Sailing: Big chance for young Napier yachties with Sailing GP fever

Two young Napier sailors have landed a part in the Sailing GP as it returns next month to the waters of Te Whakaraupō, the Lyttelton Harbour, with one of their club’s most acclaimed members in a starring role.

Napier Boys’ High School pupils Harry Jameson, 14, and Lochie Faulknor, 13, have been accepted as one of the 25 crews for the career-pathway project Inspire, before and during the Sail GP racing which takes place on March 23-24.

Young Napier sailors, Lochie Faulknor, 13, left, Harry Jameson, 14, and Max Jameson, 11, are about to mix-it with the big guns of world sailing, including New Zealand Sail GP skipper Liv Mackay, who is from the same Napier Sailing Club. Photo / Paul Taylor

Harry’s younger brother, Taradale Intermediate School pupil Max, 11, is off to Australia, after being invited to be on a Sydney-based crew for the 2024 World Etchells-class championships off Fremantle, Perth, on March 15-22.

The pair off to the Sail GP go to Christchurch to train on March 21, get to mix-it around the boat compounds and crew goings-on around Lyttelton, and race in the one-design, two-person RS Feva class on the morning of March 24, as a prelude to the racing later in the day.

Heading-up the racing is New Zealand skipper Liv Mackay, who at 27 can chart her sailing course back almost 20 years to when she started the progression through the Napier Sailing Club.

She was the only female helm when Sail GP first came to Christchurch last year.

Young Max won’t be heading for Australia as an “unaccompanied minor”. He will be with his dad and America’s Cup and Sydney-Hobart race-winning sailor Phil Jameson.

Mum Kylie Jameson says the young sailors have known Liv Mackay through the club, and are aware of the similar pathway she has taken towards a now prominent role in Sail GP racing.

She describes the opportunities as “cool” for the youngsters, with Harry and Lochie (son of sailing parents Brook and Pip Faulknor) already moving on to wingfoil racing, going for the speed of the modern craft rather than the traditional pathway of P-class, optimist and starling sailing.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 50 years of journalism experience in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.