Aon Youth Worlds - NZL Team on medal hunt at shadow Olympic Regatta

by Yachting New Zealand/Sail-World on 14 Dec 2016 The 2016 Aon Youth Sailing World Championships closely mirror the Olympic Sailing Regatta and will be the closest that New Zealand gets to staging an Olympic regatta.

The five day event has attracted the same number of entries as the Rio Olympics (380), from the same number of countries (66). The crews are competing in nine events (10 in the Olympics) and only one crew per country is entitled to compete.

All sailors used supplied boats.

New Zealand's Stewart sisters don’t really know where their loyalties lie when it comes to next year’s America’s Cup with father Ian part of the Oracle team this time around but they know exactly what flag they are racing for at this week’s 2016 Aon Youth Sailing Worlds.

Kate (18) and Greta (16) are part of a 13-strong New Zealand team competing at the youth world championships off Torbay. The pair claimed bronze in the 29er skiff in Malaysia at the last world event and are a strong medal chance when sailing gets under way on Friday.

Ian was a member of Emirates Team New Zealand at the last America’s Cup but has since joined Oracle’s on-shore team for next year’s campaign. It meant the Stewarts shifted to Bermuda last year, where the next America’s Cup will be sailed, and it has come with benefits - they live on the water’s edge and the sisters launch from in front of their house whenever they go training.

The pair also have the advantage of being in ‘home’ waters for the 2016 Aon Youth Sailing World Championships, having grown up sailing off Murray’s Bay, and Kate said the key for their regatta will be how well the sisters gel on the water.

“We always sail well when we’re happy and getting along and having fun; trying to keep a relaxed vibe.

“We are quite different when in regattas to just hanging around at home. There’s a more serious vibe.”

The Stewarts are one of two sets of sisters in the New Zealand team – 16-year-old twins Courtney and Brianna Reynolds-Smith are competing in the girl’s 420 - and are among New Zealand’s main medal hopes, along with boy’s Laser Radial sailor George Gautrey, who claimed silver at the last world championships, and Jackson Keon, who picked up silver in the 29er in 2015 but who has switched to the multihull Nacra 15 with Tom Fyfe.

The 2016 Aon Youth Sailing World Championships will see more than 380 sailors from 66 nations under the age of 19 compete across international youth sailing classes including the 29er skiff, Laser Radial, RS:X, 420 and Nacra 15 over five days of racing at the Torbay Sailing Club (Dec 16-20).

New Zealand has enjoyed good success since the first youth world championships in 1971, having won 50 medals. Past Kiwi winners have included Chris Dickson, Russell Coutts, Blair Tuke and Dean Barker.

Yachting New Zealand talent identification manager Ian Neely says his team are as ready as they will ever be.

“I’m happy with how they are sailing coming into it. I feel like they have done the work they can do and are as prepared as they can be.

“It comes down to whether they can perform to their ability with all the added pressures of the other nations at a big event, living in combined accommodation and whether they can still stay relaxed enough and be excited about the event.

“Having been to one of these events before helps and having been successful at one before can cause a problem because they now have expectations, so it’s just managing that as well. Having success last year and coming on home turf is a pretty significant challenge.”

It’s one the Stewart sisters are ready for before settling on who they will support at the next America’s Cup.

About the Youth Worlds

The Youth Worlds was first held in Sweden in 1971. The 2016 Youth Sailing World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand will be the 46th edition of the championship.

Past notable winners include American's Cup skippers, Chris Dickson (NZL), Russell Coutts (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL); Olympic medalists, Nathan Outteridge (AUS), Iain Jensen (AUS), Robert Scheidt (BRA), Amelie Lux (GER), Ben Ainslie (GBR), Iain Percy (GBR), Alessandra Sensini (ITA), Elise Rechichi (AUS), Dan Slater (NZL) and Tessa Parkinson (AUS); Volvo Ocean Race sailors like Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) and Richard Clarke (CAN). The most successful Youth World Champions are Great Britain's Sally Cuthbert and Poland's Zofia Klepacka having won four successive titles in the Laser II and Mistral respectively.

Australia is the current holder of the Nations Trophy, awarded annually to the top performing nation at the Youth Worlds. France is the most success nation through the history of the Championship, winning the Nations Trophy on a record eleven occasions and holding a record 76 medals: 28 gold, 30 silver and 18 bronze.