Two New Zealand crews finished among the top 10 youth teams at the 29er world championships which finished in California yesterday.
Seb Lardies and Scott McKenzie finished fifth overall. Photo: Matias Capizzano.
As many as 13 New Zealand combinations competed at the world championships, as well as 2016 Aon Youth Sailing World Championships bronze medallist Greta Stewart who sailed with American partner Jack Joslin, with six crews qualifying for the top 50 gold fleet.
National champions Seb Lardies and Scott McKenzie were the best placed of the Kiwis, finishing fifth overall and fourth youth team (under 19). The pair came into the regatta with high hopes, having won the US nationals immediately before the world championships, and posted a series of consistent scores before struggling in the light winds on the final day.
Fran Kayrouz and Jackson Keon were 12th overall (and ninth youth team) and Josh Berry and Tom Fyfe 19th, but there were also some promising performances from some of the other New Zealand sailors.
Ben and Sean Paterson won the silver fleet (for those who qualified 51st-90th), with Craig Keenan and Reece Caulfield third and Elliott and Sam Bacon sixth.
The turnaround before the next 29er world championships is a short one with the next title to be contested in Hong Kong in December.
"It was great to have two crews in the top 10 youth teams and that sets the standard the rest of the fleet know they need to attain in Hong Kong in five months' time," Yachting New Zealand 29er coach Matt Thomas said.
"It was a really positive performance with a good group of young sailors who carried themselves well on the world stage."
See here for full results and standings.