Depth of New Zealand sailing

[Guest]

With Will Tiller already qualifying for the quarter finals after 8 races in the last match racing tour event and Phil Robertson one race away from qualifying I thought that I would take a look at the depths of New Zealand's sailing for the next 10 years.

 

At the top level theres those that jumped ship from team New Zealand and to take the Americas cup away from us (for this they wont get a mention + their old for americas cup now). The theres Dean Barker and his minions that make him look good that will be the number 1 skipper for team New Zealand for some time. Standing in his shadow is Adam Minoprio and his crew from black match racing. two of the five crew are currently sailing in the volvo showing that match racers gaining valuable experience.

 

Chasing these guys are 4 kiwi teams that are making a impact on the match racing scene as they are ranked from 8th to 20th. Phil and waka racing have tried to follow in adams step and be another young world champ, but things havnt gone as well as they would have hoped this year. Then theres Will Tiller and Ruben Corbett who have been constant performers in the grade 2 events with good results in grade one events as well as apperiances in the world match racing tour. Thats just the 'young guns'. Then theres Laurie Jury who has had a great year winning events in america as well as the nations cup and has jumped into the top 10 in the match racing rankings.

 

So where to with the multi hull racing? Well Ruben and his Aon Racing team own two F18's and placed 1st and 2nd in nationals? this year and can train on them over the summer. Phil and his waka racing team have just finished a training stint with China team helping them with the AC45s and have arranged some sort of sponsorship deal with them as well as having mats f18 to play with. Phil and Ruben also trained with Oracle last summer while the AC45 was in town on 20ft Nacras. Then theres Laurie who owns that nice little tri Lucifer and was having a great coastal untill they unfortunitly fliped it.

 

The future is looking good for New Zealand sailing and you can expect to see kiwis involved throughout top sailing events and hopefully bringing the Americas cup back to NZ

[Guest]

Go deeper, Sam Meech, Burling and Stubbs? Some of the young women in the Lasers (memory like a sieve I have)

[Guest]

Go deeper, Sam Meech, Burling and Stubbs? Some of the young women in the Lasers (memory like a sieve I have)

 

If we wanted to go even deeper we would find that their is fierce competition in the laser class in New Zealand with Wellington being well represented even though they might not be the top in the world and other classes. The youth training program has to be one of the best (if not the best) sailing program in the world and is producing world class crews at will some years. I just dont have the time to research exactly what the depth is across the board in sailing, but New Zealand is definitely not going to loose its mantel of producing the best sailors for some time.

[smithy09 50]

The Opti worlds in Napier will produce some interesting results.. Leonard Takahashi Fry won the NZ nationals, US, UK nationals and was second in the Japan nationals. He doesn't get it all his own way at home either! The others in the NZ team are right on his heals.

 

Burling and Tuke in the 49ers, Half a dozen World top 20 Laser sailors, , Alex Maloney and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher 2009 world 420 champs, Declan Burn Splash class world champ, Sam Meech world youth champ 2009.....

 

No shortage of depth there at all..... And I could find heaps more!!

[Guest]

speaking of race depth. Phil has manage his fourth win against Ian Williams this year to qualify for the quarters with two races to go which is a first in a long time for him. Both kiwis through to the quarters now and tiller still has a possibility of topping the round robin.

[Guest]

Is the depth of sailing best measured only by who's racing overseas. If anything those would be a tiny minority wouldn't they?

 

I would have thought depth would be better measured by how many are getting into it, more there are the more depth there is surely.

[smithy09 50]

Is the depth of sailing best measured only by who's racing overseas. If anything those would be a tiny minority wouldn't they?

 

I would have thought depth would be better measured by how many are getting into it, more there are the more depth there is surely.

 

Judging by the Opti fleets. Plenty. Last Starling Nats, 100+ boats.. Pretty good numbers!

[Guest]

Is the depth of sailing best measured only by who's racing overseas. If anything those would be a tiny minority wouldn't they?

 

I would have thought depth would be better measured by how many are getting into it, more there are the more depth there is surely.

 

 

your absoultly right. However I took the angle of looking at what the Americas cup and other 'top' aka paid sailing events that kiwis will be doing well at if they choose to.

[Guest]

What always amazes me is the talent that just moved on pre pro sailing days, like the all blacks of the time , guys with day jobs , f*ck did some of them ever have talent!!

[Guest]

A couple of other names to watch out for:

 

Matt Stevens from RPNYC and current NZ Match Race champion

Tim Coltman from RPNYC winner of the Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship on Sydney Harbour, defeating the defending champion Jay Griffin from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

[Guest]

A couple of other names to watch out for:

 

Matt Stevens from RPNYC and current NZ Match Race champion

Tim Coltman from RPNYC winner of the Musto International Youth Match Racing Championship on Sydney Harbour, defeating the defending champion Jay Griffin from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

 

its a shame that Josh Junior is chasing the laser classwhere there is lots of competition. He would be a great match racer and I am sure would make a living out of being a good skipper if he wanted to.