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No one was more surprised than Naiomi Ferrissey at her somewhat unexpected triumph at the ILCA 6 national championships in Napier late last month.
But just over a fortnight later, she's confident of doing the double against her more fancied opponents when they line up for the first race of the Oceanbridge Sail Auckland (formerly the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta) at Torbay on Saturday.
Ferrissey, 18, won the title against a raft of more experienced sailors, including 2023 ILCA 6 men's world champion George Lane, Tokyo Olympian Sophia Morgan of Fiji, and Paris 2024 campaigner Greta Pilkington.
Though she recorded only one race win from 10, Ferrissey sailed a brilliantly consistent regatta - claiming top-three finishes in another four races to finish two points ahead of Winston Liesebach.
Pilkington was third, followed by Lane, Louie Poletti, Frances Beebe, Zach Stibbe and Morgan in a fleet of almost 50 sailors.
Ferrissey admits it was "a big step up mentally".
"I was definitely not expecting the regatta to go as well as it did, as I had taken quite a long break after coming back from the youth worlds and I didn’t train as much as I normally would have before nationals," she said.
"I think the 5-15 knot sea breeze conditions were definitely suited towards my skills which I was very happy with but also made for some close racing with my competitors being very strong in those conditions too."
Naiomi Ferrissey won the ILCA 6 national title in Napier in January. Photos / Richard Beauchamp
The victory in Napier is the latest chapter in what is fast becoming one of New Zealand dinghy sailing's recent success stories for Naiomi and younger brother Josh.
The Ferrisseys were one of three sets of siblings representing the NZL Sailing Foundation youth team at the youth world championships in Buzios in early December.
Josh and teammate Joe Leith had the best result of the 13-strong Kiwi contingent with their fifth place in the boys 420. They won bronze at the 420 world championships in Rio de Janeiro barely a month later.
In July, Naiomi missed out on a top-ten result, finishing 13th in the youth women's division at the ILCA 6 worlds in Dziwnow, Poland - only her second international event.
"Josh and I play a huge part in each other's sailing. Two years ago he started coming to the gym with me at 5am every day and we love spending this time together working towards very similar fitness goals - even if he doesn't have to do hiking practice!
"When one of us is away doing regattas we always call each other and talk about how our day is going and how racing went. I am so grateful to have such a supportive brother and it was so special to have him on the water during nationals to give me some valuable tips and help me rig up every morning.
"I am very proud of him and sometimes I find it hard to believe he is that same little Opti kid who had to wear a mouthguard when sailing because he did more chatting to his mates than sailing. His determination, passion, and hard work motivate me to try my best too."
Josh Ferrissey (left) and Joe Leith following their bronze at the 420 world championships. Photo / Supplied
Ferrissey's first ILCA6 national title was also the second consecutive year a female finished atop the leaderboard at the event, following Annabelle Rennie-Younger's 2023 success.
"It was a very proud moment. It has been quite a male-dominated class and it is refreshing to show that girls and women can do just as great and be role models for other young female sailors to keep going and not give up," Ferrissey said.
And she's encouraged by the talent of young sailors in the class.
"It was amazing getting over 40 boats on the start line at nationals and quite a few young sailors are coming through in the ILCA 6 and the Starling classes - both male and female.
"It's great seeing the Aon youth clinics going from strength to strength and I'm very excited for the rest of this year to improve as a group. Having a range of ages and skills within a tight-knit group means that everyone is learning so much from one another and, hopefully, we can eventually showcase our skills on the international stage."
The Olympic Games is her ultimate goal, says Ferrissey - but first there are several fresh challenges to overcome.
"My goals for this year are to continue to increase my confidence in the boat and knuckle down with a consistent training schedule both on the water and in the gym.
"Hopefully, I can test my skills at the under-21 world championships next year. I also start university in February, which will be an adjustment and another learning curve."
She is set to again face Liesebach, Pilkington, Poletti, Morgan and others at the Oceanbridge Sail Auckland this weekend.
Pilkington, who is vying to become the first Kiwi to gain Olympic selection in the ILCA 6 since 2012, won last year's regatta with Ferrissey 10th.
Greta Pilkington is campaigning in the ILCA 6 for Paris 2024. Photos / Richard Beauchamp
More than 100 of the country's leading youth and Olympic sailors, across 11 classes, are expected at the event.
"Oceanbridge is always a good platform to test your skills against the best outside nationals," Ferrisey said.
"Hopefully, there will be a good number of sailors at the start again. I would like to walk away with another top ranking and build on my success from nationals."
More information and the latest entry list for the 2024 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland Regatta here.
Full results from the 2024 ILCA national championships here.
