Top young Kiwi sailors tested at wild Predictwind NZ Youth Champs/Trials
by Eduan Roos/Yachting NZ 24 Sep 2025 18:41 AEST
29er - Predictwind Youth NZ Nationals - Manly SC - September 2025 © Insight Media
New Zealand's top youth sailors mastered bruising conditions and strong competition to be crowned national youth champions on Wednesday, taking a major step towards representing the country at the youth world championships later this year.
Fourteen sailors claimed honours across five classes at the PredictWind New Zealand youth championships at Auckland’s Manly Sailing Club after four days of racing in big swell and winds reaching 25 knots. The regatta, featuring more than 80 competitors, also served as trials for the World Sailing youth worlds in Vilamoura, Portugal from 12 to 20 December.
Male and female winners in four of the five classes will be considered for selection to the NZL Sailing Foundation youth team, with Yachting New Zealand’s selectors to finalise the squad in the coming days. [Wingfoilers competed in the event, even though they are not yet part of the World Youth Sailing Championship.]
Youth programme manager Sam Mackay praised the fleet's resilience.
"The sailors showed incredible determination, skill and composure, with hardly any races in less than 15 knots," Mackay said. "The quality of racing was high across the fleets and a few teams really dominated their competitions."
Among the standouts were 29er pair Will Leech and Will Mason, who secured the boys' title with a day to spare after winning eight of 12 races. They finished almost 25 points clear of Blake Batten and Merrick Sanderson. Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley impressed in the girls' 29er, placing eighth overall and well clear of Alexis Heckler and Isla Kee as the second girls team.
Tom Pilkington topped the boys' ILCA 6 with four race wins, 10 points ahead of Toby Dunn. Fresh from her under-17 world title in Los Angeles, Chloe Turner was sixth overall and the leading girl, with four top-five finishes from 10 races.
In the 420s, boys crew Cam Brown and Oli Stone fended off the leading girls' team of Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson, while on the boards, Ben Rist dominated the iQFOiL 8m and Daniella Wooldridge topped the 7.3m girls' fleet. Wingfoiler Kosta Gladiadis swept all 17 races, with Zoe Wilson winning the girls' title, though neither will be considered for the NZL Sailing Foundation youth team as the class is not yet part of the youth worlds programme.
Mackay said the heavy-weather racing would be perfect preparation.
"Early indications are we could see the full range of conditions in Vilamoura, so four days of heavy breeze will stand the team in good stead," he said.
More than half the likely squad - including Leech, Jenkins, Handley, Brown, Clinton, Turner and Rist - have previous youth worlds experience, with Turner and Clinton set for their third campaign.
New Zealand has a rich record at the event, with past medallists including Josh Armit, Seb Menzies, Alex Maloney, Jo Aleh, Sir Russell Coutts and Blair Tuke. The nation has twice won the Nations Trophy, in 1994 and 2002.
At the 2024 youth worlds in Lake Garda, the best Kiwi result came from Zach Stibbe, who finished fifth in the boys' ILCA 6.
Mackay said the 2025 squad would spend the next two months training on the water and refining their preparation with class coaches and a series of workshops.
"Many of these sailors have shown they know how to win races," he said. "The challenge now will be putting together a consistent regatta against the world's best."
Final results and standings from the 2025 PredictWind NZ youth championships at Manly Sailing Club:
29er Open fleet (13 boats)
Male Fleet (Top 3)
1. Will Leech/Will Mason 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.4(RDGa) 1 4 1 5 (6) - 18.4 pts
2. Blake Batten/Merrick Sanderson 6 2 4 3 5 2 3 3 6 4 4 (7) - 42 pts
3. Hugo Smith/Louis Quere (14RET) 14DNS 14DNS 2 3 3 1 2 1 2 1 1 - 44 pts
Female Fleet (Top 3)
8. Bella Jenkins/Jess Handley 7 5 5 7 (11) 10 4 7 7 5 7 4 - 68 pts
10. Alexis Heckler/Isla Kee 11 10 9 10 12 9 9 9 10 (14DNS) 9 11 - 109 pts
11. Kate Howse/Lola Hamilton 9 (14RET) 14DNF 11 9 7 8 10 14UFD 8 11 10 - 111 pts
420 Open fleet (14 boats)
Male Fleet (Top 3)
1. Cam Brown/Oli Stone 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 (3) - 11 pts
3. Hamish Brown/Nathan Soper 3 3 (4) 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 - 30 pts
4. Thomas Jurczyluk/Oliver Wyeth 4 6 3 5 4 6 4 5 3 (7) - 40 pts
Female Fleet (Top 3)
2. Tessa Clinton/Amelia Higson (2) 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 - 16 pts
5. Zofia Wells/Charlotte Handley (15DNF) 5 5 4 5 4 6 7 6 1 - 43 pts
6. Amber Hughes/Phoebe Willis 5 (7) 7 6 6 5 7 3 5 6 - 50 pts
ILCA 6 Open fleet (15 boats)
Male Fleet (Top 3)
1. Tom Pilkington 2 1 1 (16UFD) 4 1 3 3 2 1 - 18 pts
2. Toby Dunn (7) 5 4 7 2 2 1 1 4 2 - 28 pts
3. Sam Clarke 5 (7) 3 5 1 3 5 2 1 4 - 29 pts
Female Fleet (Top 3)
6. Chloe Turner 4 6 6 4 6 4 (9) 5 6 7 - 48 pts
iQFOiL 8m fleet (5 boards)
1. Ben Rist 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 (3) 1 1 (3) - 19 pts
2. Vlad Misescu (3) (6RET) 2 1 3 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 1 - 34 pts
3. Josh Tuck 1 2 (3) (4DPI1) 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 1 3 2 1 3 3 2 - 37 pts
iQFOiL 7.3m fleet (4 boards)
1. Daniella Wooldridge 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (2) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (2) 1 - 16 pts
2. Elbe White 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 (3) 3 2 2 3 2 2 (4) 2 - 33 pts
3. Gabrielle Dalton- Wilson 3 3 (4) 3 (4) 3 3 3 3 2 4 3 4 4 4 4 1 4 - 51 pts
Wingfoil fleet (6 boards)
1. Kosta Gladiadis (1) (1) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 15 pts
2. Martin Bouchet 2 2 2 2 (7UFD) (7UFD) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 - 30 pts
3. Riley Peet (3) 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 (7DNS) - 43 pts
5. Zoe Wilson (7DNC) 7DNC 7DNC 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 4 4 3 - 74 PTS
Full results click here
Class Winners
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