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Fine weather and fair winds at Algies Bay made for one of the country’s largest regattas, with 500 races across five days.
The NZ Secondary School Sailing Nationals were held at Algies Bay from April 21-26 and saw 28 teams compete.
“Only the Peter Blake regatta in Torbay gets more entries,” event coordinator Ross Sutherland says.
He says overall the Nationals were a huge success, despite some last-minute issues with contractors blocking the reserve.
“I want to say a big thank you to the locals who came to the rescue and let us set up on their front lawns after contractors blocked off the reserve, even though we had paid the Council for its use.”
Sailors travelled from all over the country for the event, including judges from Christchurch, Wellington and Nelson, and 11 school teams from the South Island.
“We have been aiming to let the south host every three years, but they keep wanting to come up here, because we have a 10 degree low compared to their minus five.”
Sutherland said he was pleased that the top three winning teams from the competition were all from north of the bridge. They were Rangitoto College, Westlake Boys’ High School, and Kerikeri High School.
Mahurangi College, who competed in the silver category, slipped down the ranks to 15th this year, after having made 10th place in 2018.
Sutherland said this year’s event was particularly important as most teams would not be able to attend the annual trans-Tasman inter-dominion championships due to a last-minute date change by the Aussies.
Instead, the top teams from the Nationals, held at Algies Bay, will travel to Europe to sail in a regional competition.
