Michael Cate will be the envy of his classmates at Whangarei Boys' High School this week.
After his first day in Year 11 at school yesterday, the 14-year-old Splash sailor is off again - to compete in Senior Sail Auckland, an International Sailing Federation event of Olympic class boats.
It's there he
hopes to clinch another title in what has been a bumper season of wins for the teenager. He will be up against about 18 others in his class in the regatta, which began today.
Cate's first win of the season was back in early October, at the New Zealand Winter Championship at Murray's Bay in 15 to 25 knot winds. That was followed by a win in the largest centreboard regatta in New Zealand, the Sir Peter Blake Memorial, in six to eight knot winds at Torbay in early December, and again in the Splash North Island Championships in late December.
"It's pretty rewarding, it's good when all the hard work pays off," Cate said. "Mostly, when you go out there and sail you're just trying to do your best."
The talented sailor is also an age-group swimmer, and plans to keep focusing on his dual codes for as long as possible.
After the Splash National Championships in Picton on February 26, Cate and his father Graham - manager of the swimming team - hop on a ferry bound for Wellington, where Cate will compete in national age-group swimming championships.
Despite sailing taking up more of his time these days, Cate said he'll still keep up with his swimming.
"Swimming really complements my sailing and it's good for strength, it gives me an edge."
After the national championships, Cate's focus will turn towards the Splash World Championships in Pwllehili, Wales, in August, where last year he placed seventh.
"The aim is always to go better," he said. "But I just have to see how the regatta goes for me. If you're feeling good on the day, and hopefully I would have done the training.
"It's just about how you feel and what's happening with conditions. It can go either way in sailing."
