Races for the 2022 Toyota Optimist and Starling National Championships kicked off on Saturday and will continue until Tuesday. Photo / Ian Cooper
Races for the 2022 Toyota Optimist and Starling National Championships kicked off on Saturday and will continue until Tuesday. Photo / Ian Cooper
The first days of racing for the 2022 Toyota Optimist and Starling National Championships launched without a hitch on to the sparkling waters of Ahuriri.
About 300 competitors have come to Napier to show their skills on the water.
Optimist yacht sailor Jed Potbury, 14, and starling sailor Rose Dickey,14, were both excited for the event.
It is Jed's last national event in the optimist yacht category and it is Rose's first event in the slightly larger starling boat category.
Optimist sailor Jed Potbury, 14, left, and starling sailor Rose Dickey, 14, right, both from the Napier Sailing Club, have their sights set on high placings. Photo / Paul Taylor
"I sail a starling, which is just a bit of a bigger opti really, a bit faster, bigger sail, a lot more physical, bigger in general," Rose said.
Both sailors belong to the Napier Sailing Club and they were excited for the event based on their home waters.
"It's going to be quite cool having a big regatta here," Jed said.
"It's good to have the advantage of being on your home ground because you know all the little tricks, where not to go and all that, it's quite handy," Rose said.
Both sailors have done a few national events before and been a part of development squads that had travelled overseas.
Charlotte Handy, 12, of Murrays Bay Sailing Club on her way to a 3rd place finish in race one of the 2022 Toyota Optimist and Starling National Championships on Saturday. Photo / Ian Cooper
"This is going to be my last nationals in opti, so I am wanting to do pretty good at it," Jed said.
He said he did well in this event he could be selected to travel overseas to the European or world championships.
"I am aiming to get into the worlds team, which would be the top five. Previously I had got into a development team, we went to Noumea."
Sebastian de Vos, 12, of the Napier Sailing Club competing in the 2022 Toyota Optimist and Starling National Championships on the water off Napier on Saturday. Photo / Ian Cooper
Rose said there wasn't the same opportunity to travel with starlings, since they were a category unique to New Zealand, but she still had her sights set on doing well.
"Because it's my first season I'm not putting too much pressure on myself, but I am hoping to get top three girls."
Jed said it was the first time the starling and optimist national events had been held at the same time and place.
They said about 20 optimist sailors and 10 starlings from the Napier club would be participating in the event. which ends tomorrow.
