McCutcheon & Weston take 420 Class National Title

by Rowdy Leatham on 13 Mar 2017 Robbie McCutcheon and Jono Weston from Wakatere Boating Club (Auckland) have won the 2017 New Zealand 420 Class National Championships hosted by Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club in Wellington over the weekend.

The regatta saw a strong fleet of 18 boats compete over four days in breezes ranging from 0 to 25kts from the South (brrrrrrrr…), allowing for some great sailing and spectating in the magnificent amphitheatre that is Evans Bay. As one parent mentioned, it’s not often you can walk up and down a footpath the length of the course alongside the sailors.

The event comprised both the National Championships as well as the Open World Team selection trials for 2017, which saw the crews not only battling it out for the national title but also attempting to secure a spot in the New Zealand for the Worlds to be held in Fremantle, Australia later this year.

It was great to see 8 of the 18 teams were full female crews, showing the strength of the 420 class in New Zealand. The Female category was taken out by Xanthe Copeland and Annabel Cave, who also were representing Wakatere Boating Club and Murrays Bay Sailing Club on Auckland’s North Shore.

A huge thanks to the team at Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club for their fantastic hospitality, and thanks to the Race Management Team and all the volunteers from around the country, without the volunteers the regatta would not have happened!

Open Results:
1st Robbie McCutcheon & Jono Weston Wakatere
2nd Xanthe Copeland & Annabel Cave Wakatere/Murrays Bay
3rd Zac Schiewe & Ben Baynes Naval Point/Charteris Bay

Female Results:
1st Xanthe Copeland & Annabel Cave Wakatere/Murrays Bay
2nd Ella Gladwell & Alice Haslett Wakatere
3rd Cara Higinbottom & Jessica Lee Naval Point

Full results can be seen on the event’s Facebook page click here