ISAF Youth Worlds- Yachting NZ name a very strong, full team for 2014

by Sail-World on 25 Mar 2014 Yachting New Zealand have announced a very strong team of twelve young sailors to represent New Zealand at the prestigious 2014 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship Regatta.


Tavira, on the south west coast of Portugal will play host to the 2014 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship which runs from 12th – 19th July this year.

The team includes three returning ISAF Youth World medalists and some top sailing talent who are experienced internationally.

The 2014 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team includes:

Multihull SL16 Helm: Micah Wilkinson (Ngaroto Sailing Club)
Multihull SL16 Crew: Jack Rogers (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
29er Skiff Helm: Markus Somerville (Wakatere Boating Club)
29er Skiff Crew: Isaac McHardie (Hamilton Yacht Club/RAYC)
Laser Radial Male: Trent Rippey (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club)
Laser Radial Female: Ali Nightingale (Charteris Bay Yacht Club)
RS:X Male: Patrick Haybittle (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
RS:X Female: Xanthe Bowater (Naval Point Club Lyttleton/Takpuna Boating Club)
Boy’s 420 Helm: Sam Barnett (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club)
Boy’s 420 Crew: Zak Merton (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club)
Girl’s 420 Helm: Olivia Mackay (Napier Sailing Club)
Girl’s 420 Crew: Abby Goodwin (Napier Sailing Club)

Coaches and Support: Ian Neely, Dave Robertson, Karin Adelinger and Jim Maloney

The twelve-strong team means New Zealand will this year be represented in all eight class disciplines being sailed in Portugal.

'I’m very excited to announce this year’s team,' says Yachting New Zealand’s Ian Neely.

'It’s great to have a full team of twelve sailors in 2014 and I’m looking forward to working really hard over the coming months with our coaches and sailors to be really well prepared for what will no doubt be a really tough event in Tavira.'

'All the team have been training really hard all season, so we’re in a good position to build from,' adds Neely.

Talent from around New Zealand are included in the line-up with three sailors originating from Auckland Clubs, with another three coming from Tauranga. Two Cantabrians, both female, have made the 2014 team; the other two females coming from Napier, while two Waikato sailors complete the dozen.

No less than eight of the 2014 sailing team are returning members of the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team having competed at previous editions of the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship.

They include Micah Wilkinson (gold medallist as crew in the multihull in 2013), Isaac McHardie (gold medallist as helm in the multihull in 2013), Markus Somerville (bronze medallist as helm of the 29er in 2013), Sam Barnett and Zak Merton (5th place in the Boy’s 420 in 2013), Olivia Mackay and Abby Goodwin (6th in the Girl’s 420 in 2013) and Trent Rippey (8th place as helm of the 29er in 2012)

With just over 100 days until the regatta starts the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team will be spending the build-up training, preparing and competing at some major lead-up events. At least nine of the team will travel to Weymouth, UK for next month’s RYA Youth National Championships, while the multihull pairing of Wilkinson and Rogers will attend the SL16 World Championships immediately preceding the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship.

The first day of racing in Tavira is set for Monday 14th July 2014 with five days of racing before the medals are decided.