The best youth match racing teams in the country competed at the 2024 New Zealand Youth Match Racing Championship this weekend 14th-15th September at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Eleven teams from Auckland, Wellington & Nelson raced in the RNZYS’ new fleet of Elliott 7’s donated to the Squadron by Emirates Team New Zealand earlier this year. Saturday’s round robin saw a mixture of conditions across the race course with light winds in the morning preceding squally conditions from midday. While Sunday looked more like spring with sunshine and a fresh 15-20knt south-westerly.
RNZYS Performance Programme sailors Josh Hyde and his Waitemata racing team showed a strong performance in the round robins with 9 wins from 10 races. However, it was Nelson Yacht Club’s Noah Malpot who took the first win of the finals. Malpot chalked up another win in race four pushing Hyde to sudden death in race five. The final start between Malpot and Hyde was close. Hyde took an early lead at mark one and continued to stretch the lead downwind securing the win and their spot as New Zealand Youth Match Racing Champions.
The final race of the 2024 New Zealand Youth Match Racing Championships. Hyde and Malpot have a close start. Photo: Adam Mustill / Live Sail Die.
The final race of the 2024 New Zealand Youth Match Racing Championships. Hyde extends a lead on the first downwind. Photo: Adam Mustill / Live Sail Die
Hyde continues to go from strength to strength in 2024 with a win at the RSYS’ Hardy Cup in February and a back-to-back win at the RNZYS’ Youth International Match Racing Cup in March. Their latest win this weekend secures their spot to represent New Zealand at the 2024 Youth Match Racing World Championship hosted by Jeddah Yacht Club from 29th November to 2nd December.
RNZYS Performance Coach Zak Merton was pleased with the tight racing between the teams remarking “the closeness of the matches across the fleet really highlights the calibre of teams we have competing, it’s great to see the work these sailors are putting in paying off. I’m very excited for the season ahead.”
67 races were completed over two days, RNZYS wishes to thank our race management volunteers and umpires who worked tirelessly to execute a fantastic match racing programme. Thankyou also to Royal Akarana Yacht Club, Ponsonby Cruising Club and Zephyrus Racing for lending RHIBs for the event.
The top three skippers also gained entry into the 2024 NZ Match Racing Championships to be sailed at the RNZYS from 15-17 November 2024.
Photos: Adam Mustill / Live Sail Die
Full gallery and images available for download at livesaildie.com
Final Standings:
Full results can be viewed online matchracingresults.com
(Helm, Main, Bow, Trim, Float)
- Josh Hyde, Mason Mulcahy, Zach Fong, Rowan Kensington & Sofia Higgot / RNZYS Performance Programme
- Noah Malpot, Alissa Marshall, Jack Frewin, Ben Roff & Will Mason / Nelson Yacht Club & RNZYS Performance Programme
- Ethan Fong, Hugo McMullen, Maddie Rist, Harry McMullen & Oliver Lloyd / RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Programme
- Hayden Smith, Robbie Wooldridge, Luca Smith, Phoebe Buckland & Austin Candlish / RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Programme
- Sam Clarke, Isaac Gaites, Miro Luxford, Beau Utting & Gretel Satterthwaite / Murray’s Bay Sailing Club
- Sam Scott, Ella Arnold, Tim McCulloch, Sophie-Jo Hawkins & Finn Balchin / RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Programme
- Rory Sims, Vivien Webster, Luis Schneider, Tayne Haag & Oliver Davidson / RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Programme
- Lucas Day, Cam McGlashan, Tim Howse, Marin Armstrong-Wills & Rye Brady / RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Programme
- Flinn Olsen, Toby Dunn, Marcel Vandervort, Chris Kenrick, Maddy Russell / Murrays Bay Sailing Club & RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Programme
- Charley Cates, Isla Kee, Jolly Koska, James Wes & Finn Mason / RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Programme
- Wilbur Stanley, Hugo Appleby, Hugo Matterson, Tabitha St Amand & Sam Streeter / Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club
