Kerikeri, Napier Girls victors at 31st Secondary School Team Sailing

by Kirsty Laws on 4 May 2014 Kerikeri High School dominated two rounds of the Secondary Schools Team Sailing Nationals, to emerge victors for a record fifth successive year.

The event was sailed in squally conditions for the first two days, then light fickle winds causing numerous delays during the second round robin. Auckland Grammar took the silver medal, with MacLeans College gaining bronze. Marlborough Boys and Christchurch Boys were fourth and fifth in the Open standings.

Napier Girls College, the only one of the nine girls teams to reach the gold fleet, were the girls' champions, followed by Diocesan and New Plymouth Girls. The top three open and three girls teams will contest the InterDominions against Australia, in October.

This year saw 240 sailors attend, in 23 open and nine girls teams, sailing over 320 races in three fleets. The short, fully umpired races, using matched sets of 420 dinghies, require a lot of manpower, and a team of over 60 volunteers was assembled by the New Zealand Team Sailing Association, Sandspit Yacht Club, Jane Gifford Trust and Algies Bay residents, to support the event.