BlackMatch Racing win 2010 Yachting New Zealand Sailor of the Year

by Yachting on 26 Nov 2010
Reigning champions of the prestigious World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) Adam Minoprio and his BlackMatch Racing crew have been named 2010 Singapore Airlines Sailor of the Year at the Yachting Excellence Awards held tonight in Auckland.

25 year old Adam Minoprio and his crew of Nick Blackman, Dave Swete, Dan McLean and Tom Powrie, all products of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Youth Programme, have rocketed to the top of the World Match Racing Tour in a few short years winning the world title in 2009, currently at the top of the ISAF rankings.

Absent from the Yachting Excellence Awards in Auckland the young team are poised to try and defend their crown in Malaysia for the final deciding event in the 2010 World Match Racing Tour – The Monsoon Cup. Points are tight at the top of the board, racing starts on Wednesday 1st December with finals, and the Championship, decided by next Sunday.



Young Sailor of the Year 2010 in Association with Orbit Travel Wellington
Thomas Saunders

Winning Gold in the Laser at this year’s Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships, Thomas Saunders from the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club was tonight rewarded once more, named Young Sailor of the Year for 2010 in association with Orbit Travel Wellington.

With 50 competitors from 50 nations, the single-handed event was the largest and arguably the toughest at the world’s most esteemed youth regatta seen as the closest thing to an Olympic regatta for youth aged sailors. Saunders joined an illustrious and growing list of New Zealanders to have won this event.

Coach/Official of the Year 2010 in Association with Orbit Travel Wellington
Harold Bennett

Harold Bennett will be the first name engraved on a brand new trophy after he was named 2010 Coach/Official of the Year in the inaugural year for this category.

Principal Race Officer for the 33rd America’s Cup staged in Valencia in February 2010, Harold Bennett faced the daunting task of running a contest like none before. A match race track that stretched out of sight of land, into deep water, coupled with boats of incredible size and speed demanded fresh and innovative thinking.

With emotions running high after long litigation imposed delays, and the threat of winter storms Harold Bennett took all these challenges in his stride, stood his ground, acted with integrity and ran an incredible regatta the likes of which may never be seen again.

Emerging Talent Award 2010
Jayvee Buchanan

Jayvee Buchanan, from the Charteris Bay and Murrays Bay Yacht Clubs, is the deserving recipient of the inaugural Emerging Talent Award having displayed outstanding potential as a future star of New Zealand sailing.

Jayvee Buchanan has been sailing in the Optimist class for six years, achieving a consistently high result and has represented New Zealand at four international regattas. He won the New Zealand Optimist Open Championship at Murrays Bay in October 2009 and the North Island Optimist Open Championship in Napier, November of 2009.

Success followed in December last year, the youngster won the Sir Peter Blake Memorial Trophy.

Yachting New Zealand Performance Awards 2010

Significant achievement in the world of yachting by New Zealanders over the past year has been plentiful ensuring it was a tough job for the Awards Judging Panel to select the Performance Awards recipients from a good number of quality nominations.

Competitive performance, sportsmanship and/or design can be the basis for a Yachting New Zealand Performance Award. Tonight Performance Awards were presented to...

Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie, RNZYS – Olympic class Women’s 470
Blackmatch Racing, RNZYS - World Match Racing Tour
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club and Kerikeri Cruising Club – Olympic class 49er  
Neville Crichton, RNZYS – Offshore Yacht racing
Scott Leith, Pupuke Boating Club – Masters Laser Radial
Andrew Murdoch, Kerikeri Cruising Club – Olympic class Laser
Karl Purdie, Worser Bay Boating Club – OK Dinghy
Thomas Saunders, Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club – Laser Youth
Chris Steele, Wakatere Boating Club – Splash class
Sara Winther, Takapuna Boating Club – Olympic class Laser Radial

Yachting New Zealand Service Awards 2010

Recognising exemplary and selfless service to yachting, the Yachting New Zealand Service Awards are a highlight in the evening’s programme. Often going without recognition these are the people who make our sport tick, and it’s a delight to see them rewarded.

Eight Yachting New Zealand Service Awards were presented at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron tonight.

Alexander Aitken, Zephyr Owners Association & Waimakariri Sailing & Powerboat Club
Warren Belk, Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club
Des Brennan, Akaroa Sailing Club
Roger Kitchen, Torbay Sailing Club
Jim Lott, Cruising & Navigation Association NZ
Ross Munro, RNZYS
Sarah and Sefton Powrie, RNZYS
Doug Smeal, Whangarei Cruising Club and Onerahi Yacht Club

Yachting New Zealand Cruising Awards 2010

This year two yachtsmen were awarded the Yachting New Zealand Cruising Award – both solo sailors who have independently been on remarkable global adventures. They are...

Graeme Kendall – North West Passage voyage on 12.5 metre Astral Express
Phillip Zwiess – Global circumnavigation solo on Caval (Cavalier 32)  



Yachting New Zealand President’s Award 2010

In an unprecedented move the President’s Award in 2010 was awarded to two recipients.

New Zealand members of the BMW Oracle Racing, Design, Build and Sailing Teams - BMW Oracle may have flown the burgee of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, but the day after they lifted the Auld Mug the New Zealand influence was there for all to see, when BMW Oracle introduced the five key management of which four were New Zealanders; Russell Coutts, Mike Drummond – Head of Design and the two leading boat builders who lead construction, Tim Smyth and Mark Turner.

There were three New Zealanders aboard the incredible flying machine - Ross Halcrow and Matthew Mason who had previously won the America’s Cup aboard NZL 32 and Brad Webb, winner for the first time.  

Short-Handed Sailing Association New Zealand (SSANZ) – SSANZ inspired the B and G SIMRAD short-handed series has quite simply exploded in popularity now attracting fleets of close to two hundred in each of the three races staged annually through the winter months. The organisation also runs the successful two-handed round North Island Race with the countdown now on for the 2011 race in February/March.

Other presentations
After securing the IRC National Championship title this year, Jim Farmer and his Georgia Racing crew have their name on the KORC Trophy once more. Crew of Georgia Racing were at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron tonight to accept the trophy on behalf of Jim Farmer who is out of the country at present.

Following the 2010 Yachting New Zealand AGM it was announced that Barbara Kendall and Ralph Roberts had been honoured with Yachting New Zealand Life Membership. An official presentation was made at tonight’s dinner.