Board supports youth sailing

The future of youth sailing at Sandspit Yacht Club has been secured after the Rodney Local Board renewed the club’s lease for a further 10 years at its headquarters on Algies Bay Reserve, in Gordon Craig Place.

The club has become a hub for young sailors across the Mahurangi region, with between 50 and 60 children aged from nine to around 15 taking part in its dinghy sailing programme.

Racing convenor Ewen Briggs says the club’s success has been strengthened by the arrival of coach Chris Gilpin, whose involvement has helped lift the programme to a new level.

“Chris has been a fantastic addition to the club,” Briggs says.

The club offers three levels of sailing instruction, catering for rank beginners through to sailors confident enough to compete in races. Sessions run for eight weeks across school terms four and one, with sailors taking part in some classroom-based learning before spending most of their time on the water.

Several young sailors have already achieved notable success. Amelia McCauley and Freddie Malloy competed at the national championships in New Plymouth, while Stanley Briggs represented the club in the Open Skiff class at the national championships held in the Bay of Islands.

Briggs says by the time sailors reach college age, many are ready to join team racing in 420-class yachts. Mahurangi College has developed a strong reputation in the sport, consistently achieving top placings at regional and national regattas.

The club will host the annual regional secondary schools team racing event at Algies Bay next April.
Briggs says the programme the club can offer depends very heavily on the support of parents and volunteers.

While the club is currently benefiting from Gilpin’s expertise, Briggs says the ideal situation would be to have two coaches. Before Gilpin stepped into the role, the club relied on a coach travelling from Whangaparāoa.

Gilpin now works with sailors four evenings a week during the season, while continuing his own competitive sailing, racing keelboats both locally and in Auckland.

The club is well equipped, with a fleet of 10 Optimists and 10 Open Skiffs available for training and competition. Children interested in joining need only be water confident and have access to a basic wetsuit and lifejacket.

Looking ahead, the club hopes to introduce Laser racing for older teenagers and adults next summer. However, the expansion will depend on finding a suitably qualified and committed coach to lead the programme.