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Five of the country’s Olympic sailing heroes are set to guide six rising stars through Yachting New Zealand’s latest mentorship programme.
Olympians Veerle ten Have, Erica Dawson, Molly Meech, Jo Aleh, and Greta Pilkington will each dedicate an hour to young sailors, offering insights on pathways, challenges, and opportunities within the sport. The selected sailors, who competed at last weekend’s PredictWind Girls Champs at Kohimarama Yacht Club, were chosen by a panel including Yachting New Zealand’s national sport development director, Raynor Haagh.
Each participant can bring a friend to the session, ensuring they gain maximum benefit from their interaction with the experienced Olympians.
Over 100 girls participated in seven classes and across 10 fleets at the PredictWind Girls Champs, the biggest all-female youth regatta in Australasia.
Now in its 35th year, the regatta has become a cornerstone of New Zealand's female sailing community, fostering connections and inspiring the next generation. Supported by PredictWind for the past decade, the event provides a unique platform for girls from diverse sailing classes to compete and forge lasting friendships and mentorship opportunities.
More than 100 young sailors competed in the PredictWind Girls Champs at Kohimarama Yacht Club. Photos / Live Sail Die
Manly Sailing Club’s Ruby Peters, winner of the O’pen Skiff fleet, will receive guidance from Olympic windfoiler ten Have.
Gretel Satterthwaite from Murrays Bay Sailing Club, an ILCA 6 sailor, will work with Meech, 49erFX silver medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club’s Elsa Daum, who placed fifth in the Optimist open class, will learn from double Olympic medallist Aleh.
Julia Nguyen and Lauren Arnold from Kohimarama Yacht Club, winners of the RS Feva fleet, will connect with Paris 2024 bronze medallist Dawson.
Bailey Robb from Queen Charlotte Yacht Club, a Starling sailor, will engage with Pilkington, who last year became the first Kiwi to compete in the ILCA 6 at the Olympics since 2012.
The PredictWind Girls Champs also featured a forum titled 'Shaping the Future of Sailing', a highlight of the event. In it, Meech, Dawson, Rebecca, and Nicola Hume shared insights into their experiences as female sailors. Hosted by Suellen Hurling, founder of Live Sail Die and a renowned sailing photographer, the forum provided invaluable advice for young sailors.
The prestigious Osbournes Trophy was awarded to Jo Kensington, commodore of Kohimarama Yacht Club, and Bronwynne Howse, organiser of the PredictWind Girls Champs. This trophy is presented annually to individuals significantly contributing to female sailing.
Erica Dawson is one of five Kiwi Olympians who will mentor young female sailors. Photos / Live Sail Die
Raynor Haagh, Yachting New Zealand’s national sport development manager, praised the event.
"As always, this year’s PredictWind Girls Champs was a celebration of women and girls in sailing and the progress we’ve made in ensuring females are more visible and valued in our sport," Haagh said.
"The forum, in particular, provided an excellent platform for young sailors to hear from experienced athletes. Molly, Erica, Rebecca, and Nicola shared inspiring stories and valuable advice, reinforcing the many exciting opportunities available - not only in performance sailing but in other areas such as sailmaking, race officiating, design, media, and many others."
For the complete results from the PredictWind Girls Champs, click here.
