Issue date
New Zealand would have sent a strong team to this year's youth sailing world championships, judging by the quality of racing seen at the NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Championships.
The youth championships are typically used as a trial event to pick the NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team and, while this year's youth worlds in Brazil were cancelled due to Covid-19, a team was still picked after four days of intense racing at the Manly Sailing Club.
The competitors faced challenging conditions throughout - one day was lost due to strong winds - particularly on the final day when a 15-22 knots easterly accompanied by big waves swept down the course.
"We had some great quality racing and that was demonstrated by the intensity and standard we witnessed," Yachting New Zealand talent development manager Geoff Woolley said. "It was right up there across the fleets and we need to keep building on that.
"A lot of our top teams would have been competitive on the world stage and I think we would have done well at the youth worlds this year. It's obviously disappointing they won't be able to go overseas to compete but it is still a special achievement to make the NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team."
Woolley has been impressed by the number of sailors who have taken a long-term approach this year, due largely to the cancellation of the youth worlds, with many jumping in different classes or positions to broaden their skills.
Some of the racing was incredibly close, not least of all in the 29er fleet that was only decided on the last downwind leg of the last race. Blake McGlashan and Jack Frewin took the title on countback from Brayden Hamilton and Seb Menzies, with George Lee Rush and Josh Schon third.
There was a strong contingent of girl's 29er teams, with Lucy Leith and Liz Shapland taking out the title ahead of Ella Gladwell and Sophia Fyfe.
Greta Pilkington comfortably won the girl's Laser Radial but only three points separated the boy's Laser Radial, with Caleb Armit edging Thomas Mulcahy, and the lead often changed hands in the Nacra 15 with two quality teams. Hamish McLaren and Sofia Higgott finished ahead of Helena Sanderson and Andre Van Dam
Windfoiling featured for the first time, with Eli Liefting, who has only recently taken up the discipline after going to last year's youth worlds in the 29er, finishing as the first youth ahead of Tauranga's Olly Maidment and Lachie Stewart.
Mason Mulcahy and Cam McGlashan, and Amelia Angus and Rebecca Hume showed their class in the boy's and girl's 420 respectively.
Some sailors will now be moving out of the youth classes as they continue their sailing careers but for others it's only the start.
"It was great to see all of the newer sailors to the youth level and they have now seen the level," Woolley said. "They now have a good benchmark in New Zealand to work off.
"We saw some amazing sailing on the Saturday. It was really challenging with steep waves, which tested everyone's boat handling and race craft. The race management team did an incredible job to get in as many races as possible and having the level of experience of the people involved was invaluable.
"We would encourage everyone to take a break and focus on school and exams because it has been an intense winter. We will take some time now to review and put some plans in place for the upcoming year and look forward to a really good domestic summer."
NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team
Boy's Laser Radial: Caleb Armit
Girl's Laser Radial: Greta Pilkington
Boy's 420: Mason Mulcahy & Cam McGlashan
Girl's 420: Amelia Angus & Rebecca Hume
Nacra 15: Hamish McLaren & Sofia Higgott
Boy's 29er: Blake McGlashan & Jack Frewin
Girl's 29er: Lucy Leith & Liz Shapland
Windfoiling: Eli Liefting
Results and standings from the NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Championships at the Manly Sailing Club
Laser Radial (14 boats)
Boys
1st: Caleb Armit (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 1 1 (3) 1 2 1 3 1 1 1 - 12 points
2nd: Thomas Mulcahy (MBSC) 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 (3) 2 - 15 pts
3rd: Matthew Rist (Manly Sailing Club) (4) 3 2 3 3 4 2 3 2 4 - 26 pts
Girls
1st: Greta Pilkington (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron) (5) 4 4 5 4 3 4 4 5 5 - 38 pts
2nd: Sophia Morgan (Royal Akarana Yacht Club) 11 8 7 (14) 10 8 10 10 13 10 - 87 pts
3rd: Teaghan Denney (Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club) 12 13 (14) 10 9 11 12 12 9 8 - 96 pts
420 (7 boats)
Boys
1st: Mason Mulcahy / Cam McGlashan (MBSC) 1 (2) 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 - 13 pts
2nd: Hugo McMullen / Tim Howse (Kohimarama Yacht Club/MBSC) 2 1 3 2 (8 DSQ) 1 3 6 4 5 - 27 pts
3rd: Lucas Day / Sam Scott (MBSC) 4 4 4 3 4 4 5 (8 DSQ) 5 3 - 36 pts
Girls
1st: Amelia Angus / Rebecca Hume (MBSC) 3 3 2 (4) 1 3 1 3 1 2 - 19 pts
2nd: Kiera Sinton / Leah Sinton (MBSC/Wakatere Boating Club) (5) 5 5 5 3 5 4 2 3 4 - 36 pts
3rd: Megan Hume / Isabelle Lecher (MBSC) 6 6 (7) 6 5 6 7 4 6 6 - 52 pts
Nacra 15 (2 boats)
1st: Hamish McLaren / Sofia Higgott (RAYC) 1 1 (2) 2 1 2 1 1 1 - 10 pts
2nd: Helena Sanderson / Andre Van Dam (BOIYC/RAYC) (2) 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 - 13 pts
29er (16 boats)
Boys
1st: Blake McGlashan / Jack Frewin (MBSC/Howick Sailing Club) (5) 2 1 1 1 2 4 2 2 1 - 16 pts
2nd: Brayden Hamilton / Seb Menzies (WBC/MBSC) 1 3 2 2 2 (7) 1 1 1 3 - 16 pts
3rd: George Lee Rush / Josh Schon (WBC) 3 1 3 3 5 6 2 (8) 4 6 - 33 pts
Girls
1st: Lucy Leith / Liz Shapland (MBSC) 7 8 4 7 6 (13) 8 5 6 8 - 59 pts
2nd: Ella Gladwell / Sophia Fyfe (Milford Cruising Club/WBC) (11) 10 10 8 8 4 7 7 9 7 - 70 pts
3rd: Cleo Boyd / Sydney Cunliffe (BOIYC) 8 11 9 11 12 8 (13) 10 7 9 - 85 pts
Windfoiling (12 boards)
Open male
1st: Ben Nathan (WBC) 1 2 3 4 3 3 4 4 (5) 4 5 - 33 pts
2nd: Max van der Zalm (Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club) (13 DNC) 13 DNC 13 DNC 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 - 38 pts
3rd: Thomas Crook (WBC) (13 DNC) 13 DNC 13 DNC 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 - 38 pts
Open female
1st: Veerle ten Have (TYPBC) (13 DNC) 13 DNC 13 DNC 8 9 4 3 3 3 3 3 - 62 pts
Under-19
1st: Eli Liefting (RAYC) 4 1 (13 DNC) 5 7 6 6 5 4 5 4 - 47 pts
2nd: Olly Maidment (TYPBC) 3 6 4 6 4 7 7 (9) 8 7 6 - 58 pts
3rd: Lachie Stewart (WBC) 8 7 6 9 8 10 10 (12) 10 9 9 - 86 pts
