On Auckland Anniversary weekend the Murrays Bay Sailing Club held the Cassidy Construction & HPCA Chartered Accountants Optimist and Starling Auckland Championships. The event attracted 166 sailors from all over the country and as far afield as Charteris Bay Yacht Club in Christchurch.

The weather played its part in providing glorious summer conditions with light seas breezes filling in each afternoon. There were well over a hundred volunteers from the club and local community pulling together to make it happen.

Our local Murrays Bay champion Joe Leith won the open division of the Optimist class in the competitive 72 boat fleet made up of sailors from around NZ.  Second place was son of America's Cup challenger Luna Rosa, CEO Max Sirena, Lorenzo, all the way from Italy and third place was Christchurch sailor Will Leech. First girl was Tessa Clinton from Devonport.

In the Starling class open division with 46 sailors, Thom Pilkington won from Wakatere, Winston Liesebach Napier 2nd and Jack Manning Glendowie third. Nicola Hume of Murrays Bay was the first girl home in her first regatta.

MBSC members and local North Shore sailors featured on all division podiums to prove yet again what great young talent we have in our local community.

 

Results:

 

Optimist Open Fleet

 

1st Joe Leith                          Murrays Bay SC

2nd Lorenzo Sirena                   Royal Akarana YC

3rd Will Leech                          Charteris Bay YC

1st Girl – Tessa Clinton             Wakatere BC

 

Optimist White Fleet:

 

1st Zara Scott                         Murrays Bay SC

2nd Tom Shannon                    Wakatere BC

3rd Arthur Rebbeck                  Wakatere BC

 

Optimist Green Fleet

 

1st Jake Dickey                         Napier SC

2nd Jacob Horne                      Murrays Bay SC

3rd Annabelle Cartwright           Howick SC

 

Starling Fleet

 

1st Tom Pilkington                   Wakatere BC

2nd Winston Lieseback            Napier SC

3rd Jack Manning                    Glendowie BC

1st Girl – Nicola Hume          Murrays Bay SC

 

Starling Development Fleet

 

1st Kate Rasmussen                Maraetai SC

2nd Marcus Hilder                   Wakatere BC

3rd Anna Waymouth               Kohimarama YC

 

Congratulations to the winners and to all of those involved in organising, participating and supporting the event.

 

The next major regatta to be hosted at Murrays Bay is at Queen’s Birthday weekend 5-7th June - the hotly contested youth class of 29ers for which up to 40 teams will compete.