2006 New Zealand National Championship, Wellington, New Zealand

Wakatere Boating Club Auckland, December 8.-11.

The Worser Bay thugs arrived at Wakatere smug in the knowledge that they had cleaned out the first three places at last years nationals, and with the intention of repeating their success for another year. Little did they know of the conditions and the hardened Wakatere sailors that would greet them at the National Championship.

On account of the Worlds being in Australia in February, and that the nationals are generally the NZ qualification trials and that the boats would be shipped to Australia shortly after new year, the once in eight year event of the nationals being held before the start of the year occurred this year.

Twenty two sailors arrived on the beach at Wakatere to contest the 2006 National Championship. The conditions were generally offshore and very shifty, with bands of wind coming off the beach in strengths varying from 5 knots to 18 knots. It became quite clear after the first race, that to sail a consistent series might prove a bit tricky.

Mark Perrow won race 1 after sailing most of the race around 5th place. On the final beat he found himself on the right side of a 40 degree bend up the last beat and took the gun. Ben Morrison, also from Wakatere, had led for the whole race, and ended up 4th. Perrow won a more mundane race 2 after leading all the way. Then it was the turn of Wakatere team mate Alistair Deaves, who won race 3 after leading throughout. Perrow pulled himself back from the abyss in this race ending up 4th.

After day one it was Perrow, Deaves and Wilcox and with reports of 25 knots the next day, it was anyone’s game.

The wind never came. The four races on day 2 were sailed in mainly the same as day one, perhaps just a bit shiftier. Again it was a Wakatere domination day with Perrow winning the first two races and Deaves the second two. Consistent performances by Wilcox, Karl Purdie and Paul Rhodes, all from Worser Bay, kept them with an outside chance, although Perrow and Deaves would both have to have really bad results on the last day.

Perrow and Deaves had really bad results for the first race on day 3, with 9th and 11th respectively. The wind had increased overnight and moved more to the north to provide a steadier wind, although full of large holes. Last years champion, Steve McDowell, proved he still had some form and won race 8, with Worser Bay team mates Wilcox and Rhodes winning races 9 and 10.

Perrow finished 8th in race 9 which was enough to give him his first OK championship. With Deaves maintaining second overall, the Wakatere sailors were back on top again. Paul Rhodes had a good last day to lift him up to third overall and first veteran. Wilcox ended up fourth and Purdie fifth.