Across skiffs, dinghies, and foiling boards, more than 80 young athletes took to the water, each fighting not only for national titles but also for the chance to represent New Zealand at the Youth Sailing World Championships in Portugal later this year.
Youth programme manager Sam Mackay praised the fleet’s resilience. “The sailors showed incredible determination, skill, and composure, with hardly a race sailed in less than 15 knots.”
Skiffs: Leech and Mason unstoppable
In the 29er fleet, Charteris Bay’s Will Leech and Worser Bay’s Will Mason set the standard from the outset, sweeping three straight wins on the opening day. When a mid-series collision threatened their momentum, they responded by winning the very next race — their seventh bullet in nine starts. By the finish, the pair had taken eight wins from 12 races, ending almost 25 points clear of the field.
Behind them, the Murrays Bay duo Blake Batten and Merrick Sanderson held on for second overall, while Hugo Smith and Louis Quere from Wakatere found late form, posting three wins in the final stretch to climb into third.
Among the women’s crews, Wakatere’s Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley sailed with grit and composure, finishing eighth overall and 40 points clear of the next female team — a convincing claim to the girls’ 29er crown.
The 420s told a similar story of dominance. Wakatere’s Cam Brown and Kohimarama’s Oli Stone racked up seven bullets from nine races, conceding just one to Murrays Bay’s Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson, who pushed hard throughout to finish second overall. Their club-mates Hamish Brown and Nathan Soper proved steady and reliable, securing third.
ILCA 6: close contests
The ILCA 6 singlehanders offered some of the regatta’s tightest racing. Tom Pilkington, sailing for Murrays Bay and the RNZYS, opened strong with three wins in the first six races. By regatta’s end, his record stood at four wins and a string of top-three finishes, leaving him 10 points clear of Wakatere’s Toby Dunn. Another Murrays Bay sailor, Sam Clarke, kept himself in the hunt to secure third overall.
The girls’ contest was led by Chloe Turner of Murrays Bay, who added to her growing international pedigree. Sixth overall with four top-five results, she again proved herself a force in heavy-air racing.
Foiling fleets: domination on display
On the foiling boards, domination was the theme.
In the iQFOiL 8m boys, Manly’s Ben Rist was supreme, winning 13 of 17 races. Only Wakatere’s Vlad Misescu and Josh Tuck managed to break his stranglehold.
In the iQFOiL 7.3m girls, Wakatere’s Daniella Wooldridge controlled the division, taking 16 of 18 races; with 2 discards this makes a perfect nett score. Wakatere’s Elbe White seized one victory to finish second, with Maraetai sailor, Gabrielle Dalton-Wilson, also taking one victory to finish in third.
The wingfoilers were led by Manly’s Kosta Gladiadis, who delivered a perfect sweep of 17 wins. His club-mate Zoe Wilson secured the women’s title with consistent top-three results, while Riley Peet of Bay of Islands and New Caledonia’s Martin Bouchet filled the minor placings in the open division.
More than results
While the scoreboards show domination, the stories behind them told of resilience and resolve. Leech and Mason turned a collision into motivation, bouncing back stronger. Jenkins and Handley proved that trust in a partnership can carry a team clear of their rivals. For Turner, Wooldridge, and Rist, the championships underlined that they are already capable of competing on the world stage.
The four days at Manly were not just about podiums. Capsizes, collisions, and long grinds upwind taught lessons every sailor will carry forward. This was a regatta that left scars, sharpened skills, and revealed who could thrive when the Bay showed its teeth.
“Four days of heavy breeze will stand this group in good stead,” Mackay said. “Many of these sailors have shown they know how to win races. The challenge now is putting together a consistent regatta against the world’s best.”
Final results at a glance
29er
- Boys: Will Leech (Charteris Bay) & Will Mason (Worser Bay) – 8 wins
- Girls: Bella Jenkins & Jess Handley (Wakatere) – 8th overall, top female team
420
- Boys: Cam Brown (Wakatere) & Oli Stone (Kohimarama) – 7 wins
- Girls: Tessa Clinton & Amelia Higson (Murrays Bay) – 2nd overall
ILCA 6
- Boys: Tom Pilkington (Murrays Bay / RNZYS) – 4 wins
- Girls: Chloe Turner (Charteris Bay) – 6th overall, top female
iQFOiL 8m
- Boys: Ben Rist (Manly) – 13 wins
iQFOiL 7.3m
- Girls: Daniella Wooldridge (Wakatere) – 15 wins
Wingfoil
- Boys: Kosta Gladiadis (Manly) – 17 wins
- Girls: Zoe Wilson (Manly) – top female
Sailing’s future
The PredictWind NZ Youth Championships at Manly showed more than who could win races. They revealed how New Zealand’s youth sailors, backed by their clubs and communities, can face the tough conditions and rise above them.
From Charteris Bay to Worser Bay, Wakatere to Murrays Bay, from Kohimarama to Manly and beyond, our clubs are nurturing champions who are not only winning at home but preparing to carry the silver fern onto the world stage.
