The New South Wales Opti Champs (Youth Sail) concluded yesterday on Lake Macquarie. Sailors were braced for what was expected to be 20 – 25 knots, but instead the wind peaked at 18 knots on the first beat of the 1st race of the day (Race 8) and steadily declined until the end of the 2nd and final race of the day, which finished in 5 knots of breeze. It was a game of snakes and ladders, as the hot northerly wind and decreasing pressure produced significant shifts and pressure differences across the course. It was no trouble for the exceptional Walter Healey, who won two more races to make it 6 wins from 9 races for the regatta.
Congratulations to Sam Kandziora who finished top Kiwi, having an outstanding regatta and finishing a well-deserved 5th overall. The next best New Zealander was Kester Holmes from Wellington, in 15th place. The top Kiwi girl was Annika Wells, in 22nd place overall and 2nd placed girl.
The vibe amongst all three development teams, parents, and coaches was that we had all learned an incredible amount during the six days of sailing, in conditions quite the contrast to the 15–25 knots of wind and 12-degree temperatures we had been battling for the last two months in New Zealand.
See the full results here: https://sailingresults.net/?ID=82094
You must be logged in to post a comment.