New Zealand Match Racing Champs – Eight teams ready for action

by Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on 11 Nov 2015 Eight teams from both New Zealand and New Caledonia will battle on the water this Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the 2015 New Zealand Match Racing Championships.

Last year’s winner Josh Junior is unable to compete, but runner up Chris Steele is back with a new ranking of seventh in the ISAF world match racing rankings. Steele will sail with his 36 Below/RNZYS crew of Harry Hull, Josh Salthouse and Shane Diviney. Steele, a Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Youth Training Programme Graduate is just back from a second place at the ninth International China Cup sailing for Emirates Team New Zealand/RNZYS, and is the favourite going into the event.

Also flying the squadron burgee is fellow Youth Training Programme Graduate David Hazard who sailed onboard with Steele in China. David didn’t compete last year as he was finishing his engineering degree. He comes back with a formidable crew of YTP Graduates Benny Butcher, Scott Barnes and local lazer sailor Sam Meech (NZL sailing team member).

Internationally it’s wonderful to have the ongoing support of Cercle Nautique Caledonien, with Alan Quere and Tugdual Piriou making the journey once again to compete. Piriou has competed at this event since 2011 and recently won the Noumea Open Match Racing Championships. Both teams have arrived early in Auckland to get into training and will be regatta ready by Friday.

Lucas Chatonnier and George Anyon are both ranked number 169 and number 171 in the open rankings and are current RNZYS Youth Training Programme skippers. Chatonnier is looking to improve on his sixth placing at this event last year and most recently finished second at the CNC Youth Match Racing Championships held in his home town of Noumea.

Anyon is the current NZ Youth Match Racing Champion and was part of the Youth team who finished eighth overall last year helmed by George Brasell.

Fellow YTP skipper Stephanie Kirkman, is ranked number 82 in the Women’s rankings and number 781 in open, sailing with her all female crew who recently competed at the Australian Womens Match Racing Championships. This week the girls team are joined by YTP Graduate Paige Cook, (trimmer) who will be able to pass her experience onto the young team.

Last on the list is the currently unranked Laser Sailor Thomas Saunders. Saunders last competed at the 2014 Laser World Championships where he placed 20th. Saunders will looking to get some match racing points on the board over the weekend.

Racing will take place in the RNZYS Youth Training Programme Elliott 7 meter yachts on the harbour right outside the Squadron, making it easy for spectator viewing. This regatta is renowned for turning up fresh kiwi match racing talent both male and female, so plenty of eyes will be on the water.

Racing beings at 10am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 Entry list

Chris Steele	RNZYS | 36 Below Racing	Harry Hull, Josh Salthouse, Shane Diviney
Lucas Chatonnier	RNZYS | YTP	Peron Pearse, Hamish McGill, James Delegat
George Anyon	RNZYS | YTP	Logan Andreson, Jacob Willis, Josh Wijohn
Alan Quere	Cercle Nautique Caledonian	Nicolas verge, Patrick Baldi, Vincent Trinquet
Stephanie Kirkman	RNZYS | YTP	Celia Willson, Paige Cook, Anna Merchant, Catriona Stanton
Dave Hazard	RNZYS	Scott Barnes, Benny Butcher, Sam Meech
Tugdual Piriou	Cercle Nautique Caledonian	Pierre Vaudelet, Yann Rigal, joss Dupont
Thomas Saunders	Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club	Matthew Kempkers, Drew McKenzie, Ash Hammond