March 4, 2024
2 minutes reading time
Sailability Tauranga hosts Hansa 303 National Championships
Sailability Tauranga in New Zealand was busy in February with two regattas and the Learn-to-Sail Programme for people living with physical, cognitive and sensory challenges, as well as their weekday sailing programme which is also step one on the sailor development pathway.
For those sailors ready to learn how to race, the journey starts with longer destination sails and weekend race training. When ready, the sailors can progress to compete at local, regional and national regattas. For some, this has led to racing internationally and even winning a World Championship.
Tauranga Regatta
The two-day Tauranga Regatta in February brought together over 80 sailors on both Centreboard yachts and Hansa 303s. Extra training ahead of the event gave everyone the opportunity to prepare, and the yacht club was buzzing with excitement as the Hansa fleet joined competitors from a variety of divisions out on the water.
For some this was their first taste of competitive sailing. In the double-handed event, father and son duo, Richard and Angus Bates – Angus in his very first regatta – won the Hansa Doubles, followed by Kerehi Maxwell and Rhonda Ritchie in second and another first-time racing duo of Antz Keene and Ian Ritchie took third place. In the single-handed event, Paulien Chamberlain finished first ahead of Richard Chamberlain in second, Dennis Young in third and Chris Cargill in fourth.
Hansa 303 National Championships
The Hansa 303 Nationals were held at Lake Rotoiti the following weekend. Sailability Tauranga entered a strong team, and everyone sailed well.
Sailability Tauranga’s Kerehi Maxwell & Rhonda Ritchie won the Hansa 303 Doubles National Championship – a huge achievement for the pair. Not only is Kerehi now a champion at the helm, but also a valuable member of the Volunteer Team in the roles of Purser and Dock Hand during sailing programme days.
Congratulations also go to Richard Chamberlain for taking the Bronze in the Single-handed, Angus and Richard Bates for winning Bronze in the Double Handed, and Paulien Chamberlain second in the Kiwi Cup for best Sailor with Disability.
Learn to Sail
At Sailability Tauranga, the Learn-to-Sail Programme brings joy to so many sailors living with disability, but the club has also developed a successful pathway to progress the sailors on to regatta racing, providing more opportunities and possibilities for them to live their best lives.
The team of volunteers love what they do and are always grateful for the funding and donations they receive each year that makes Sailability Tauranga’s Sailing Programmes possible.
Images from Sailability Tauranga.