Issue date
A dramatic final race provided a thrilling finale to this year’s Zespri AIMS Games, as Finloe Gaites snatched victory from Matteo Barker in an unlikely fashion in Tauranga.
Gaites claimed the Optimist title by finishing nine places higher than Barker in the last race of the competition despite Barker blitzing seven of the eight earlier races, including four of the five races in his qualifying fleet.
Gaites, a Year 7 learner from Murrays Bay Intermediate, beat St Kentigern Boys’ School’s Barker by an overall margin of five points in testing conditions on Tuesday.
“Finloe and Matteo were tied on five wins each going into the last day [of finals racing], and Matteo went out and smoked the first two races but then in the last race, Finloe was fourth and Matteo had a 13th," on-water judge Gary Smith explained.
“Matteo had a bad start and made a few bad calls, which was unlike him as he had made good decisions all week. He was carrying a UFD from qualifying earlier in the weekend, and that ultimately cost him.”
Conditions were a challenge for the 71-boat Optimist fleet at this year's AIMS Games in Tauranga. Photos / Zespri AIMS Games
Conditions proved a challenge for the 71-boat fleet with low temperatures and breeze ranging from 4 to 18kn, as well as the famed Tauranga tide.
“It was a great regatta and testing conditions, and it just showed the fortitude of the kids to be out there,” said Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club sailing manager Tom Scott.
Murrays Bay Intermediate dominated the competition for the second consecutive year – claiming six of the top 10 spots, to retain the AIMS Cup as the top school.
The girls’ competition was hotly contested between Murrays Bay duo Greta Hutton and Charlotte Handley, with five top-three results, including in the final race, seeing Hutton triumph by 10 points.
She finished fifth overall, with Handley in seventh.
Sofia Turner was the highest-placed Year 7 girl, 10th overall with 66 points.
Unlike last year, no O’pen Skiff fleet was contested, due to not enough entries being received.
Results and standings at the 2023 Zespri AIMS Games at Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club:
Optimist (71 boats)
AIMS Cup
1st: Murrays Bay Intermediate
Year 7 boys
1st: Finloe Gaites (Murrays Bay Intermediate) 1 1 1 3 1 1 3 (8) 4 - 15 points
2nd: Will Fyfe (Murrays Bay Intermediate) 4 5 4 1 2 7 (9) 4 1 - 28 pts
3rd: Lauchy Wills (Bucklands Beach Intermediate) 8 8 (36UFD) 6 2 14 16 20 7 - 81 pts
Year 7 girls
1st: Sofia Turner (Murrays Bay Intermediate) 7 4 15 5 6 2 15 (25) 12 - 66 pts
2nd: Zofia Wells (Saint Kentigern College) 10 10 6 (36DNF) 5 17 21 23 18 - 110 pts
3rd: Ula Chan (St Patrick's School Napier) 18 24 13 17 22 9 23 (30) 8 - 134 pts
Year 8 boys
1st: Matteo Barker (Saint Kentigern Boys' School) 1 1 (36UFD) 1 1 1 1 1 13 - 20 pts
2nd: Nathan Soper (Murrays Bay Intermediate) 3 3 3 2 4 3 (11) 2 2 - 22 pts
3rd: Ekhi de Jager (Hereworth School) 2 2 1 2 74 10 3 (15) - 31 pts
Year 8 girls
1st: Greta Hutton (Murrays Bay Intermediate) 2 2 (36UFD) 3 3 7 4 6 3 - 30 pts
2nd: Charlotte Handley (Murrays Bay Intermediate) 5 4 5 4 (8) 2 7 7 6 - 40 pts
3rd: Sasha White (Glendowie School) 11 8 13 77 13 (26) 11 16 - 86 pts
Full results here.
