New Zealand’s five-strong 29er team capped an impressive campaign at Kiel Week 2026 in Germany, with four crews finishing inside the top 20, spearheaded by Nelsen Meacham and Oli Stone’s fourth-place finish.
Meacham and Stone finished tied on points with the third-placed Australian crew but lost out on countback after a consistently strong regatta in the 100-plus boat fleet. The Kiwi pair recorded three top-three finishes across the nine-race series to underline their podium credentials.
Ewan Brazle and Toby Clarke also enjoyed an outstanding regatta, climbing to seventh overall after claiming two race wins. Their result saw them finish as the top under-17 men’s crew while also placing fifth in the under-18 standings.
Blake Batten and Hugo Smith added further depth to the New Zealand challenge, finishing 12th overall. They also claimed a race win during the week and posted several other top-five finishes to secure seventh in the under-18 division.
Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley finished 17th overall and were the fifth-highest placed female crew in the fleet, while Matteo Barker and Leo Brown placed 53rd after gaining valuable experience in a strong youth skiff competition.
Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn were fourth in the 49er competition. Photos / Kieler Woche
The results underlined another encouraging week for New Zealand’s young sailors in Kiel, following strong performances across multiple classes.
Earlier, Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn claimed victory in the 49er medal race to finish fourth overall, just three points shy of the podium, while Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart placed 11th in the Nacra 17 after recording five top-10 finishes and a race win.
Tessa Clinton and Will Mason finished 12th in the mixed 470, and Zofia Wells and Charlotte Handley placed 15th in a highly competitive 420 fleet.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
