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Westlake Girls High School's premier sailing team have completed a stunning three-peat at the Interdominion Secondary Schools Team Sailing Championships in Goolwa, Australia, winning the female division for the third consecutive year.
Led by captain Jess Handley and featuring Charlotte Handley, Kiera Dimock, Emily Turner, Bella Jenkins, Danielle Robertson, Gretel Satterthwaite, and Julia Nguyen, with coach Robbie Wooldridge, the Kiwi crew mastered three days of fierce competition in winds consistently topping 30 knots to secure the coveted crown once again.
Racing in Australia was held in Pacer-class yachts - different boats from the 420s in which Westlake won the girls' division at the New Zealand secondary schools teams racing championships earlier this year. The team had managed to source Pacers to train in ahead of the regatta, ensuring they were race-ready despite the change in class.
The Westlake Girls' sailing team with coach Robbie Wooldridge. Photos / Supplied
The girls have dominated domestically, claiming three consecutive national titles, and booking their spot Down Under with their most recent success.
The regatta brought together the best secondary school teams from both sides of the Tasman, with Australia taking home the overall Interdominion Trophy after strong results across all divisions.
In the open division, Auckland Grammar School proudly flew the New Zealand flag, finishing second overall after going undefeated in the final round-robin. Earlier losses proved costly in the final standings, but the team – Marlon Porteous, Tom Pilkington, Ashton Cooke, Oli Stone, Hugo Smith, Nathan Soper and Hugh Kensington – produced some of the most exciting racing of the week.
Two other New Zealand teams also competed in Goolwa - Napier Girls' High School and Saint Kentigern performing strongly in the female division, while a combined New Zealand team contested the open division.
