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.