Sailing: Trophy rescued from under bench

Wihau Shield champion Joel Kennedy in action.

An iconic piece of Bay of Plenty sailing history was reinstated last month after a gap of 19 years.

The Wihau Shield sailed by P Class boats had been won by such luminaries as Craig Monk (twice), Ray Davies, Geoff Senior, Aaron McIntosh and Simon Cooke.

Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club's (TYPBC) centreboard chairman Greg Scott knew its history well as a three-time champion himself and he wondered what had happened to the trophy.

When his son Max began sailing a P Class in 2014, Scott reflected on his own P Class sailing - the huge fleets, the competitors, the Tanner and Tauranga Cups, and the Wihau Shield.

Last year he found out the hugely impressive 13kg, 90cm x 70cm trophy had lain discarded under a bench for almost 20 years at the Rotorua Yacht Club.

"Because it was too big for the trophy cabinet the Wihau Shield had been shoved under a bench in the tower, and even during clean-ups, no one took any notice of it," Robin Parr, commodore of the Rotorua Yacht Club, said.

"So why not give it the light of day. I was confident TYPBC could keep it safe and it would be great if they reinstated the competition."

Scott rallied support from North Island clubs and organised the regatta held on March 8-9.

"The support I received was unbelievable. All I did was come up with the idea and everyone got behind it. We need to find a space in the calendar so all the P Class sailors have the opportunity to compete for the Wihau Shield," Scott said.

"With Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club being the home of the P Class and with the club taking great care and custodianship of this fine little youth training boat, it was a gathering that was just meant to have been."

Tauranga's Joel Kennedy was the first winner of the Wihau Shield in 19 years, with James Barnett a point back in second ahead of Sydney Cuncliffe in third, Lachlan Dillon in fourth and Tim Roper finished fifth.

The rest of fleet sailed four races for the Secretaries Cup with Niamh Dillon (Tauranga) first, Nicola Wilson (MYC/OYC) second and Braedyn Denney (Tauranga) third.