Blair is Umpire/Judge of the Year

From the Sailing Office

This winter saw the RNZYS finish up a few of the rescheduled regattas from a Covid-stricken 2021-22 season. This included the Harken Youth International Match Racing Championships, which for the first time in two years included some international teams.

There was a full roster of 14 teams for the event, which was raced in ‘top end’ wind conditions over four days. It was one of the Australian teams, Finn Tapper from CYCA, that took out the regatta over the RNZYS represented by Robbie McCutchen.

Harry Thurston, a RNZYS Youth Training Programme graduate now living in and representing Akaroa Yacht Club, took out the Open Keelboat National Championships over the current Women’s Keelboat Champion Sally Garret. This was the third time lucky for Harry and team after a 2nd in 2020 and 4th in 2021.

Another Harry, this time Harry Dodson and his team represented the RNZYS at the Seawanhaka International cup, hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club in Los Angles. Harry won the right to represent the RNZYS by winning the RNZYS Club Championships final in April this year.

RNZYS finished 2nd in the event behind Seawanhaka Yacht Club, who regained the trophy from Long Beach Yacht Club. Next year’s event will be hosted by Seawanahaka Yacht Club in Long Island New York, raced in SM40s. Hopefully RNZYS will be represented once again, this time going one better.

The Doyle Sails Winter Series has kicked off with a great entry list of more than 100 boats. We have seen some excellent conditions so far and competitive racing out there. The divisions have been restructured with new R and A divisions. So far some stand out performers are Kaizen, the smallest boat in R division, and Wish You Were Here cleaning up in the non-spinnaker division.

Our Race Manager Megan Thomson is currently overseas. She has been given the opportunity to do some work with the Jedda Yacht Club in Saudi Arabia, helping to set up their sailing programme along with some other RNZYS Performance Programme members. Megan is also planning on competing in some match racing events with her 2.0 racing team in Europe, before heading back to NZ at the start of July.

The RNZYS is set to host the Women’s World Match Racing Championships in November 2022. This is a fantastic opportunity for some of our NZ women match racers as well as the RNZYS race management and volunteers.

After seven years as the Sailing Director at the RNZYS, I have decided it is time for me to move on. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the RNZYS, working with some fantastic people and achieving some great things.

Initially I am heading overseas to do some international coaching before making the move with my family up to Kerikeri, where I will be running a boat yard, Blair Boats in Oromahoe.

Reuben Corbett the current Training Manager at the RNZYS will be taking over my role.

Harken Youth International winners CYCA tussle with RNZYS in the final – Billy Woodworth Photo.

Laurie Jury