Issue date
In June I ran a match racing clinic out of the RNZYS using the Elliot 7 meters, the clinic was for team Siesta, a Japanese Match racing team I have coached for the last 5 years. This was the second time the team had been to NZ, they competed in the 2009 NZ match racing nationals.
The team is training for the 2014 Asian games; the Asian games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. Team Siesta won a gold medal in the 2010 Asian games.
This year the competition will be very tough, two of team Siestas oppositions have already been training in New Zealand. The Singapore and Korean team came to NZ in November last year for a training clinic and to compete in the NZ match racing nationals.
The Korean team came away with an impressive 3rd place against some world class competition.
Making NZ a training ground for international match racing teams has happened through creating an effective learning environment. I met most of these teams while competing overseas, then worked with yacht clubs to create a cost effective option for the teams to train.
The big draw card has been high level of training partners, I was lucky enough to be able to have Chris Steel, David Hazard and George Brassell as sparing partners for the Japanese team, there is no shortage of good crew in NZ thanks to the RNZYS youth training Programme.
I have two more Match racing clinics planned, one in October with two teams from New Caledonia and one in February before the youth international Match Racing championships.
I am also working with RNZYS to get an evening introduction to match racing up running. This would start in October and run up to the NZ match racing national in November.
Anyone who is interested should contact me.
Laurie Jury
