Sailing into top spot | NZ girls’

SAILING INTO TOP SPOT

NZ GIRLS’ CHAMPIONS

This sailing season has been extremely eventful and exciting for the Dio sailing community. Numbers have increased dramatically, with the largest intake of sailors we have ever had, which is super exciting. It’s great to see so many girls of all ages giving sailing a go and finding out why it really is the best sport around. We have girls sailing all different classes of boats to suit their age and skill level – our premier racing team sailing 420s, our Feva racing group and our Optimist group. All teams sail out of the Royal Akarana Yacht Club at Okahu Bay.

We have such a great sense of team spirit, as girls of all ages help each other out and learn different skills from one another. It is amazing to have the senior girls helping and coaching the younger Junior High School girls.

The premier sailing team reached new heights and achievements this year. After finishing 2018 with the Interdominion Championships and being a part of the team that helped the New Zealand team win the Interdominion Trophy, the Dio sailing team was ready for a smashing 2019 season in Term 1. The girls trained hard and their efforts began to show at their first regatta, the South of the Bridge Auckland Regionals. It was tough racing over two days, and the team was challenged in the gold fleet, however the tricky conditions and competitive teams meant for good racing practice. Overall the team finished first girls’ team – a tremendous achievement given the hard conditions.

The team continued their competitive training to prepare for their biggest regatta of the season, the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Teams Racing Nationals, held in Algies Bay over the second week of the April school holidays. This six-day regatta involved long days on the water and the weather was a mix of thunderstorms and beautiful sunshine. The girls sailed consistently throughout the week – however, the final day of racing decided who would become the overall top girls’ team in New Zealand. The pressure was really on to perform and sail to the conditions. The girls did a magnificent job, winning five of their six races on the final day, making the Dio premier sailing team the New Zealand Girls’ National Champions. Their hard efforts throughout the season to improve their tactics and racing had paid off. The last time Dio won the trophy was in 2013, so this was a very exciting achievement for the girls.

The team should be extremely proud of their results. The development teams have also improved dramatically. It is awesome to see so many girls take an interest in sailing; it is an amazing sport and a skill for life.

The Dio sailing community want to wish Alice Haslett and Lizzie Shapland good luck for their individual sailing endeavours as they head overseas to compete in world regattas. Sail well!