Far North students spend school holidays on the high seas

The 2022 Sailing Development Week in Rarotonga included past participants who had sailed at both the London and Rio Olympics. Photo/Tina Godbert

Spending the school holidays in the Cook Islands would be a special treat for any student, but transporting themselves there by sea took it to another level for three Kerikeri High sailors.

Erin Kee, Charley Cates and Isla Kee were among 20 young sailors from around the country who travelled to the Cook Islands for the 2022 Sailing Development week in Rarotonga.

Fifteen-year-old Erin Kee said the sailors took part in a variety of on and off-water activities, all revolving around the goal of improving their sailing knowledge, strengthening key skills and team building.

Kee said the experience had taught her "the importance of having contacts, and not being afraid to use them. And to be humble."

Kee has been dinghy sailing for just under two years but was no newbie to the sea.

"I grew up living on a yacht with my family in New Zealand and overseas, so I've always known my way around the water."

She said the trip was beneficial in that it allowed her to get to know and work together with people who enjoyed the sport as much as she did.

She also valued "being able to experience sailing in a very different environment with new boats".

During the first few days of the expedition, the group sailed traditional vakas, which Kee said she believed were the Cook Islands' version of wakas.

Ross Sutherland, who's a founding member of the New Zealand Team Sailing Association, said he and Derry Godbert of Kerikeri started the development regattas in 2004 following an invite from Sailing Cook Islands.

"This year was the first time the sailors got to try a different style of craft, which is only found in the Cook Islands and needs good teamwork to sail," Sutherland said.

"It's a very tricky boat to sail."

"It has an outrigger on the port (right) side of the boat, which makes sailing it very tricky at times," agreed Kee.

"On one tack, it's like sailing a keeler and on the other, it's like sailing a catamaran.

"They were very tippy at times but incredibly fun to sail."

The regatta wasn't without unpredictable challenges and would have perhaps been incomplete without them.

"A storm came in and the huge swells caused a lot of damage to many resorts across Rarotonga," Kee said.

"We decided that we couldn't sail safely, so we explored the island for a few days instead."

The other founder of the development regattas, Kerikeri's Godbert, attended this year's event at age 88. Godbert was the coach, umpire and rescue/media boat.

Perhaps inspired by his and Sutherland's leadership, Kee said she hoped "to do some coaching to get others on the water because I think it's awesome".

"I think sailing will always be a big part of my life, and I hope to sail competitively."

Past attendees at the regatta have sailed at both the London and Rio Olympics.