YNZ announces 2015 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team

by Jodie Bakewell-White 15 Oct 2015 12:47 PDT 27 December 2015 - 3 January 2016

Yachting New Zealand is pleased to name a full strength team of 14 sailors to compete at the 2015 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships which run from 27 December to 3 January in Langkawi, Malaysia.

The prestigious international event sees national teams from around the world gather together for a week long regatta for youth class sailors under-19 years of age. New Zealand will be represented in all nine events being contested in 2015.

2015 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team:

• Ali Nightingale, 18 years (Charteris Bay Yacht Club) Laser Radial Girls
• George Gautrey, 17 years (Muritai Yacht Club) Laser Radial Boys
• Finn Croft, 17 years (Takapuna Boating Club) RS:X Boys
• Lauren Mackenzie, 17 years (Manly Sailing Club) RS:X Girls
• Greta Stewart, 15 years (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 29er Girls Skipper
• Kate Stewart, 17 years (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 29er Girls Crew
• Jackson Keon, 15 years (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 29er Boys Skipper
• Nick Egnot-Johnson, 17 years (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 29er Boys Crew
• Jonathon Weston, 15 years (Wakatere Boating Club) 420 Boys skipper
• Taylor Balogh, 18 years (Naval Point Club Lyttleton) 420 Boys Crew
• Kerensa Jennings, 16 years (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 420 Girls Skipper
• Chelsea Rees, 18 years (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 420 Girls Crew
• Tamryn Lindsay, 18 years (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) Multihull Skipper
• William McKenzie, 18 years (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) Multihull Crew

Eight of the team represent the Murrays Bay Sailing Club on Auckland's north shore, but sailors hailing from the Canterbury and Wellington regions also feature in the line-up. They range in age from 15 to 18 years old with just one, Ali Nightingale, having represented New Zealand previously at ISAF Youth World Championships.

"I am very excited about the raw talent we have in this year's NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team," says Yachting New Zealand's Talent Development Manager Ian Neely.

"This is a relatively young team with plenty of them eligible for future editions of the regatta," continues Neely. "But at the same time, many of these sailors have competed at other international regattas already, either at Optimist events or at youth class world championships."

"The ISAF Youth World Championships provides its own unique set of challenges, and the event is regarded by many as a youth version of the Olympic Games with the limited entries, and high pressure racing. Add to that a venue like Langkawi, Malaysia, where it's hard to predict what the race courses and weather will be like – all in all it is going to be challenging, and that's what we love."

"Between now and December we will be putting in the work to be as best prepared as we can. It's all about doing everything possible now, to arrive at the regatta knowing we are well prepared and ready for action."

Plenty of the world's best known yachtsmen and women have competed and medalled at the ISAF Youth World Championships which date back to 1971.

Among the list of New Zealanders to have stood on the ISAF Youth Worlds podium are Jo Aleh (2004 Silver, Laser Radial), Sir Russell Coutts (1979 Silver, Laser and 1981 Gold, Laser), Blair Tuke (2007 Silver, 29er), Dean Barker (1990 Gold, Laser and 1991 Silver, Laser) and Stuart Bannatyne (1989 Gold, Laser).

The ISAF run event is coming to the southern hemisphere for the first time in 15 years and as a consequence the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team will miss Christmas and New Year in New Zealand with departure planned for 23 December. The last time the regatta was hosted south of the equator was in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.

The team is proudly supported by NZL Yachting Trust, Oceanbridge Shipping, Zhik and HPSNZ.