Auckland Women’s 50-50 Regatta Profile – Erin Kee
The Auckland Women’s 50:50 Regatta specifically aims to give female sailors from across any yacht club the opportunity to hone their skills and experience being on the helm. This allows for women skippers to compete against and learn from those with more experience, so New Zealand women’s sailing continues to develop future team leaders and sailors to a professional standards.
Erin Kee, and her crew of Isla Kee, Sam Kee and Charley Cates are looking forward to the trip from their Kerikeri Cruising Club home to the RNZYS for the two day regatta on the 19th and 20th of February.
“I first got into sailing when my family moved onto a boat when I was five – we sailed around New Zealand and the Pacific, making it all the way to Malaysia” says Erin. Since learning to sail herself, Erin has been sailing across multi-person classes, having experience in 420’s, Feva’s, Splash’s, Etchell’s and Elliott 7’s. Erin’s helmswoman experience has been on Feva’s at National’s, as part of her Kerikeri High School School’s Teams Racing National’s, and aboard Elliott 7’s as part of the Kawau Training Week.
Erin’s favourite regatta that she has taken part in up to date is the North of the Bridge teams last year – “I went down there with not much dinghy sailing experience, and we didn’t do very well but I learnt so much and we had a lot of fun as a team”
Erin and her fellow Kerikeri sailors are looking forward to 2022, and are hoping that they are able to kickstart a busy 2022 by taking on lessons from more experienced sailors. “We want to take part in the Harken National Secondary Schools Championship if we get selected, but we’re also entering the School’s Teams Racing Nationals, North of the Bridge Teams Regionals, and any others as they come”.
“Every day that I get to be on the water is my favourite day on the water” says Erin, who loves spending her time as part of the Kerikeri Cruising Club’s Learn to Sail programme. She is also an avid netballer and learning to play the flute.
“Sailing has really taught me that hard work pays off – we know that this is our first time sailing in an event like this for most of our crew, so we’re going to take it as it comes and do our best we can”.
