Treble Cone Interdominion Schools Teams Sailing

'Treble Cone Interdominion Secondary Schools Teams Sailing Championship' Event Media Click Here to view large photo

Over the past three days, the top three sailing schools from Australia and New Zealand have been competing in teams racing at Algies Bay.

Teams sailing involves 3 2-man boats (420s) from each school using the rules of sailing with the aim of getting their team to cross the finish line in a better position than the opposition.

During the regatta, 90 short (approx 8 minute) races were held in 6 round robins - each school racing every other school 5 times over 3 days - a total of 30 races for each team.

At stake were the titles of top school and top country.

Races were held in a variety of conditions - around 6 knots at the start of the regatta, racing was abandoned on the second day when winds reached over 25 knots with multiple capsizes and some collisions. Day 3 saw the wind moderate allowing the regatta to be completed.

Congratulations must go to the race committee with the unenviable task of starting and scoring 90 races.

With all schools skilled in this style of racing, the individual races were close and hard-fought.

The New Zealand schools dominated on the score-board however, with top school Tauranga Boys College winning 27 of their 30 races, Mahurangi College in second with 19 wins just ahead of Macleans College with 17 wins. The top Australian School in 4th overall was Brisbane Boys college with 13 wins ahead of the 2 Tasmanian schools Hutchins with 8 wins and St Virgils with 6 wins.

New Zealand comfortably won the top country trophy - there were 54 races were the 2 countries met and NZ schools won 45 of these to Australia's 9.

Tauranga Boys College team - Peter Burling, Jason Saunders, Thomas Saunders, Luke Stevenson, Nicholas Gunn, Jeremy Grundy, Ben Caundle.

For Martin Tasker's report on One click here