New Plymouth Yacht Club) 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 (3) 1 1 1 (8BFD) - 21 pts
2. Vlad Misescu (Bay of Islands Yacht Club) (3) (3) 2 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 1 2 3 2 1 - 35 pts
3. Ben Rist (Manly Sailing Club) 1 2 3 3 3 3 2 1 2 2 1 3 2 2 (8BFD) 2 3 (8BFD) - 35 pts
Wingfoil fleet (8 boards)
1. Hugo Wigglesworth (Manly Sailing Club) 4 (5) (5) 1 4 1 2 1 1 1 1 5 3 1 1 5 1 1 - 33 pts
2. Kosta Gladiadis (Manly Sailing Club) 3 2 (4) 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 1 1 2 2 (6) 2 2 - 34 pts
3. Finn Pye (Manly Sailing Club) (6) 3 1 (5) 2 4 1 3 4DPI1 5 4 3 4 3 3 2 3 5 - 50 pts
Full results here.
