Knight Frank South Island Young 88 Champs to be sailed this weekend

by Naval Point Club / Young 88 Association on 2 Mar 2015 After successful campaigns in Waikawa and Wellington over the summer Craig Edwards and his team on Flying Machine must be seen to be the favourites to defend their Knight Frank South Island Young 88 title this weekend on Lyttelton Harbour. But Edwards is not expecting have it all his own way.

A very credible challenge is expected from 2013 winner Shibbeen (Humphrey Rolleston) which will be skippered in this year’s challenge by Shane Smith. Smith who’s regular crew on his Elliot 780 Overspray is also in form after a second placing at the Lawsons Dry Hills Regatta in Waikawa in January. It will be the first time that Smith, a past Sunburst National Champion and South Island Zephyr Champion will helm a Young 88 in Class racing. But his experience in trailer yacht and dinghy classes is expected to make him a tough competitor in this class.

Flying Machine has recently returned from the Sovereign Port Nicolson Regatta in Wellington where their polished all round performance made quite an impression on the local fleet. They won the Roger Land Young 88 Trophy with 7 straight line honours wins together with Division B line and IRC victories. Tactician Seamus Tredinnick said of their performance 'we have been sailing together as a team now for several years and this really shows'. 'Craig and Nicci run a great team and we all enjoy sailing the boat as hard and fast as she will go' he said.

Credible challenges are also expected from Full Circle (Phil Folter) who is last season’s Naval Point Club Champion. They know how to take races off Flying Machine and demonstrated so at last year’s Championship in Akaroa. Colin Lock and his crew on Legacy II also travelled north this summer gaining the experience of close racing at the Waikawa Regatta in January.

It will be a busy weekend at Naval Point Club, Lyttelton. In addition to the Knight Frank South Island Young 88 Championships the club is also hosting the Canterbury Trailer Yacht Championships, South Island 420 Championships, South Island Laser Championships, Canterbury Zephyr Championships and the Naval Point Club Dinghy Championships.