RNZYS - Kristin School wins 2016 Harken Schools Regatta
by RNZYS on 3 Apr 2016
Kristin School on their way to win the Harken Schools Championship, April 2016 RNZYS Media
The Kristin School team of Henry Haslett, Oscar Gunn, Leonard Takahashi, and Lachlan Grimwade have won the 2016 Harken School Regatta in dramatic fashion.
After staging a dramatic recovery from a seventh in the first race of the day the team took line honours in the next three races and a second in the final race to win the Championship. During the first race, sailing upwind, the Kristin School team lost their spinnaker over the side and the time it took to recover it they were stuck in seventh position.
Henry Haslett and his team had to then work hard to fight back into the top spot. Hard on their heels was second overall KeriKeri High School who sailed consistently well with a first, two seconds and a third in the first four races leaving them two points clear ahead of Kristin.
In the final race Kristin needed to finish two place ahead of KeriKeri to have any chance at winning the regatta. Around the top mark Kristin lead but were caught on the run by the Auckland Grammar B team who claimed first place in the final race. Kristin School were second across the line and KeriKeri were back in sixth place so Kristin was crowned the winner.
The racing was extremely close and the KeriKeri High School team helmed by Frank Dair finished just 2 points behind. Westlake Boys High School were third overall with a total of 18 points. Opua Combined Schools were fourth and Rangitoto College fifth overall.
The Gold Fleet were able to complete the full five scheduled races just off the Westhaven Seawall directly after the Silver Fleet had finished their three scheduled races this morning.
Race Officer Gerald Flynn commented “We were very pleased to complete the full complement of racing over the three days. It was great to see so many out of town teams and of course a team from Rarotonga and we like to make sure they all get the maximum races in.”
The Silver Fleet was won by the all female team from St.Cuthberts College helmed by Xanthe Copeland.
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