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Karleen Dixon picked up her sixth Barfoot & Thompson NZ Women’s National Keelboat Championship title but it was one of the most demanding with strong winds a feature of the weekend.
Dixon and her crew of Sara Tucker, Paula Satterthwaite, Jennifer Jameson, Raynor Haagh, Miranda Addy and Kylie Jameson won six of the 10 races to finish 11 points ahead of Melinda Henshaw, with defending champion Sally Garrett a further two points back in third.
The wind strength on the Hauraki Gulf for both days of racing was on the upper limits, which was testing for the 10 teams as they don't often get to sail the MRX boats in those conditions.
“The conditions were really hard," Dixon said. "I was really impressed that everyone handled them so well, even the teams that were struggling still got around without too many dramas. It was tough out there.
"I would really like to thank the race committee for doing an amazing job this weekend, I’ve done a few of these and those were the hardest conditions I’ve experienced.”
The experience among Dixon's crew was certainly an important factor, considering many have been alongside Dixon since she won her first title in the early 2000s. They won the first race of the regatta and only once finished outside the top three, securing the title with three races to spare.
“We’re not exactly young anymore, so we were certainly pushed to our limits and a bit of experience certainly helps," Dixon continued. "Most of us have been sailing together for a long time and we are all really good friends, so we spend the whole time laughing and having a good time.
(Back L to R): Paula Satterthwaite, Kylie Jameson, Miranda Addy, Raynor Haagh, Jennifer Jameson. Front: Karleen Dixon, Sara Tucker. Photos: Andrew Delves / RNZYS.
“I didn’t realise it was that many [titles]. I think it’s a bit sad there aren't many younger girls coming out and giving us a good run for our money.
"The MRXs are such cool boats to sail and they are easy to learn to sail so any one can be competitive in them. Megan [Thomson] sailed really well and I would love to see more younger teams out there.”
Thomson and her 2.0 Racing Team finished fourth, notching one race win and four other top-three results to finish just one point behind Garrett.
Henshaw sailed consistently well, particularly on the first day, but had to settle for second for the fourth year in a row. Bianca Cook and her crew improved as the regatta wore on, recording the second-best scorecard on the second day, to finish fifth.
The conditions were not only challenging for the sailors but also the race management team led by Megan Kensington and they did very well to get through 10 races.
It won't be long until the next edition of the Barfoot & Thompson NZ Women’s National Keelboat Championships, which take place at the beginning of May 2021.
Results and standing from the 2020 Barfoot & Thompson NZ Women’s National Keelboat Championships hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron:
1st: Karleen Dixon 1 2 3 1 1 1 (6) (3) 1 1 - 11 points
2nd: Melinda Henshaw 2 3 2 2 4 (6) 1 (5) 4 4 - 22 pts
3rd: Sally Garrett (6) 1 4 3 2 4 3 2 (7) 5 - 24 pts
