Chris Steele wins Harken Youth International Match Racing

by Melanie Benton on 14 Feb 2012
RNZYS sailor and former World Optimist Champion, Chris Steele has won Harken Youth International Match Racing 2012.

After a gruelling day on the water with shifty, light winds the last two flights of Round Robin Two were finally completed at 1530hrs this afternoon. The Race Committee then decided that in order to have the semi-final races completed in the best conditions they would have to move to the Northern side of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Chris Steele was generous with his thanks at the Prizegiving: 'Thanks team, Stu Dodson on main, Rawiri Geddes on trim, Jay Prestt on bow and thanks Guy Pilkington our coach. This was a great result for a team that have been selected from the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme. The results don’t really show how close the racing was. Ash (Rooklyn) pushed us hard in the semis and it was close racing. We had a tough match against Jordan Reece, as well, in the finals. Full credit to the Race Committee and thanks to all our supporters from the Lion Foundation YTP including our fellow Training Programme Members.'

Jordan Reece and his crew were out to cement their placing on the leader board right from the beginning today.

Reece, Henry Kermot, Arnau Farras-Knowles and Jaiden Stevens have sailed together for a year now and it showed with some great wins. Reece beat Steele first off this morning with a convincing 38 second win.

The CYCA team helmed by Ashlyn Rooklyn were fortunate to have last year’s winner Jay Griffin sailing with them. Although Rooklyn had a win and a loss in the final flights he held his own and pushed hard in the semi-finals to earn fourth place.

David Hazard who placed second in this event in 2011 had an unfortunate first two matches with a loss to Adam Middleton in Flight Eight and to rival Squadron team Chris Steele to place fifth.

George Brasell and his team from Bucklands Beach Yacht Club has to be the most improved team in the regatta with a sixth placing. Brasell had two tough matches today the first with the first match against Ashlyn Rooklyn and the second against Tim Coltman.

In seventh place the third RNZYS team made up of Katie de Lange, Hannah Osbourne, Paige Cook, Holly Hamlin and Janelle Peat also had some tough matches. The first was against Nicholas Howe from RSYS and the second match was against Jordan Reece. De Lange did well to keep Reece to a 27 second lead.

Adam Middleton in eighth place, whose team is relatively new to sailing together had a couple of great matches beating Dave Hazard by 27seconds in the first match and then Carla Sexton in his second match. Unfortunately not enough to climb the table.

Unfortunately Nicholas Howe whose team has also joined him at short notice and are relatively new together didn’t find their groove until today. They placed ninth. Howe sailed against de Lange this morning and against Rooklyn in his final Round Robin Two match. Howe kept his cool and stayed in the groove to win convincingly in light and shifty winds that threatened to die completely.

In 10th place Carla Sexton and her team of Gemma Rasdell, Lucas Price, Kasja Doyle and John Nairn from the CYCA Youth Scheme and this is their first regatta together. A big learning curve in trying conditions.

A big thanks to all our sponsors, Race Management, Umpires and Coaches, without whom a regatta of this nature couldn’t be run. Also many thanks to the Boat Owners who billeted our teams, Debbie Whiting and Jim from Tequila, Tony Whiting of Taranui, Christiaan Arnes from Notorious, Steve and Anna Mair of Valiente and Rupert Wilson and Kristen Percy of High Octane and also to Quintin Fowler and family for hosting Carla Sexton, her crew and coach from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Sydney.

Semi Final One
Coltman beat Reece by 2m20s
Steele beat Rooklyn by 21s

Semi Final Two
Reece beat Coltman
Steel beat Rooklyn

Final - third and fourth Placing
Tim Coltman v Ashlen Rooklyn

Final - first and second placing
Chris Steele v Jordan Reece Final Placing

Final Results
1st - Chris Steele - RNZYS
2nd - Jordan Reece - RSYS
3rd - Ashlen Rooklyn - CYCA
4th - Tim Coltman - RPNYC
5th - David Hazard - RNZYS
6th - George Brasell - BBYC
7th - Katie De Lange - RNZYS
8th - Adam Middleton - RPNYC
9th - Nicholas Howe - RSYS
10th - Carla Sexton - RPNYC