NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team 2007 is announced

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 19 Apr 2007
Yachting New Zealand today announces the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team for 2007.

The ten member team, who was selected based on performance at key regattas this season, will travel to Kingstown, Canada to represent New Zealand at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF Youth World Championships 2007.

The final selection regatta, Hyundai YouthSail 07, concluded in Wellington last weekend, and the official team is announced today. New Zealand will be represented by one entry in each of the seven classes to be sailed at the ISAF World Youth Championships.

The NZL Yachting Trust Youth team for 2007 includes…

Josh Nixon, Takapuna Boating Club - Boy’s RS:X Windsurfing
Justina Sellers, Howick Sailing Club – Girl’s RS:X Windsurfing
Josh Junior, Worser Bay Boating Club – Boy’s single-handed Laser
Cushla Hume-Merry, Evans Bay Yacht & Motorboat Club – Girl’s single-handed Laser Radial
Paul Snow-Hansen & Blair Tuke, Wakatere Boating Club – Boy’s double-handed 29er
Sarah Berry & Emma Berry, Worser Bay Boating Club – Girl’s double-handed 29er
Tim Coltman & Ben Goodwin, Muritai Yacht Club – Open Multihull, Hobie 16

YNZ’s High Performance & Youth Director, Marty Watson comments about the talent in the team.

'This year, stand out performers in the trials have been Josh Junior in the Laser and Josh Nixon in the men’s windsurfer,' says Watson. 'Both have had good results at international regattas in their respective divisions and were dominant at the trials.'

'Our double-handed and multihull sailors were selected from a very competitive series which came down to the wire. We feel this is a sign of a rapidly improving standard in double handed sailing in the nation. The winners of these divisions no doubt have the right qualities.'

The ISAF World Youth Championships is an annual regatta attracting the world’s best youth sailors representing their countries. 277 sailors from a record breaking 63 nations competed in Weymouth, England at the 2006 event.

The regatta is well known for revealing sailing stars of the future and is regarded as somewhat of a Youth equivalent to the Olympic Games. Past medal winners for New Zealand include Chris Dickson, Russell Coutts, Dean Barker, Dan Slater, Thomas Ashley and many more.

Racing at the 2007 event runs over seven days starting on 14 July, with teams being welcomed two days prior. The venue is the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour which was designed and built to host the sailing event for the 1976 Olympic Games. Kingston has hosted an annual CORK sailing event in August every year since 1969.

Kingston is located at the eastern end of Lake Ontario and the head of the St. Lawrence River, the combination of land mass, islands and thermal effects produce excellent wind and wave conditions with very little current.

Winds during July are predominantly from a south-westerly direction, with an afternoon wind range of 10-15 knots. Water temperatures are expected to vary between 18 to 22 degrees (Celsius) with normal air temperature being 25 to 35 degrees.

Principle sponsor of the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team is the NZL Yachting Trust. Supporting sponsors include New Zealand Academy of Sport, ASB Bank & Line 7.

Profile Information

Josh Nixon - Windsurfer
Takapuna Boating Club, North Shore, Auckland
1st – Hyundai YouthSail 07 (winning 8 from 9 races)
Did not compete at Nationals due to injury
1st Youth – Sail Auckland (9th overall in a fleet of 21)

Justina Sellers – Windsurfer
Howick Sailing Club, Auckland
1st New Zealand Girl – Hyundai YouthSail 07
2nd Youth – Sail Auckland
Member of the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team 2006 – 9th overall at ISAF Youth World Championships 2006

Josh Junior – Laser
Worser Bay Boating Club, Wellington
1st – Hyundai YouthSail 07 (winning 6 from 8 races)
1st Youth – Sail Auckland 2007 (7th overall in a fleet of 44)
1st Youth – New Zealand Laser National Championships 2007 (3rd overall)

Cushla Hume-Merry – Laser Radial
Evans Bay Yacht & Motorboat Club, Wellington
1st Girl – Hyundai YouthSail 07
1st Youth Girl – Sail Auckland Regatta 2007
1st Youth Girl - New Zealand Laser Radial National Championships 2007

Paul Snow-Hansen & Blair Tuke – Double-handed 29er
Wakatere Boating Club, North Shore, Auckland
2nd – Hyundai YouthSail 07 – 420 class
2nd – 420 National Championships 2007

Sarah Berry & Emma Berry – Double-handed 29er
Worser Bay Boating Club, Wellington
2nd – Hyundai YouthSail 07 – 420 class
3rd Girl’s – 420 National Championships 2007 (6th overall)

Tim Coltman & Ben Goodwin – Open Multihull, Hobie 16
Muritai Yacht Club
1st – Hyundai YouthSail 07 - 420 class
5th - 420 National Championships 2007