NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team and Coaches. Image copyright Yachting New Zealand.
by Jodie Bakewell-White
The NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team has arrived in Zadar, Croatia where national teams from around the globe are gathering to contest the 41st Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2011.
“The team is safely in Croatia, healthy and happy,” reports Ian Neely, Team Manager. “The weather is a touch different to research with rain and thunderstorms this morning and offshore winds. All the boats are already here and set up, and more teams are arriving all the time.”
Saturday 9th July marks the start of racing at this prestigious youth regatta which has attracted a total of 349 sailors from 52 countries to the city of Zadar, in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea.
The regatta schedule includes six race days and one reserve day (Tuesday 12th July) with a total of twelve races possible in each of the ten classes if conditions are favourable. Medals will be decided on the final day of competition, Friday 15th July, in Zadar.
The 2011 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team has been preparing for this regatta since being announced in April 2011, put through their paces at domestic training camps as well as competing in various international regattas.
Required to be under 19 years of age on 31 December 2011 this year’s NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team includes a mix of experience and new talent.
Three of the twelve sailors included in the team have ISAF Youth World’s experience under their belts having competed in Turkey in 2010 – they include Molly Meech (Girl’s Radial), Georgia Schofield (Girl’s RS:X) and Logan Dunning-Beck (helm of the 29er skiff).
The youngest of the kiwi sailors are Jack Simpson (29er crew) and Ellie Copeland (multihull crew), both just 15 years of age.
Over the 40 year history of the event New Zealand has won a total of 42 medals including 15 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze medals. Two of those were secured in 2010 in Turkey when Thomas Saunders of Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club took out the Boy’s Laser Radial event in convincing fashion going on to be named 2012 New Zealand Young Sailor of the Year in November, and Alexandra Maloney and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher won silver sailing the 29er skiff.
Yachting New Zealand will issue daily reports focussing on the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team during the regatta, and you can follow the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team via their Facebook page.
NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team
Twelve sailors will represent New Zealand at the prestigious ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships to be staged in Zadar, Croatia between 7th and 16th July this year.
Michael Cate (Male Laser Radial)
Molly Meech (Female Laser Radial)
Sven Pedersen (Male RS:X Wind surfing)
Georgia Schofield (Female RS:X Wind surfing)
Alexander Munro and Brad Moss (Male 420)
Gemma Jones and Verity Judge (Female 420)
Tomer Simhony and Ellie Copeland (Open Multihull)
Logan Dunning-Beck and Jack Simpson (29er)
Team Manager: Ian Neely
Coaches: Shelley Hesson and Jim Maloney
NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team
ISAF Youth Worlds
