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Skipper Jeremy Lomas accepts the Young 88 Natioanl Championships Trophy from Sponsor Gary Lock (Harken)
Photo: [Y88 Owners Association
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Top Cup racers take out Young 88 National Championships
Y88 Owners Association, 18 April 2010
What do professional America’s Cup sailors do on a weekend off? They go yacht racing, of course, in the eleventh Harken Young 88 National Championships.
A contingent of sailors from Emirates Team New Zealand, helmed by Jeremy Lomas, won the Young 88 National Championships organised by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and sailed off Auckland this weekend.
Twenty boats contested the event, which took place in more than 15 knots of ever shifting breeze over two days of racing.
Lomas steered Flash Gordon, a boat that both won the event in 2004 and placed second in 2008, to victory.
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Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon finished up on 16 points, well ahead of second place getter Sister Moonshine (William Tiller - RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme) on 23, and Danger Zone (Grant Turnbull) on 28 points.
Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, who for this event sailed as crew with Lomas, says it was his third Young 88 championship.
The large numbers of boats racing and the high standard of competitions means it is without question the best keelboat racing in New Zealand, he says.
“The standard is very high. The guys sail these boats a lot and they know how to make them go fast and sail well. That and the shifty conditions, with a bunch of boats doing similar speed makes for interesting racing.”
Flash Gordon won three of a possible eight races, and Sister Moonshine took out two.
“Racing was very close,” says event spokesperson Mike Leyland. “Many finishes came down to seconds.”
Leyland said that the on water umpires did a terrific job of keeping everyone honest, and that both class and safety regulations were policed by the association.
Flashback won the event on handicap, ahead of Nijinsky and Legless.
About the Young 88
The Young 88, about 30 feet in length and with a fractional rig, is a popular multipurpose boat that offers speed and agility for racing, with space and comfort for cruising. The first mould was built by Roger Land in the 1980s, and since then 158 have been built. Of these, 77 are still in the Auckland area, 9 in Northland, 13 in the rest of the North Island, 19 in the South Island, and 38 have been exported.
The Young 88 class is driven in New Zealand by the Young 88 Owners Association. For more information, please contact:
Class President: Grant Crawford Ph: + 64 (21) 270 4040
Class Publicity Officer: Mike Leyland ph +64 (21) 554 239
Young 88 Owners Association of New Zealand (Inc)
PO Box 5355 Wellesley Street
Auckland
www.young88.org.nz
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A close finish between Sister Moonshine & Skitzo
Photo: John O'Loghlen
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