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A Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron team skippered by Alastair Gifford won the Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship on Pittwater last weekend, successfully defending the title won by fellow club member Jordan Stevenson last year.
Gifford’s team of Henry Angus, Chester Duffett, Hunter Gardyne and Seb Lardies defeated Matthew Whitfield from Penarth Yacht Club in Wales in the final. It meant Gifford pocketed the $1200 winner’s cheque, with $800 going to Whitfield, who is ranked 20th in the world, as runner-up.
It did not go all Gifford’s way. He had to fight back from 2-0 down in the final, but the Kiwis fought back to win the next three matches in the best of five to take the title.
“The standard of competition was pretty high so, overall, it was a pretty hard-fought event,” said Gifford, who can expect to climb from his present ranking of 117.
“We take pride in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. We have a good group of guys and girls there - and good programme. The club backs us.
“We knew it was going to be tight competition, so we’re very happy with how we went, especially coming up against the Welsh who are number 20 in the world. We had a little bit of practice before we came here, but it’s the first time we’ve raced together.”
Gifford has plenty of racing experience across the board, including representing New Zealand at the 2014 Youth Olympics, and has raced internationally in anything from Optimists and Bytes to Laser Radials.
Throughout the event, the winners lost only four matches, two in the round robin, and two in the final. In the semifinals, they took on the RPAYC all-female team skippered by Juliet Costanzo and beat them 3-0, while Whitfield team sailed against the other RPAYC team skippered by Alistair Read, winning 3-1.
“The regatta went very smoothly," RPAYC head coach Tom Spithill said. "The breeze got up to 22 knots on the first day, and really tested everyone’s boat handling. It was light to moderate for the rest; a good all-round package. It showed who can sail well in all conditions.
“We’re very pleased with the standard of the competition. Even the world number 20 had matches taken off him, so it shows how competitive all the teams were. They all come from established yacht clubs with good youth programmes in place."
Ten international teams took part in the 27th Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship from both sides of the Tasman, Wales and Ireland.
