Yachting youth prepare for SI age-group regatta
One of Timaru’s biggest yacht races returns to Caroline Bay this weekend with more than 60 young sailors from throughout the South Island expected to take part.
Sailors aged between eight and 18 years old will participate in the agegroup regatta as the Timaru Yacht and Power Boat Club continues to try to grow the sport in the region.
Organiser Heather Berger said last year’s race received a lot of good feedback and a similar number of sailors would take part this year.
‘‘Some sailors from last year have moved on to other classes or university and we have new ones coming in,’’ she said.
Berger said sailing is a sport which is beneficial for more than physical activity.
It was a ‘‘well rounded education in its own right’’, she said, and she would ‘‘love’’ to see more young people join the sport.
Alwyn Berger in the P class has recently won the Graham Mander Trophy in the Canterbury P class championships, and the Harken Trophy in the South Island P class championships. She was the second girl in the P class championship at the national Tauranga Cup.
‘‘She of course wouldn’t be where she is without the other P class sailors at the club pushing her, including her brother Rowan who often trades races with her,’’ Heather Berger said.
‘‘So yes we have promising sailors, quite a few actually and one might bring home trophies, but they do it with the help of others.’’
Berger, organising the regatta for the second year, also encouraged young people to get into sailing as it provides ‘‘situational awareness’’, or building physical and mental boundaries and self confidence.
Racing starts at 9am today and 10am tomorrow.