Hi All ,
            Just a little over a month to go till the Nationals in Nelson and many regions are about to start there trials.
New Plymouth Boys have just qualified, Kerikeri and Christchurch boys make it without trials ,South Canterbury and Otago are making noises about teams coming and Manawatu have a one school team that's been busy training and ordered new boats.
I still haven't sorted out how to get eighteen boats to Nelson but have six unanswered emails and ten phone calls underway on that so will get there.
The nelson college hostel has come up with some good accomodation options and the Tahuna motor camp has been well spoken off .We are talking to van rental, ferry and airlines about regatta deals and will let everyone know of progress.
 
  
Kiwi Yachting
North Islands Champs
                                Sixteen teams converged on little lake Ngaroto for a really good event and we have booked an extra day and six more boats for next year as we didn't expect sixteen teams on debut.
But with two draws of eight and two round robins complete we ran the waikato trials and a repercharge before trying to run a gold and silver fleet, only the wind seems to die at noon on the lake and so we ran a top six and top girls to find winners of those categories and had our previous results for the silver winner.
Fourteen teams camped at the venue and Westlake Boys took out the handicap prize with two new Handicapped sailors in their team .One broken arm and nose, separate sailors and no it wasn't sailing that did the damage.
The catering was fantastic and we didn't need to leave the place all weekend for anything.
Rueben, Logan and Dan were much appreciated coaching and umpiring Friday to Sunday and have teams lined up for coaching till the nationals.
The Waikato Composite team showed age helps with a narrow win in the finals to be overall winner but they tied with Mahurangi and Tauranga boys and it was only count back on points that sorted the places .
Mahurangi and Tauranga showing its going to be a very close nationals this year and all that time spent in 420s has kept up their standard.
Mahurangi took home the beautiful carving of Taurapa the waka stern post  for first school team followed by Tauranga Boys,Lindesfarne College,Westlake Boys ,Whangarei boys,New Plymouth boys,St Cuths,Bethlehem,Otomoetai,Westlake Girls,Francis Douglas,New Plymouth Girls ,Kerikeri Academy,Hamilton Boys and Waikato Dio.
This event may happen two weeks later next year so many regions could use it as their trials 
Especially the North Island south zone girls who next year have teams from Wellington Napier and New Plymouth.   
The photos are St cuths and New Plymouth Boys in their new Magic Marine Tops From Kiwi Yachting.
 
NZTRA  Match Racers
As said in previous teams talks we are working on helping our ex school teams sailors to carry on in match racing as well as open teams events ,
Our first team at the Harken In Sydney in December had Logan Sutherland, Olivia Powrie, James Williamson and  Bradley Farrand  do the best of the three  kiwi teams  but unfortunately loose to the Aussies in what was a poor format.
However after a little more training (Twice) the next team of Logan, Rueben Corbett and James took out the Wellington Centerport International Grade 3 beating Four Aussie teams and three other kiwi teams helping the kiwis win the country clash as well.
This was a great result for our second event and testament to teams sailors working as a team with thanks to Graeme Sutherland and Laurie Jury the Coaches.
 
World Youths and Aussie Trials and Selection
April 1st and 2nd at Parua Bay 
Whangarei  
NZTRA is still looking for teams or sailors interested in attending the Aussie opens in June at Sydney over the queens birthday weekend.The selection trials or regatta were set for this weekend in April but the Australians have again changed the dates for their opens and if we don't get teams at these trials composite teams may be put together for training and  sending to Sydney and to the world 420 youth teams event in July.Teams or sailors interested please email me and I will forward on to those organizing the teams.
 
Good sailing and see you at trials or nationals 
Ross