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Leonard Takahashi continued his impressive form on the match racing circuit by taking out the CentrePort Wellington International Youth Match Racing Championships last weekend.
Leonard Takahashi and his crew of Josh Wijohn and Taylor Balogh showed good form in the strong winds.
The title came a week after he had won the Nespresso International Youth Match Racing Regatta in Auckland and on top of the New Zealand Youth Match Racing national championships held in Wellington, the Harken Youth Match Racing Championships in Sydney and the Musto International Youth Match Racing Regatta also in Sydney.
Takahashi and his crew of Josh Wijohn and Taylor Balogh beat the Wellington Youth Sailing Trust’s under-23 squad of Callum Radford, Polly Wright, Michael Winsley and Bryn Bennett 2-0 in the final sailied in strong north-westerly winds.
Skippers from four nations (New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Great Britain) and representing teams from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, joined two local teams from the Wellington Youth Sailing Trust at the regatta.
The first day's racing was called off due to a building wind that saw gusts up to 35 knots. An increasing north-westerly wind on the second day ensured an exciting day of racing which Radford and his team coped well with as they won four out of five races to leave them in second.
The third day of competition tested the boat handling skills and close-quarters racing nerves of the crews and made for some fantastic racing, lead changes, wild spinnaker rides and the inevitable broaches. The day’s events were called off early due to the strong winds.
Forecasts of another day of strong winds (40 knots predicted for the south coast) prompted the race committee to progress straight into the semifinals, which Radford (2-0) and Takahashi (2-1) won.
Finn Tapper from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia won the petitie final to finish third.
