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When a Kiwi team headed to the wingfoil Oceanic Championships in Rose Bay, Sydney early this month, the results proved the strength of the sport at the local Manly Sailing Club.
Club members (and Whangaparāoa College students) Aimee Bright and Kosta Gladiadis, each won their divisions.
Gladiadis, aged 14, won the U19 title after sailing consistently well in very tricky conditions, while Bright was crowned Oceania Women’s Champion. Her mother, Barbara Kendall, placed second in the women’s division.
It was the first time that Olympic boardsailing gold medallist Kendall had sailed at Rose Bay since she won a medal at the Sydney Olympics and also the first time she and her daughter have officially raced, other than the many times they take part in club racing at Manly Beach.
Kendall says her daughter beating her was “no surprise”.
“I decided to jump on a board at the last minute because it’s so much better than supporting from the beach,” Kendall says. “I wingfoil for fun and I don’t think Aimee even sees me as a threat – it’s clear I’m not even close to being in her league.”
Sam Thom, also of Manly Sailing Club, placed sixth overall.
Bright has now qualified for the ANOC World Beach Games to be held in Bali in August.
The Oceania event was combined with the Australian Wing Class Nationals, so the win also makes Bright the Australian women’s champion. Whether she can add the NZ title to this will be revealed when the NZ Wingfoil Nationals are hosted by Manly Sailing Club in May.
