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Rangitoto College broke Auckland Grammar's run of titles by winning last week's New Zealand Secondary Schools Team Sailing National Championships at the Sandspit Yacht Club.
Auckland Grammar had won the previous two national titles but finished fourth in this year's event behind Rangitoto College, Westlake Boy's High School and Kerikeri High School.
Those three, along with the top three female teams, have now qualified to represent New Zealand at July's interdominion regatta against Australia in Hobart but it's unsure if they will all attend.
The interdoms, which New Zealand won last year, come at a tricky time with a lot of this country's top youth sailors involved in the 420 world championships in Portugal and youth sailing world championships in Poland.
"It's a real shame," New Zealand Team Sailing Association spokesman Ross Sutherland said. "The date of the interdoms was changed from September/October and a lot of the top sailors are going offshore. We won't know who will be able to go until Friday."
This year's contest was particularly close between the top four schools, with all four winning one of the four round robins.
Rangitoto College, who were led by 420 world champion Seb Menzies, were the most consistent, never finishing outside the top two and ended two points ahead of Westlake.
A team consists of six sailors and three 420 boats racing against another team with the team scoring the lowest number of points based on their finishing position winning. It is very tactical even though races last about 7-10 minutes.
The brevity of the contests meant that as many as 500 races were held over the course of the nationals, which enjoyed predominantly good weather and sailing conditions.
Next year's national championships will be held at Lake Hood, just outside of Ashburton.
"We have to try something different and try what rowing has done [by alternating between the North and South Islands]," Sutherland said.
Rangitoto College
Diocesan School for Girls
Results and standings from the New Zealand Secondary Schools Team Sailing National Championships at the Sandspit Yacht Club:
1st: Rangitoto College 2 1 2 2 - 7 points
2nd: Westlake Boy's High School 3 2 3 1 - 9 pts
3rd: Kerikeri High School 4 4 1 4 - 13 pts
4th: Auckland Grammar 1 6 4 3 - 14 pts
5th: Waimea College 7 3 5 5 - 20 pts
6th: Napier Boy's High School 5 9 6 6 - 26 pts
7th: St Kentigern College 6 8 7 7 - 28 pts
8th: Christchurch Boy's High School 8 7 8 9 - 32 pts
9th: Wellington College 10 15 9 8 - 42 pts
Top of silver fleet
10th: Nelson Boys 10 10 10 17 - 47 pts
11th: Marlborough Boy's College Combined 17 10 11 12 - 50 pts
12th: Wentworth College 12 17 12 10 - 51 pts
13th: Diocesan School for Girls 14 13 13 11 - 51 pts
14th: Christchurch Combined Girls 13 12 16 14 - 55 pts
15th: Mahurangi College 11 14 14 18 - 57 pts
16th: Nelson College for Girls 15 11 18 15 - 59 pts
17th: Napier Girls' High School 16 16 15 13 - 60 pts
18th: Christ's College 18 18 17 16 - 69 pts
Top of bronze fleet
19th: Whangarei Boy's High School 20 19 19 20 - 78 pts
20th: Tauhara College 19 20 22 22 - 83 pts
21st: Whangarei Girls' High School 22 21 20 24 - 87 pts
22nd: Waiheke Team Racing 21 22 24 21 - 88 pts
23rd: Tasman Bays Combined 23 25 21 19 - 88 pts
24th: New Plymouth Boys' High School 25 24 25 23 - 97 pts
25th: Mt Aspiring College 24 23 27 25 - 99 pts
26th: Cambridge High School Combined 27 26 23 28 - 104 pts
27th: Taupo Nui a Tia College 28 27 26 26 - 107 pts
28th: St Andrews College 26 28 26 27 - 107 pts
