Ngati Whatua and ETNZ work to get young Maori sailing

by Warren Douglas, Emirates Team on 11 Feb 2009
Ngati Whatua and Emirates Team New Zealand have announced that they were forming a partnership to encourage more young Maori into sailing.

Team managing director Grant Dalton announced the initiative at a function at Orakei Marae for teams taking part in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

Dalton said when responding to a welcome: 'Yesterday we celebrated Waitangi Day and this special welcome to the marae means a lot to everyone here.

'Tonight is very important for us and I hope it is also the beginning of a very important partnership. We are working with Ngati Whatua to provide a legacy for young Maori by involving them in sailing. We are developing a programme with Ngati Whatua to make that happen.'

Alec Hawke, cultural co-ordinator for the Ngati Whatua Trust Board, said he was pleased to be working with Emirates Team New Zealand on an important initiative. 'The programme is in its initial planning stages and we still have to talk to a lot of people and organizations and we have a lot of work to do.

'We are looking to involve young Maori from all over Auckland.

'We aim to get them interested in the sport and encourage them to become involved in jobs like sailmaking and boatbuilding, which are the traditional paths to involvement in top-level sailing.

'We want to see Maori right in the forefront of future challenges.'