The winning team from Auckland Grammar - with a Youth Programme member onboard showing them how to sail the Elliott 6's. Photo: RNZYS Media

Rangitoto College Team Photo: RNZYS Media

Westlake Girls High School Photo: RNZYS Media

A fantastic weekend on the Auckland Harbour, nine races completed and a great new challenge for four school teams!

Four teams of four competed in an inaugural Schools Fleet Racing Regatta held by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme.

The Schools Fleet Racing Regatta is an initiative from the Squadron’s Youth Training Committee as a way to establish relationship’s with schools in the wider Auckland area and to directly promote the Squadron’s LION FOUNDATION Youth Training Programme.

The four school’s represented were; Auckland Grammar, Westlake Boys High School, Westlake Girls High School and Rangitoto College.

Two development teams from the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme were also added to the line up.

The regatta began on Saturday morning at 9am at the Squadron, Westhaven. All the teams were given a warm welcome by Training Manager, Guy Pilkington, John Rountree, Training Committee Chairman and Gerald Flynn, Race Officer.

All the team’s were early and eager to race in the Squadron's fleet of Elliott 6 metre training keelboats, although some arrived without shoes on – and were quickly sent back to their cars to grab suitable footwear!

Current members of the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme were allocated a school team to act as their coach & jump on board the yachts to show each team how to sail these small fast keelboats.

Check out the results here

Two races were completed after Saturday morning’s training session in very light and shifty conditions. The Race Management team decided to abandon racing at 3pm and with nine races scheduled for the series, that left 7 races to be completed on Sunday - it was a big ask!

Sunday was a great day on the water, racing started at 10.30am and amazingly by 3pm all seven races were completed. The start line was just off the rock wall at Westhaven and parents and school officials were able to stand on the promenade and watch the racing – which made it great for all spectators!

At the end of the regatta the Auckland Grammar team were on top of the points table, winning the HARKEN NEW ZEALAND School’s Regatta Trophy with a massive 6 wins, two seconds & one fourth. Westlake Boys were second overall, Westlake Girls third and Rangitoto College fourth.

RNZYS Commodore John Crawford and Garry Lock, General Manager, HARKEN NEW ZEALAND (event sponsor), presented each team with a HARKEN prize and also a HARKEN voucher for each school!

The Squadron’s Youth Training Committee were very pleased with this year’s regatta and look forward to making it a permanent fixture in the Squadron’s sailing calendar.

Look for this regatta in March 2008.  

For further information please contact the Sailing Office

sroberts@rnzys.org.nz