Class of their own: New Zealand’s top sailors shine at national championships
As the domestic sailing season winds down, we take a look back at a busy month of national championships across New Zealand. Highlights include standout performances from the Young 88s, Elliott 5.9s, Cherubs, Zephyrs, 420s, Noelex 25s, and wingfoilers.
The season continues this week with the Starling nationals at Worser Bay Boating Club, the O’pen Skiff nationals at Bay of Islands Yacht Club, and the Etchell and Flying Dutchman nationals jointly hosted by Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club.
Josh Schon and Tasman Rowntree aboard Action. Photo / Supplied
Rowntree, Schon keep Cherub crown
Late last month, Tasman Rowntree and Josh Schon successfully defended their title at the Cherub national championships, held in idyllic conditions at Marsden Yacht and Boat Club. The defending champions aboard Action combined consistent light-air speed with smart tactical decisions, securing the overall victory in a closely fought regatta. Blake Batten and Merrick Sanderson on Vamoose finished just one point behind in second, while Hugo Smith and Adrian Pawson (Full Boar) claimed third.
The weekend showcased the fleet’s depth and competitiveness, with highlights including a nail-biting sibling showdown between Tom Sanderson and Harry Butler (Redline) and the Vamoose crew. Across six races, crews adapted to light morning airs, glassy patches, and a final 13–14 knot southwesterly that tested boat handling and strategy.
Will Mason and the Young Magic crew. Photo / Live Sail Die
History made at Young 88 nationals
Sixteen-year-old Will Mason became the youngest-ever helm to win the Young 88 national championships after a tightly contested regatta at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Skippering Young Magic, Mason secured two race wins across seven races to clinch the title, edging defending champion Harry Thurston’s Dangerzone by just three points, with Greg Wilshire’s Vagabond third.
Mason sailed alongside Tim Howse, Noah Malpot, Sam Street, Pierre Harrison and Lucas Day, and his father, four-time America’s Cup winner Matt. The victory places Mason among elite company in the class, including Dean Barker and Jeremy Lomas, and caps a remarkable run of form that includes multiple youth national titles and a recent runner-up finish at the PredictWind Waszp nationals.
Racing over the weekend proved challenging, with shifty, inconsistent conditions around Rangitoto Island testing the fleet. Vagabond claimed top Corinthian honours, while Karyn Drummond finished fourth overall as the leading female helm on Flash Gordon. The event also featured notable moments off the water, including flybys from Emirates Team New Zealand, as the Young 88 class continues to build momentum heading into its winter racing programme.
Polish racer Kamil Manowiecki took out the New Zealand wingfoil national championships, held in Wellington. Photo / Melanie Parkin, Wide Lens Photography
Polish star claims wingfoiling honours
Poland's Kamil Manowiecki claimed the PredictWind wingfoil national championships at Worser Bay Boating Clubfrom 13 to 15 March, dominating the gold fleet and seeing off the challenge of New Zealand's top racers, with Sean Herbert finishing second and Kosta Gladiadis, also crowned youth champion, taking third. The gold fleet’s battles were marked by tactical racing in challenging Wellington conditions, with competitors navigating southerly winds, shifting tides, and a mix of high-speed manoeuvres.
In the other divisions, Cater Stringer secured the silver fleet title, with Fynn Goat winning the youth category, while Cris Brodie topped the masters fleet, alongside Cristiana Chiappini-Brodie as the first masters female. The social fleet provided some of the regatta’s most entertaining racing, with Mitchell Hunt winning on countback from Woo Norris and Genevieve Hunt finishing as the top female competitor, placing seventh overall among 27 riders.
Full results here.
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron hosted the secondary schools keelboat nationals. Photo / Live Sail Die
St Kents top in secondary schools keelboat racing
Back in Auckland, Saint Kentigern College claimed the secondary schools keelboat national championships, held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, also from 13–15 March. Skipper Keaton Lay led his team to victory, finishing just one point ahead of Auckland Grammar’s Tom Pilkington and Westlake Boys’ Finloe Gaites. Westlake Girls’ Bella Jenkins was the top female competitor, placing fifth overall in the gold fleet.
Lay topped Group A earlier in the regatta, winning three of six races, while Pilkington dominated in Group B, taking out all but one race.
In the silver fleet, Long Bay College’s Luke Shaw edged out Westlake Girls’ Charlotte Handley for the win.
Full results here.
Elliott 5.9s: Shapeshifter goes back-to-back
A day earlier, Shapeshifter reaffirmed its dominance of the Elliott 5.9 class, claiming back-to-back national titles at the Burnsco Elliott 5.9 national championships after a tightly fought regatta on the Hauraki Gulf. Hosted by Maraetai Boating Club, the event tested crews across a full range of conditions.
After six races on day two, the championship was finely balanced, with Shapeshifter recovering from an opening OCS to sit level on points with Derek Scott’s Revelry. At the same time, Ross May’s R&R remained just one point behind. The final day delivered high-pressure racing in winds nearing 25 knots, where the leading trio traded blows in close, tactical battles often decided on the final leg.
Shapeshifter ultimately found the edge, sealing the title with two crucial race wins in the closing stages. Revelry and R&R completed the podium, while Bloodline secured fourth after breaking the leaders’ streak with a key race victory.
Strong performances across the fleet — including youth crew NYX and South Island entrants led by Eagle — underscored the class’s depth, with attention now turning to the upcoming Traveller Series.
Scott Leith, Rod Dawson and Mark Orams. Photo / Live Sail Die
Zephyrs: Dawson, Wright stand out
Rod Dawson was crowned the Zephyr national champion after a thrilling finale at Howick Sailing Club in mid-March. He clinched the title by winning the last two races of the eight-race series, finishing first overall and topping the 50–59 division, just four points ahead of Mark Orams, who took the 60–64 category. Defending champion Scott Leith rounded out the podium.
Polly Wright made her mark as the leading female competitor, also claiming the under-30 title with a 17th-place overall finish. The regatta highlighted strong performances across all age divisions, with category winners including David Hazzard (under-40), Mat Dunne (40–49), Murray Thom (65–69), Brian Peet (70–74), and Michael Renner (75+).
Full results here.
The Noelex25 fleet during the national championships in Tauranga. Photo / Supplied
Noelex regatta a two-horse race
Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club hosted the Noelex 25 national championships over the first weekend of March, with the regatta developing into a tight two-boat duel between teams from Naval Point Club Lyttelton and the Bay of Plenty Trailer Yacht Squadron.
Nick Coultas, aboard Outnumbered with crew Tim Coop and Bob Coultas, went head-to-head with Derek Dumbar’s Que Sera Sera, sailed alongside Darrell Civil and Aiden Waterhouse. The pair traded race wins throughout the series, leaving little between them heading into the final day. Coultas ultimately sealed the title by winning the penultimate race and finishing second in the finale, while Dumbar’s pair of third-place finishes proved just short.
Holly Farmer was the top female helm, guiding Revel with crew Helen Maxey and Max Faulkner, as the closely contested championship highlighted the strength and depth of the Noelex 25 fleet.
The 420 nationals saw a big fleet compete at Evans Bay. Photo / Supplied
New team takes out 420 title
A new pairing secured the 420 class national title at the Tup Radford Memorial Regatta, held at Evans Bay Yacht and Motorboat Club during early March. Tessa Clinton and Will Mason won five of eight races and placed second in two others to secure the championship by six points over Nico and Finn Holmes, with Hamish Brown and Nathan Soper completing the podium.
The regatta, which also hosted the Flying Fifteen nationals, attracted 32 boats across both classes and highlighted strong local representation. Clinton’s win adds to an already impressive résumé, following her bronze medal at the 2025 Youth World Championships in Vilamoura alongside Amelia Higson. For Mason, the result capped a remarkable run that included a 14th-place finish at the youth worlds in the 29er with Will Leech, followed by becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Young 88 national championships.
In the Flying Fifteen fleet, Murray Gilbert and Jonathan Burgess delivered a near-flawless performance to secure the national title. The pair won the opening four races before sealing victory with a second-place finish in the final race, finishing six points clear of Sally Garrett and Neil Easton. Nick Elliott and Tom Akass rounded out the podium.
Full results here.
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