Tauranga helmswoman Paulien Eitjes finishing second in defence of her world title at the World Blind Sailing Championships on Lake Rotorua this week does not bear thinking about.
"I'm too competitive to be satisfied with second. We have trained very hard for this and won't be going down without a real
fight."
The 34-year-old skipper is competing in the B2 class of the regatta along with blind mainsail trimmer Tom Donaghy, 55, from Ngatea and fellow Tauranga sailors Gary Smith (tactician) and his 14-year-old son Phil (forward hand) - the two sighted support members.
In all, 19 teams of sailors and their sighted support crew from 10 countries are vying for honours across three separate divisions in the regatta which concludes on Saturday, with 18 races scheduled.
So far, the Kiwi B2 crew is in first place, seven points ahead of the Canadian crew, after two seconds and a third on their first day of racing and four wins on day three (Tuesday).
On day two racing was again abandoned. Yesterday was a lay-day for all crews and racing is set to begin again today - currently the Kiwi team are in second place overall behind the British team.
Teams from France, Norway, Finland, Italy, Canada, Japan, Britain, Australia, the United States and New Zealand - eight B1, six B2 and five B3 crews - are all racing Noelex 25 yachts provided by private owners.
In blind sailing there are three classes of racing - B1 (totally blind), B2 (can see light and dark) and B3 (vision impaired e.g. tunnel vision).
Sighted crew members perform support functions only. Eitjes said B2 class sailors must have less than 10 per cent of sight but there are variances in terms of degrees and distance within that category of competitor.
Eitjes, who began losing her sight as child due to a hereditary condition, is now classed as legally blind.
Since she began learning to sail seven years ago the world and national titles have just kept coming, including back-to-back gold medals in 2007 and 2008 for world blind match racing, the America's Cup-style racing. At the 2006 world champs at Rhode Island, New York, Eitjes and her crew won gold in the B2 competition, New Zealand crews won silver in the B1 and bronze in the B3, giving them the most points overall and the world title.
She has also won the NZ Blind Sailing Champs title four times in a row - three times with Smith and twice with Donaghy as members of her crew.
Later this year she hopes to defend her New Zealand title. Along with the Kiwis, crews from Canada, Japan, Britain and the US are vying for honours in the B2 division.
Eitjes said she and her crew are delighted by their progress and it was quite shocking to see their major competitors, the British crew lying in fourth place.
"But there are 11 races to go."
Eitjes hopes their advantage of training on Lake Rotoiti for the 2006 world championship will help in their bid for gold.
"Teamwork is also critical and I have a great crew. Gary and I do heaps of sailing together and we have a very good understanding. Tom is fantastic and Phil is also a vital crew member who clearly is also very competitive."
Donaghy, who lost his sight during a "medical misadventure" in 1997, credits George Stockwell who started up blind sailing, with getting him into the sport.
Eitjes who sails several times a week with the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club said she loves the thrill of being at the helm and competing against the elements.
"It is the best feeling in the world."
The regatta is supported by Bay Trust, Rotorua District Council, Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust and SPARC.
