Barker and Dickson contest NZ match racing champs

by Sara Roberts, RNZYS on 21 Nov 2007 Dean Barker & Chris Dickson both get back into the local racing scene with the New Zealand Match Racing Championships, hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron held over the next four days on the Waitemata Harbour.

Barker who is the only skipper to win the National Championships four times (1997, 2004, 2005 & 2006) is on a roll and is back to defend his title.

Dickson, the 1999 Champion is back but this time is sailing with the Coach of the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme, Guy Pilkington & and an all youth programme crew under 20 years of age. Pilkington was elated when Dickson said he would sail with the young team, 'I think it’s great for these young guys, the racing will be hard but they will give it their all and come away with a great experience'.

Rod Davis the 2000 & 2001 Champion is back with his Emirates Team New Zealand crew of Tony Rae, Chris Ward, Grant Loretz & Richard Meacham,

The three established stars will have to work hard to beat the young guns of New Zealand Match Racing.

Laurie Jury, Adam Minoprio, Phil Robertson, Simon Dickey, Jonathan Rankine & David Wood are all graduates of the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme and have been training extensively for this regatta.

The year’s championship has attracted two female helmsmen, Yachting New Zealand President Jan Dawson & another Youth Programme Graduate Jessica Smyth. While Dawson will be sailing with an all male crew Smyth has a young all female crew onboard.

Smyth who in August competed in the ISAF Women’s World Match Racing Championships held in France is looking forward the next four days, 'This week the boats are bigger and a lot harder to sail but the girls and I are up for the challenge!'

* All female crews sailing with a total of 6 crew, the all male or open crews sail with 5. All crews must weigh in under the total combined crew weight of 437.5kg’s (ISAF Avg Open Crew Weight 87.5kg x 5 = 437.5kg’s)

Completing the line-up is the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme team skippered by Michael Thorpe. The bulk of the team just retuned from a match racing regatta in Australia on Monday night, so are well prepared for this weekends racing. The youth programme team are over 50kg’s under the weight limit but as their Coach Guy Pilkington explained 'They always are!'

Event Schedule

Wednesday 0900 Registration & Weigh in

0900 Practice Sailing
1530 Practice sailing ends
1800 Briefing, RNZYS Commodores Room

Thursday 0815 Briefing
0930 Racing begins

Friday 0815 Briefing
0930 Racing begins

Saturday 0815 Briefing
0930 Racing begins

Sunday 0815 Briefing
0930 Racing begins

1700 approx Prizegiving



New Zealand Match Racing Championships 2007

Final Entry list

Dean Barker (ETNZ / RNZYS)

Laurie Jury (Kiwi Match / RNZYS)

Adam Minoprio (Blackmatch / RNZYS)

Chris Dickson (RNZYS)

Rod Davis (ETNZ / RNZYS)

Phil Robertson (RNZYS)

Simon Dickey (RNZYS)

Michael Thorpe (RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme)

David Wood (RNZYS)

Jonathan Rankine (RNZYS)

Jessica Smyth (Georgia Racing / RNZYS)

Jan Dawson (RNZYS)

RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme

1987 - 2007

42 out of the 61 crew members at the Championship are graduates or present members of the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme and this event marks the opening of the 20th Year Celebrations. The RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme began in 1987 and is celebrating its anniversary on Saturday 1st December with a match racing series and Reunion Dinner at the RNZYS.

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For further information such as Crew Lists and Honours Board of Past Winners

Visit the event website www.rnzys.org.nz