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Queen Charlotte Yacht Club sailors took advantage of home conditions to fill the first three places in the Laser Radial fleet at the South Island Laser Championships over the weekend.
Emily Overend (first female, first overall), Louie Poletti (first youth and second overall) and Harry Edwards impressed in the light to moderate winds over the course of the two-day regatta in Picton, finishing ahead of Laser Radial national masters champion and former Olympian Jenny Armstrong (Otago Yacht Club) in fourth.
Eight of the 21 entrants in the Laser Radial fleet were from Queen Charlotte but there were also sailors from Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown and there was even a competitor from Bluff Yacht Club in the full rig.
Emily Overend took out the Laser Radial title. Photos: Christel Hopkins / Queen Charlotte Yacht Club.
Nelson Yacht Club sailors finished first and second in the Laser standard class, with Tim Pitcaithly winning four of the six races to finish ahead of clubmate Mike Terry. Daryl Parkes (Bluff Yacht Club) was third.
The South Island championships was something of a warmup for the club, who are due to host the Laser National Championships on January 20-24.
Results and standings from the South Island Laser Championships hosted by the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club:
Laser Radial (21 boats)
1st: Emily Overend (Queen Charlotte Yacht Club) 2 1 2 1 1 (5) - 7 points
2nd: Louie Poletti (QCYC) 1 2 1 3 2 (4) - 9 pts
3rd: Harry Edwards (QCYC) 3 (4) 4 2 4 3 - 16 pts
Laser (7 boats)
1st: Tim Pitcaithly (Nelson Yacht Club) (7) 1 1 1 1 2 - 6 pts
2nd: Mike Terry (NYC) 1 (4) 2 3 3 1 - 10 pts
3rd: Daryl Parkes (Bluff Yacht Club) 2 2 (6) 2 4 3 13 pts
