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Manly Sailing Club last month hosted a packed programme of O’pen Skiff racing and a two-day workshop for young sailors of the small, single-handed yacht class, attracting a record-breaking 88 sailors from across the country.
Sailors from the North and South Islands – and two from the Royal Bombay Yacht Club in India – took part in the Russell Coutts Sailing Foundation (RCSF) clinic and three days of racing. The club said it was the largest contingent ever to take part in an O’pen Skiff national championship in NZ.
Sailors took advantage of good winds and sunny skies to learn more about sailing the little vessels “fast and smart”, and had a shot at the beloved Bridge of Doom – a large inflatable goal post-shaped structure with the “crossbar” lower than the top of the rigs, requiring some nimble handling to navigate without mishap.
Taking part were 24 sailors in the development fleet (for those with little to no previous race experience), 29 in the silver fleet (sailors with fundamental racing skills) and 35 in the gold fleet (experienced and confident competitors who previously competed in silver fleet racing and can perform in a range of conditions).
Racing days saw a mix of conditions – very light 6-7 knot westerlies building to 12-15 knots on day one; wet and woolly conditions on day two with 15-18 knot northerlies and big waves enlivening an exciting slalom course; and an 18-20-plus knot southwest breeze on day three, offering perfect planing conditions for the Sail GP-style reach start.
Manly Sailing Club’s own reigning U15 O’pen Skiff world champion, Ewan Brazle, won his third consecutive national title, while Elena Keall-Neches of the Paremata Boating Club in Porirua notched up her second nationals top finish in the girls’ division.
In addition to making friends and memories, other highlights on the programme for participants included a panel discussion led by former RCSF head coach Saffron Nixon, and featuring Olympians Jenny Armstrong and Kylie Jameson, and O’pen Skiff alums, iQFoil and WingFoil sensation Aimee Bright, and former top NZ ILCA 6 sailor, Maddie Rist. The discussion covered topics ranging from building confidence to how parents can support their kids by creating a culture that promotes sailing as a “sport for life”.
A feast and quiz night was headlined by five-time Olympian, boardsailor Barbara Kendall, who shared her journey to Olympic glory, inspiring the next generation of sailors to have fun, persevere and believe in the impossible.
After a celebratory prizegiving, Harold Bennett – the principal race officer for five America’s Cups, and Manly Sailing Club’s vice commodore – closed the regatta, encouraging the young sailors to persevere in their journey, continue to raise the bar on sportsmanship, and not to forget rule number one – have fun.
