Sailing: Regatta puts region 'on map'

A group of sailors round the bottom mark in tricky conditions on the first day of the Tanner Cup inter-provincial championships.

Northland Tanner Cup hope James Sheldon has carved his way to eighth place overall in the prestigious inter-provincial P-Class regatta.

Held on the familiar waters of Northland's Bay of Islands, Sheldon succumbed to tough competition from his rivals on Day Two, yesterday, with the top three places going to Robbie McCutcheon (Wanganui/Manawatu), Campbell Stanton (Auckland), and Poverty Bay's Josh Berry.

Placed fourth after the first day of competition, and on equal points with the 2nd and 3rd placegetters, Sheldon was unable to maintain his early form in the difficult conditions seen on Day Two.

"Very tricky conditions, a lot of variation, and quite a strong outgoing tide," he noted of the Day One conditions.

Also sailing this week are Sheldon's four older sisters, Emma (15), Kate (17), Petrina (20) and Natasha (22) in the Starling class. Their father Brett, a spokesman for the Bay of Islands Yacht Club, believed this was the first time five siblings from the same family have sailed at the same regatta.

Meanwhile, youth sailors from around New Zealand will continue to trim, tack and jibe their way through the Bay of Islands' pristine waters this week, with racing action set to continue until Sunday.

The Bay of Islands Yacht Club, Waitangi, is hosting the P-Class Nationals (Tauranga Cup) and the Starling North Island Championships, as well as the Tanner Cup which concluded yesterday.

Other Northland sailors involved racing in the waves off Waitangi this week are Jack Honey contesting the P-class nationals and the Starling North Island Champs, while the Wilson family from Whangarei will sail alongside and against the BOIYC's Kaya Tobin, Holly McNeil and local veterans Phil McNeil and Graham Wilson in the Starling North Island Championships.

Brett Sheldon noted the majority of sailors in the two P-class events were aged from 12-17 thereabouts, while the Starlings will be open to two age groups (Under-19s and Open) but with all sailors needing to be under 65kg.

"This will be one of the best things done for Northland centreboard sailing since the Optimist nationals at Taipa in 2005," Brett Sheldon said.

"This is putting Northland on the map and will again show we have got some of the best sailing in the country up here."

It is the first time the Tanner Cup has been hosted in Northland since its inception in 1945.