Yachting NZ receives massive funding boost off the back of Olympics

by Yachting NZ/Sail-World.com on 14 Dec 2016 Yachting New Zealand is looking to maintain the momentum the sport achieved at the Rio Olympics and have a better chance of doing this following a substantial increase in funding from High Performance Sport New Zealand.

Yachting is a targeted Tier 1 sport, by funder High Performance Sport NZ, and has been earmarked to receive $15.1 million from HPSNZ in core funding over the next four-year Olympic cycle. This is an increase from $12.45 million or 120% received over the last Olympic cycle.

The funding levels are subject to review after two years and can be increased or decreased depending on results two years out from the Olympics. In the 2016 Olympic cycle Yachting's funding was usually increased in each review or stayed at its current level.

Yachting and Athletics were the only two of the four Tier 1 sports to receive and increase over the next two years.

Yachting was one of the success stories of this year’s Rio Olympics, securing four medals – gold in the 49er (Peter Burling and Blair Tuke), silver in both the women’s 470 (Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie) and 49erFX (Alex Maloney and Molly Meech) and bronze in the Laser (Sam Meech). This equalled the record haul from the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The Nacra 17 crew of Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders were also fourth in Rio, giving the Kiwis four top five placing in the regatta, and all seven New Zealand boats finished in the top 10.

Yachting secured two medals at the 2012 London Olympics and one in Beijing four years earlier.

“We are absolutely delighted with the increase in funding,” Yachting New Zealand chief executive David Abercrombie said.

“We believe it’s in recognition of the great results in Rio and our conversion of Fast Track athletes into the Olympic programme, the strength of the Aon Fast Track and youth programmes and our talent identification programme.

“It’s also a reflection of the quality of the governance of the organisation from the board down. We would like to think HPSNZ recognises what we are doing and have confidence we will be able to deliver medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.

“The additional funding will allow us to transition the Aon Fast Track athletes into the Olympic programme more seamlessly to deliver medals. We are trying to add greater capability around the organisation to support the Olympic team. It will also allow us to employ a new high performance director as well as coaches to support the programmes which we haven’t been able to do before.”

High Performance Sport NZ also commented in the announcement covering all sports: 'Today’s announcement saw sailing and athletics both secure significant increases in core funding following outstanding performance in Rio. These are both sports which have also demonstrated strong progress around future talent and performance systems, and have quality high performance people underpinning their programmes towards Tokyo.'

The full media release and funding details can be viewed by click here

There is some uncertainty around the immediate plans of some of New Zealand’s best-known sailors, with Burling, Tuke, Josh Junior and Andy Maloney involved in next year’s America’s Cup campaign with Emirates Team New Zealand, and two-time Olympic medallists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie finalising their plans for the future. Depending on the outcome of AC35 and the date for AC36, the America's Cup sailors are all expected to return to the Olympic fold.

Rowing, New Zealand's other top medal earning sport, and the highest funded, fell short of its target of five medals and also faces as substantial rebuilding process, as top competitors either retire or re-assess their plans.

Yachting NZ also chose not to send Olympic qualified competitors in the Mens and Womens Windsurfer (RS:X) and Womens Laser Radial to the Rio Olympics and the NZ medals came from seven events. And will be keenly watching the results from the AON World Youth Championships in Torbay to rebuild in the three classes, which have been re-selected for the Tokyo Olympics.

But Abercrombie points to the strength and depth of talent coming through the Aon Fast Track programme, including under-23 Nacra 17 world champions Olivia MacKay and Micah Wilkinson, Andrew McKenzie (Laser), Logan Dunning-Beck (49er), Erica Dawson (49erFX) and several others in Olympic classes.

A 13-strong New Zealand team will also be competing at the 2016 Aon Youth Sailing World Championships at Auckland’s Torbay, with racing starting tomorrow.

“There is quality coming through which is really exciting,” Abercrombie said. “We are looking to fill some gaps in the Olympic classes, like the women’s Laser Radial, so it looks promising. In the Olympic classes we took to Rio, we have medal-capable athletes as well as quality training partners. There’s more depth now than we have had for a number of years.

“We know we haven’t got it all right but we are proud of what we have achieved over the last four years. We are also serious about what we are doing and want to continue to develop.”

Yachting NZ is also seeking a new High Performance Director after Jez Fanstone, who held the position for the past two Olympic cycles indicated he wished to pursue other endeavours.