Issue date
Big things are expected of 29er combination Seb Lardies and Scott McKenzie and it's part of the reason why the pair have been named as this year's recipients of the St John's Rotary scholarship.
Seb Lardies (helm) and Scott McKenzie in action at this year's Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta.
The scholarship aims to support two young, talented New Zealand sailors to attend their class youth world championship regattas, with $1000 for each sailor. It's been in operation since 1996 and past recipients include Jo Aleh, Josh Junior and in 2016 Francesco Kayrouz and Oscar Gunn.
Lardies and McKenzie were chosen ahead of 14 other applicants and were selected largely on the back of their performance at the last 29er world championships when they finished seventh overall and fourth youth crew.
"This year, in particular, we were really impressed by the quality of applicants which shows the strength of youth sailing in the country at the moment," Yachting New Zealand youth co-ordinator Stuart Thomas said. "That's shown in the number of good results at international regattas.
"The quality of regattas these sailors are attending over the next year is a lot better than we have seen in the past."
Lardies and McKenzie will compete at August's 29er world championships in California.
Past Recipients
- 2016 Francesco Kayrouz and Oscar Gunn (29er)
- 2015 Finn Croft (RS:X) and George Gautrey (Laser Radial)
- 2014 Kate Stewart (420) and Taylor Balogh (420)
- 2011 Andrew McKenzie (Laser Radial)
- 2010 Nic Croft (Laser Radial)
- 2009 George Lane (Laser Radial)
- 2008 Jason Saunders (Laser)
- 2007 Matt Steven (Laser)
- 2006 Josh Junior (Laser)
- 2005 Matt Coutts (Laser)
- 2004 Aaron Hume-Merry (Laser)
- 2003 Jane Macky (Laser Radial)
- 2002 Jo Aleh (Laser Radial)
- 2001 New Zealand Youth Team (Laser, Radial, 420, Mistral, Hobie)
- 2000 Chris Kitchen (Laser)
- 1999 James Wells (Board)
- 1998 Alistair Gair (Laser)
- 1997 Elliot Cree (Board)
- 1996 Jayson Herbert (Laser)
