Will joins yatching elite with Starling champs win

Wakatare Boating Club member Will Mason has become the first sailor to win the national Optimist and Starling championships in the same season.

The 14-year-old Takapuna Grammar School student took out the Starling champs at Manly last weekend, five days after lifting the Optimist trophy, which was raced at Narrow Neck where his home club is located.

Some big names of New Zealand sailing have previously won the Starling championships, including Russell Coutts, David Barnes, Craig Monk, Dan Slater and Peter Burling.

But Mason was the first to have stepped up to success in the bigger boat after winning the Optimist title in the same year, Yachting New Zealand confirmed.

Will won the Starling champs comfortably, with fellow Wakatere member Tom Pilkington coming third.

“It feels pretty amazing [winning both titles],” Will told the Flagstaff.

Many of the Starling field were older than Will, some aged 17. “It is a little intimidating, especially because they have more experience on the water,” he said.

Compared with the Optimist, the Starling “is a lot quicker, and goes through the water so much smoother”, which made for a different competition, he said.

Will’s dad Matthew is a well-known yachtsman, who has sailed in seven America’s Cup campaigns. But Will said: “I don’t think it’s daunting; he really inspires me with all he’s achieved and it’s great that he’s out there helping the younger generation.”

After Will’s double victory, he was straight back on the water for the secondary school yachting champs, which were due to finish after the Flagstaff’s deadline.

In the Opti nationals, it was a close battle with his friend and club mate Nelsen Meacham. Over four days of competitive and tight racing, Will finally came out on top in the open gold fleet, with Nelsen second placed.

Will said it was great to get a win in the Optimists, and the location made it even better.

“It felt pretty special, especially racing for my home club on known waters.”

The Year 10 student said the close pursuit of competitors helped keep the pressure on.

“It was super tight behind me, which gave me the extra push for sure.”

Finally getting out of the cramped Optimist after his last race was a memorable moment, Will said, because he was now “a little oversized” for it. He was happy to be moving into the bigger and more comfortable Starling-class boats.

In the Starling nationals, Nelsen, also aged 14, started the event strongly with four second-place finishes and one win in the qualifying races. But the event turned sour for him when, in the first finals race, his tiller snapped. Without a replacement part, he was unable to carry on racing, ending up sliding to 27th place.

“It was definitely pretty gutting and I know the people who were doing work on my boat were gutted too. But I just kept the attitude of, it’s alright, we’ll try again next time”.

Nelsen hopes to get involved in the 29er class and compete at the Youth World Championships “as soon as possible”.

Once there, he hopes to finish in the top three so he can get into the Yachting New

Zealand fast-track development programme. Will is taking a more relaxed approach to his bright sailing future.

He told the Flagstaff he is keen to take all the opportunities he can get, without yet focusing on any specific goals.

Briefs

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The Devonport Flagstaff is a finalist in the best community newspaper cagegory at this year’s Voyager national media awards. Flagstaff editor Rob Drent is also a finalist in the best community journalist section of the awards. Drent’s entry included an exclusive on parts of Cheltenham being earmarked for intensification; a profile on Jackson Rice’s recovery to play premier rugby; the about-turn on plans to close the Milford-Takapuna walkway; and a feature on Don McKay, one of New Zealand’s oldest living All Blacks. Winners will be announced on 27 May.

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Devonport author Simon Lendrum has won the New Zealand Booklovers adult fiction award for his first novel, The Slow Roll. Lendrum was the subject of a Flagstaff profile in November 2022. The crime thriller, set in Auckland, has sold well and been reprinted. The awards are voted for by readers on the NZ Booklovers online books hub.

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A burglar who stole more than $3000 worth of drinks, food and cash from North Shore United Football Club on Sunday morning, was caught on camera and left numerous fingerprints. The thief broke into the clubrooms at around 4am, causing significant damage to doors and the club bar, before making off with its safe containing takings from Shore’s home game with Ellerslie earlier in the day.