Final words from the event’s Roving Reporter, Robyn Boswell (Wellington College)

The 2018 Secondary Schools Teams Racing Nationals is over for another year.

Congratulations to the winners:

Auckland Grammar win Nationals for the 2nd year in a row.

Westlake Boys 2nd

Christchurch Boys 3rd.

Napier Girls top girls’ school again.

This year it was clear that Tāwhirimātea (God of the wind and storms) wasn’t looking out for this event and was remiss in ensuring that we had consistent weather for sailing until towards the end of the week, even then he teased us with a day, afternoon or morning here and there but didn’t deliver consistently!

Tangaroa, (the God of the sea, rivers, lakes and all that live within them) was asking for his gift but only managed to give us some good sailing weather for a day which frustrated the people who wanted to get out on the water to challenge each other in a three on three boat dual.  He finally dished up a fairly rough afternoon on Friday to end the event.

With the inconsistency of  Tāwhirimātea we still managed to get a result for the Gold fleet from three Round Robins.

Those left in Silver and Bronze still managed to get in quite a few races in, but not enough to complete RR3.  However, everyone enjoyed the challenges that sailing others teams who were as competitive as each other meant the racing that was completed was enjoyed over the six days sailing.

As sailors we are dealt many challenges and the weather is always one that challenges, envigorates and frustrates us.  It was evident that everyone just got out there and sailed when they could, to the best of their ability within the conditions.

Here are just a few of the aniicdotal comments from some of teams about the event:

• SS Teams Racing has meant we have good team morale as we have built on our team over the past five years of working together.                     NP Girls
• It is so rewarding to achieve success on the water from the thought process that goes into the planned tactics for moves on the water.                NP Girls
• We enjoy the competitive nature of this event and we love the team culture that we have and the level of competition against the teams is awesome.                                                                                               Epsom Girls
• This event caters for all skill levels to be able to give it a go.  It’s a fun and social time.              Wangarei Boys
• This event is certainly efficient at fitting lots of races in.  The barge is cool to watch the racing from.                Napier Boys
• We love the warmth and the venue.        Wellington College
• Courses set are great. The venue is great, people are cool and the comradery of the participants is amazing.   Queen Charlotte College

Thank you again to all the volunteers and team of key people who help make this event so successful, without their assistance we could never have such a large event running on an annual basis.

We bid you farewell for another year and hope to see you all again in twelve months time.  Lastly a couple of quotes to take with you…..

“The sea has never been friendly to man. At most it has been the accomplice of human restlessness.”      ― Joseph Conrad

“There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”       ― Kenneth Grahame, Writer