| AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND-(24-4-2005) Yachting New Zealand this afternoon announced the 2005 NZL Yachting Youth Team to compete in Korea at the ISAF World Youth Championships in July.
The ten member team includes:
Blair McLay (Torbay Sailing Club) – Laser
Olivia Powrie (Kohimarama Yacht Club) – Laser Radial
Peter Burling & Bruce Kennedy (Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club) - 420 Boys
Georgina Hill & Michelle Kennedy (Kohimarama Yacht Club) – 420 Girls
Antonnio Cozzolino (Mistral Owners Association) – Mistral Boys
Steffanie Williams (Kohimarama Yacht Club) – Mistral Girls
Rory & Kelly Godman (Burkes St Leonard Boating Club) – Hobie 16
The team was announced today at YouthSail 2005 prize-giving following the conclusion of the four-day regatta at Murrays Bay Sailing Club. The Selection panel, which includes John Clinton, Paul Page and Ian Neely have considered the winners of each Youth Trial class that competed at YouthSail 2005 and selected a full ten member team. In July they will join more than 200 sailors from over 35 countries in Korea for the 2005 ISAF World Youth Championships.
The announcement took place when the final day of racing at YouthSail 2005 was abandoned due to strong winds. Stand-out performances of the regatta were in the Laser class and the Boys 420. Blair McLay of Torbay Sailing Club won eight out of nine races impressing selectors with his performance. They are excited about his prospects in Korea. McLay has the benefit of previous international experience having taken part in the ISAF Youth Worlds in Poland in 2004 and traveling to Australian regattas this season.
Peter Burling and Bruce Kennedy won seven out of nine races in the Boys 420 division demonstrating their skills which impressed team selector and Yachting New Zealand Academy Coach, Ian Neely.
“Burling and Kennedy were very slick,” says Neely. “They know how to sail fast. Overall, I’m very impressed with the standard of this year’s team. A lot of them have put in plenty of hard work over the past year and it’s showing in the way they’ve sailed here at Murrays Bay.”
Three members of the team have been to the ISAF World Youth Championships previously. Powrie has attended the past two years competing in the Girls 420 class, this year switching to the new Olympic Class Laser Radial. Both McLay and Cozzolino traveled to Poland last year.
The brother and sister pair of Rory and Kelly Godman, sailing the Hobie have traveled to Auckland from Dunedin and though the only Hobie entry at YouthSail 2005, have done enough to convince the selection panel that they are capable of a top ten result in Korea. Over the weekend they have sailed with a fleet of senior Hobie sailors at Takapuna Yacht Club. At 13 years-old Kelly Godman is one of the youngest ever to be selected for the New Zealand Youth Team.
“The thing that that clinched it for us with the Hobie pair was their sailing at Takapuna yesterday,” says selector, Paul Page.
Bruce Kendall will share his knowledge of the sailing venue, Pusan, Korea with the Youth Team before they depart in July. Kendall won Olympic Gold at Pusan in 1988 and has recently been back.
Also announced was the 19-strong Yachting New Zealand Youth Squad which includes the team members and will now embark on a training schedule to prepare the team for the international competition.
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