Kerikeri High School Win Secondary Schools Team Sailing Nationals

by Kirsty Laws on 1 May 2011
In a fresh breeze at Algies Bay today the second round robin and finals of the Team Sailing Nationals were completed, with Kerikeri High School coming out ahead of St Kentigern College in the final.

Both teams were without their coaches, Reuben Corbett and Laurie Jury respectively, who are racing against each other in the Korea Match Cup Qualifier this week. The two teams were tied at the end of the round robin, with St Kents ahead on countback, followed by Whangarei Boys, Tauranga, Lindisfarne and New Plymouth Girls.

The third to sixth placed teams then proceeded to a knockout quarterfinal, with the winners meeting the first and second placed teams in the semifinals. Kerikeri and St Kents won their semifinals, then went to a final series which Kerikeri won 3-0 (somewhat surprisingly as they had had four losses to St Kents in earlier racing).

Tauranga Boys College won the petit final to gain the bronze medal and the third entry to the InterDominion Championships to be held in South Australia in October. New Plymouth Girls finished sixth, but by making the final series were judged winners of the Girls competition, with a separate girls series giving the second and third places to Napier Girls and Nelson Girls.

The New Zealand Team Sailing Association would like to thank all their sponsors, especially Pub Charity, the Mahurangi Technical Institute and the Jane Gifford Trust who once again lent the historic scow Jane Gifford as a support boat.

Full results and commentary on www.nztsa.co.nz