College sport: Strong winds create new challenge

Strong winds are causing a scheduling nightmare for the organisers of the national teams racing regatta off the Kohimarama Yacht Club.

A 20-knot wind limit for the event, which lasts until Friday for the 18 schools involved, has had sailors on and off the water during the first two days, and yesterday dragging racing out in darkness.

Each school has three, two-person boats sailing, with Westlake Boys, St Cuthbert's, Mahurangi College, Auckland Grammar and Kerikeri High predicted to best challenge for the title.

Three of the recently named national youth team to sail at Pusan, Korea, in July are competing in the teams event.

St Cuthbert's students Olivia Powrie (Laser Radial) and Georgina Hill (420) are both members of the youth team.

For 17-year-old Powrie sailing is a family affair.

Her brother, Tom, 19, and sister Miranda, 21, are both yachties as is her father, Sefton.

And her mother, Sarah, has been involved with the teams event at the Kohi club and enthuses at the commitment of all the competitors.

Hill, 17, also from the Kohimarama club, first started sailing Optimists when she was 10 and then went through Ps and Starlings, also doing teams racing through school and other teams outside Auckland.

Another youth team member competing is Peter Burling (420) from Tauranga Boys College.

The 14-year-old found his way into yachting as a result of his brother getting an Optimist when he was young, which inspired Burling to get into sailing himself.

"I joined Tauranga Yacht Club at the age of 8 and started racing and winning sometimes. I enjoyed it heaps and kept going."

Leading after two weather interrupted days are Auckland Grammar with seven wins from seven.

Kerikeri and Mahurangi have six wins from six each. Westlake and Tauranga Boys are on six from seven and seven from eight respectively. St Cuthbert's have won five from their seven races.

New Zealand has had strong results in the teams world champs, especially Kerikeri High, who were third two years ago in Auckland and winners in the Czech Republic in 2001 and in Ireland in 1999.

The qualifying event for the world champs is at Sandspit at Queen's Birthday Weekend.

Orienteering

The North Island championships are being held this Friday and Saturday at Waiuku.

The individual champs are raced first, then the relay champs the following day.

The athletes are looking to the national secondary schools champs in Wellington in July.

Netball

Auckland players dominate the national schools team which will defend their title in the forthcoming Transtasman Challenge next month.

Seven of the 12-player squad are from Auckland schools, including three from Auckland Girls Grammar. Katrina Grant (Auckland Girls Grammar), Grace Rasmussen (Avondale College) and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickett (Te Wharekura o te Rito) play for National Bank Cup teams the Canterbury Flames, the Diamonds and the Flyers respectively.

All three are also under-21 national reps.

The team play in the 2005 transtasman challenge at AUT from Tuesday, May 17 to Thursday, May 19. Former Flyers coach Annette Pearce is in charge.

Five other teams will take part - Aotearoa Maori, Indigenous School Sports Australia, Secondary School Australia, Pasifika and an invitation team from Rangitoto College.

NZ secondary schools team (with positions): Hannah Broederlow (Palmerston North GHS) GD, GK, WD, Sam Durie-Aranga* (Palmerston North GHS) GA, GS, Christina Faafiti (St Mary's College) WA, Grant (Auckland Girls Grammar) GD, GK, Aroha Griffiths (Queen Elizabeth College) GA, WA, C, Camilla Lees (St Cuthbert's College) WD, C, Okeroa Manihera (Hillcrest HS) WA, Finau Pulu (Auckland Girls GS) GD, WD, Rasmussen (Avondale College) GS, GA, WA, Selby-Ricket (Te Wharekura o te Rito) GS, GA, GD, GK, Susan Tagicakibau (Auckland Girls GS) GS, Areta Thatcher (Massey HS) GD.

*Sam Durie subject to medical clearance.

This week

Today, Yachting, Secondary schools team racing nationals, Kohimarama Yacht Club until Friday from 9am.

Friday, Orienteering, North Island schools champs, Waiuku.

Saturday, Orienteering, North Island schools champs, Waiuku.

* Results

YACHTING

SECONDARY SCHOOLS NATIONALS
(Kohimarama)

Standings after two days: Auckland Grammar 7 wins, Tauranga BH 7 wins 1 loss, Kerikeri HS 6 wins, Mahurangi College 6 wins, Westlake BHS 6 wins 1 loss, St Cuthberts 5 wins, 2 losses, Queen Charlotte College 5 wins 3 losses, New Plymouth BHS 4 wins 2 losses, Wellington College 4 wins 4 losses, St Kentigern 3 wins 3 losses, Lindisfarne College 3 wins 5 losses, Nelson College and Waikato Thames Combined 2 wins 5 losses, Christchurch BHS 2 wins, 6 losses, New Plymouth GHS 1 win 5 losses, Francis Douglas Memorial 0 wins 7 losses, Paraparaumu-Kapiti Combined 0 wins 7 losses, Christchurch GHS 0 wins 8 losses.