Issue date
Last year's New Zealand Youth Champs provided some intense racing and this year's event is shaping up as equally enthralling.
Entries are open for the youth champs, which will be held at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club on October 3-6.
Yachting New Zealand have already indicated they won't be sending a team to this year's youth sailing world championships in Oman due to the cost and complexities brought about by Covid-19.
But a New Zealand Sailing Foundation Youth Team will still be selected and the winners of each event, as well as their training partners, will be eligible for some additional coaching as well as a training camp in December at Tutukaka.
The four-day regatta is open to all youth classes, and will include both windfoiling and kitefoiling. Please note, the windfoiling is open to youth sailors only - last year it was extended to anyone under 20.
"The whole point of this regatta is emulate the feel of a youth worlds," Yachting New Zealand youth and events manager Sam Mackay said. "This will be a chance for youth sailors to benchmark themselves against the best youth sailors in the country.
"The closure of the trans-Tasman bubble recently and ongoing issues in many areas of Australia have highlighted the risks of travelling anywhere but we will assess our options of supporting sailors to an event in Australia if the situation changes."
Highlights from the event will be broadcast on Sky Next, as they were last year, and a team of top international race officers will be utilised to ensure the best racing possible.
It will also be a clean regatta under the Sailors for the Seas clean regatta programme and plans are being put in place for a handful of social elements.
You can find the notice of race and entry form here.
Yachting New Zealand are also looking for any parents or supporters who can lend their time as volunteers, particularly with help in race management. You can register your availability here.
