New Zealand's next generation of yachties took it to their seasoned rivals on the opening day of the New Zealand match racing championships in Auckland.
On a day when the tide was as tricky to negotiate as the breeze, young sailors Adam Minoprio and Laurie Jury, graduates ofthe Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's Youth Programme, ended the day in the top four.
After a first-up loss to Graeme Sutherland, Minoprio, 21, went on to win his next five races, which included victories over Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker and BMW Oracle skipper Chris Dickson. He also beat his older brother Simon, which he says was the win he most savoured.
Minoprio and his crew of Dave Swete, Josh Puckey, Tom Powrie and Nick Blackman ended the day with seven wins and two losses, as did BMW Oracle Racing's Gavin Brady.
Because Brady beat Minoprio in their match, by just three seconds, Brady technically has the lead.
"If someone had said you are going to finish on 7-2 on the first day you'd definitely take it," Minoprio said.
Jury, 23, was equally as impressive, beating Barker, Brady and Scott Dickson. His 6-3 record puts him in third place. Defending champion Barker and his crew of Terry Hutchinson, Don Cowie, James Dagg and Jeremy Lomas also claimed six wins and three losses but lost to Jury, which puts them in fourth place.
The Team New Zealand crew made a shaky start, securing just two wins in their first five races, but they found their form as the day progressed.
Hutchinson said his team were possibly a little guilty of focusing too much on the current.
Graeme Sutherland, 23, is fifth with five wins and four losses and Oracle skipper and chief executive Chris Dickson is sixth, also with five wins and four losses.
