Sailors learn from bronze medallist
Young sailors got a chance to rub shoulders and glean advice from an Olympic bronze medallist in Taupo this week.
The 2017 Bayleys NZ National Laser Championships started yesterday but earlier in the week about 30 sailors got to learn some tricks of the trade from Rio Olympics bronze medallist, Sam Meech.
Meech was only in town for the day but managed to get a lot of coaching done - just in time for the nationals regatta.
‘‘The idea was to get me down for a bit of coaching as people will be here for the nationals,’’ he said.
‘‘It was the best time as you get people from all over the region together.’’
As Meech is part of the New Zealand Laser Association, he gets out once or twice a year for coaching.
During the day, Meech got out on the water with the regatta sailors and did practice races and boat drills.
With the wind making Lake Taupo a bit choppy, Meech said a few of the sailors ended up capsizing but otherwise it was a good day.
Nick Page, chairman of the New Zealand Laser Association, said the sailors would have benefited from Meech’s coaching in two ways.
‘‘One, actually learning some technical tricks off Sam and also just by building the spirit of the class,’’ he said.
‘‘Just being able to go out and being instructed by one of the top three guys in the world makes a huge difference.’’
For the Bayleys NZ National Laser Championships, 120 sailors from all over the country have made their way to Taupo.
One sailing team has even come all the way from China.
Page said Taupo has held the Nationals before, but not for eight years.
‘‘It’s a great location, it’s central to everybody,’’ he said.
‘‘Last year in Wellington we got 90 sailers, this year we have 120.’’
A variety of age ranged sailers will be taking to the water over the four days of the regatta.
Sailing starts on Thursday around lunchtime and will end on Sunday.
The masters group will have two races a day while the other divisions will have three.
Anyone can go down and watch the sailers take on the Nationals.