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Around 30 of the country's best teams are expected to line up for next month's New Zealand Secondary Schools Team Sailing National Championships at the Sandspit Yacht Club.
Schools will now know who are the ones to beat after 60 teams contested the six regional regattas which wrapped up last week. Auckland Grammar took out the South of the Bridge regatta at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club and will fancy their chances of claiming a third consecutive national title.
The top three open and top three girl's teams will qualify July's interdominion regatta against Australia in Hobart. New Zealand won last year's interdominions but this year's regatta will come at a tricky time with some of this country's top youth sailors involved in the 420 world championships in Portugal and youth sailing world championships in Poland.
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 popularity of teams racing is still growing," New Zealand Team Sailing Association spokesman Ross Sutherland said. "We have a lot of well established teams now that come with two teams to the regionals. When you're sailing as a team you share the victory or loss.
"All the top sailors are doing it... and we've seen the standard of girl's teams get a lot stronger recently."
The national championships are on from April 20-26 and are open to any New Zealand secondary school with teams consisting of six sailors, plus one or two reserves and a manager or coach. Composite teams may be accepted following consultation with, and the approval of the NZTSA.
See here for more information.
North of the Bridge (at Pauru Bay)
1st: Rangitoto College - 19 wins
2nd: Kerikeri High School - 16 wins
3rd: Westlake Boys’ High School - 16 wins
4th: Wentworth College - 12 wins
5th: Mahurangi College A - 9 wins
6th: Whangarei Boys’ High School - 8 wins
7th: Mahurangi College B - 3 wins
8th: Whangarei Girls’ High School - 1 win
South of the Bridge (Auckland)
1st: Auckland Grammar Blue
2nd: St Kentigern Gold
3rd: Selwyn College
4th: Kings College
5th: Waiheke High School
6th: Wentworth College
7th: Diocesan School for Girls
8th: McLeans College
9th: Auckland Grammar Silver
10th: St Kentigern White
11th: Epsom Girls Grammar
12th: Baradene College
13th: Waiuku College
14th: Pakuranga College
Central North Island (Taupo)
1st: Napier Boys' High School
2nd: Tauranga Boys' College
3rd: Napier Girls' High School
4th Tauhara College
5th: Napier Boys' High School 2
6th: Napier Boys' High School 3
7th: Cambridge High School
8th: Taupo Nui A Tia College
9th Napier Girls' High School
Lower North Island
1st: Wellington College
2nd: Nelson College
3rd: Marlborough Combined
4th: Nelson College for Girls
5th Scots College
6th New Plymouth Boys' High School A
7th: New Plymouth Boys' High School B
Top of the South (Picton)
1st: Queen Charlotte College
2nd: Christchurch Boys' High School
3rd: Waimea College
4th: Nelson College Boys
5th: Nelson College Girls
6th: Marloborough Boys Combination
7th: Christ’s College
8th: Christchurch Girls Combination
9th: Nelson College Combination
10th: Garin / Nayland College Combination
11th: Marlborough Girls Combination
12th: St Andrew's College
13th: NBYTRA Combination
14th: Nelson College Boys 2
Lower South Island (Lake Hood)
1st: Christchurch Boys' High School
2nd: St Andrews College
3rd: Combined Girls
4th: Mt Aspiring College 1
5th: Christ's College
6th: Timaru Boys' High School
7th: Mt Aspiring College 2
8th: Otago Boys' High School
