YACHTING: Young sailor's ready to take the rough with the smooth

SHANE HURNDELL
Hawke's Bay sailor Sam MacKay returned home from last year's world optimist championship with two ``must-do' entries in his diary.
``Become more consistent and more familiar with heavy conditions,' he said as he reflected on his 83rd placing in a 250-strong fleet in Italy last year.
Less than three months out from his second world championship regatta in Turkey MacKay, 14, has given both entries huge ticks.
``I've worked on my consistency and I've had enough races in heavy conditions ... I'll be ready for all conditions in Turkey and I want to improve on 83rd,' said the Lindisfarne College year 10 pupil from Tutira.
MacKay's second placing at the Christchurch-hosted Easter nationals and victories at the November North Island championships in Rotorua and the Sir Peter Blake Trust Regatta in Auckland indicate how consistent he has become.
He was a member of the five-strong Kiwi team which won the teams section of the Italy regatta and MacKay is eager to help the Kiwis retain that title in Turkey. In July he will have Napier Sailing Club clubmate Naomi Mannering along side him in the Kiwi contingent.
Like MacKay, Mannering, 14, has been sailing for four years and is also coached by her father, Adrian Mannering. She finished fifth in Christchurch to qualify for her first world championship.
However the Napier Girls' High School year 10 pupil is no stranger to international regattas. Last year she was the fourth placed girl and 26th overall in a 200-strong fleet at the North American championships in Mexico - a regatta MacKay's sister, Olivia, will compete at in July.
Another Napier sailor, Taupo's Keith Inglis, will also travel to Mexico. Both five-strong teams are training in Napier this week and the MacKays and Mannering are adamant the camp will prove beneficial to both teams.
In addition to Mexico Mannering has also raced in New Caledonia against Aussie, Kiwi and New Caledonian sailors where she was the first placed girl and seventh overall and at an All Japan regatta where she was 13th overall.
Mannering has one year left in the optimist class. Woodford House year eight pupil Olivia MacKay, 12, who has been sailing for three years, has another three years left in the class.
``I want to win the world title before I leave the class,' she said.
If her improvement at national championship level is any indication she's sailing in the right direction. Her seventh placing this year followed a 28th last year and a 111th the previous year. Olivia recorded a 13th placing in New Caledonia last year.
The MacKays and Mannering weren't the only Napier Sailing Club members to shine at national regattas during Easter.
Ben Goodwin combined with Aucklander Paul Snow-Hansen to win the 420 national championship at New Plymouth.
Luke O'Connell was seventh in the OK Dinghy nationals also staged in New Plymouth while Bob Witham and Barry Coulam were third and fourth respectively in the Lake Taupo-hosted Noelex 25 Trailer Yacht nationals.