Issue date
Sailing is well represented at the Harbour Sport Excellence Awards, after a stellar year which has seen multiple world titles won.
Three of the four finalists in Junior Team of the Year are sailors, there are three finalists in the Junior Sportsman of the Year category, Yachting New Zealand youth head coach Matt Thomas is up for Coach of the Year and perennial finalists Alex Maloney and Molly Meech are up for International Team Performance of the Year.
Sailing has enjoyed considerable success at youth level, with a record-equalling four medals won by New Zealand at the Youth Sailing World Championships and nine medals overall collected by youth sailors at world championships in 2018.
Josh Armit, who won this country's first gold medal at the youth worlds since 2013 with success in the Laser Radial and who then backed it up with silver at the Laser Radial youth world championships, is a finalist for Junior Sportsman of the Year.
Also joining him are Seb Menzies and Blake McGlashan, who combined to win the 420 world title by a mammoth 48 points and also became the first Kiwis to win since Carl Evans and Peter Burling in both 2006 and 2007. Menzies and McGlashan are also finalists for the Junior Team of the Year award.
Fran Kayrouz and Jackson Keon, who won the 29er world title, and Greta Stewart and Tom Fyfe, who were third in the Nacra 15 at the youth worlds, are also up for the Junior Team of the Year award.
The success at youth level has seen Thomas nominated for Coach of the Year.
Maloney and Meech continue to impress at the top level, with the Olympic 49erFX silver medallists winning four international regattas in the nomination period, including the Hyeres World Cup, and achieving three other podium finishes.
The winners will be announced at an awards dinner at the Spencer on Byron Hotel in Takapuna on November 16. Andy Maloney, who is campaigning for the Tokyo Olympics in the Finn class, was the 2017 supreme winner for helping Emirates Team New Zealand claim last year's America's Cup.
Finalists for the 2018 Massey University Harbour Sport Excellence Awards:
Cube Creative Print, Design & Signage Junior Sportsman of the Year
Connor Bell (Athletics)
Oscar Guo (Badminton)
Kruz Perrott-Hunt (Basketball)
Samuel Jones (Rowing)
Blake McGlashan (Sailing)
Josh Armit (Sailing)
Seb Menzies (Sailing)
The Spencer on Byron Hotel Junior Team of the Year
Westlake Boys Cross Country Team (Cross Country)
Seb Menzies and Blake McGlashan (Sailing)
Fran Kayrouz and Jackson Keon (Sailing)
Greta Stewart and Tom Fyfe (Sailing)
Massey University International Team Performance of the Year
Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (Sailing)
North Harbour U14 Hawaii Girls
NZ Women’s Kayaking Team
Deep Creek Breweries Coach of the Year
Mitchell Ryan (AFL)
Cordelia Norris (Diving)
Paul Hobson (Football)
Dane Smuts (Gymnastics)
Sam Bartholomew (Hockey)
Gordon Walker (Kayaking)
Matt Thomas (Sailing)
See here for a full list of finalists
