Sailors bring home medals
Watch out Dean Barker, it looks like Wellington is developing the next generation of Kiwi sailors.
New Zealand came third at the youth sailing world championships in Canada recently, the best result a Kiwi team has managed in five years. Half the 10-strong squad hails from the capital.
Australia won and Denmark came second in an event that was contested by sailors from 52 countries.
Wellington High School year 13 student Josh Junior took one of two silver medals won by the team. Junior had fared well against Australasian competitors leading into the event and had his sights set high.
"I knew I'd beaten every youth leading into it so was pretty confident," he said. "I wanted a medal and was happy with the silver."
It was Junior's first visit to the International Sailing Federation event, and he said it was hard for boys to qualify in their early years at high school.
"I was still too small last year. You have to be about 80kg and it's always the bigger guys that win."
He now hits the gym three times a week and spends about 15 hours on the water training, and another 15 making preparations off it.
"I'm on the water six days a week. It's every day after school, sometimes in the dark."
New Zealand's other silver medal was won by Paul Snow-Hansen and Blair Tuke in the boys' 29er class.
The other Wellington members of the team were Cushla Hume-Merry (year 12, Samuel Marsden Collegiate), Tim Coltman (year 11, Scots College), Emma Berry (year 11, St Matthew's Collegiate) and Sarah Berry (year 10, St Matthew's Collegiate).
Hume-Merry said competitive yachting was an all-consuming pastime. "If you're not sailing, you're always doing something for sailing," she said.
The five agreed sailing in windy Wellington provided exposure to all sorts of environments.
"In Wellington you get the lot. You can travel for half an hour and be training in any conditions you like," Hume-Merry said.
Wellington's sailing future appears bright with Hume-Merry, the Berrys and Coltman eligible to race in next year's championships in Denmark.
Results: Josh Junior, laser, 2nd; Cushla Hume-Merry, laser radial, 10th; Sarah Berry and Emma Berry, girls' 29er, 9th; Tim Coltman and Ben Goodwin, hobie, 6th.