The podium finishing team are Dawson Howarth (left), Logan Margerison, Angus Smith, Noah Hengst, Jed Potbury, Winston Liesebach, Andre McGregor. Photo / Supplied
The podium finishing team are Dawson Howarth (left), Logan Margerison, Angus Smith, Noah Hengst, Jed Potbury, Winston Liesebach, Andre McGregor. Photo / Supplied
A team of seven sailing secondary school students from Napier have secured their first national podium finish in 40 years and helped New Zealand take back a trophy from Australia.
Napier Boys' High School came second in both the Secondary Schools Team Sailing National Championships and the Interdominion Championships in Auckland this month.
The national competition had 23 teams qualify to race at Algies Bay, of which the three best teams then competed against the three best teams Australia had to offer in the Interdominion event.
Napier Boys' qualified as the silver medallists in the national open category, alongside winners Takapuna Grammar and third placed Glendowie College.
They would go on to get another silver medal in the Interdominion open finals, once again behind Takapuna Grammar.
The effort of the six New Zealand teams across both the open and girls' Interdominion events secured a trophy for the collective NZ contingent with NZ gaining 24 points over Australia's 12 points.
Napier Boys' High School was second overall in the Secondary Schools Teams Sailing Championships and Interdominion Championships, sharing in the trophy won by NZ teams. Photo / Supplied
Year 12 Andre McGregor from Napier Boys' High School said the team went to the event hoping to get a top three in the National Championships, but they had no idea they would also get top three for the Interdominion Championships.
"This year our team had been the best it has been in quite a long time because a lot of us are seniors and we've been part of this team since the start of High School," McGregor said.
"It was unexpected, it was obviously a very sweet surprise."
He said it felt more special getting the podium finish against all of the New Zealand teams than it did against the Australians because that was the goal they had been working towards all of their sailing careers.
"It was just a bonus that we managed to beat the Australians too."
He said the next step for the team, besides the two who will graduate high school this year, was to win the National and Interdominion Championships next year.
"We were very close to winning it this year as well, it came down to a single race that we lost. If we won that race, we would have won both nationals and interdominions"
