Yacht club relished yearly club championships

The sailors of the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club made the most of volatile conditions to arrange their yearly club championships on Saturday and Sunday, in Picton Harbor. Except for some Optimist sailors away at Opti pre-nationals practicing in Auckland, the yachtsmen and women of the club were out in force. A fused fleet headed out to the primary racing place on Saturday, comprising of P-class yachts, Starling, Optimists, Laser (radial and full rig), an Omega and Paper Tiger catamarans.

The rainbow fleet, Learn to Sail courses’ sailors, arranged their races in front of the club. The 3 races out were sailed in shifty, light conditions. With not enough wind, Paper Tigers could not beat Omega with Nicholas Gardiner and Jasper Hopkins aboard. Still, Kain Greenbank really put on a show in the very last race, flying to the top mark on one hull.

The Starlings were topped by Emily Overend, whereas Alistair Gifford won the day in Lasers. Convincingly, Maggie Lane took the lead in P-class, but 2nd and 3rd placed Riley and Allessandra imprinted as neither had been trained. Euan Marshall won the Open Optimist Fleet, while Loui Poletti took the lead in the Opti Green.

Moss Hopkins persevered after being banged on the head and capsizing in the last race but made it over the finish line in time. Light conditions were again experienced on Sunday again. The Paper Tigers were substituted by two 420 yachts of the college squad as a good fight raged across all fleets.