15 May, 2019

Golden year for Wakatere sailors continues

Wakatere Boating Club sailor Valentine Kayrouz has won the prestigious Wihau Shield for P-Class racing in a regatta held off Tauranga in early May.

The 13 kg Wihau Shield measures 90cm x 70cm, and was first sailed for in 1942, but disappeared off the sailing calendar in 1998. For nearly 20 years, it sat under a bench at the Rotorua Yacht Club.

Valentine (14) follows in a proud tradition of sailors to win the shield, including Craig Monk and Ray Davies.

He will now go on to represent New Zealand at the North America Optimist champs in the Bahamas later this year.

Meanwhile, last weekend, George Lee Rush won the Bermuda 2019 RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup. He is the first Kiwi to win this world-class youth regatta in its 17- year history.

George’s win follows on from his victory in the NZ Optimist champs and he will be representing New Zealand at the Optimist world champs in Antiqua in July.

This article originally appeared in the May 17 edition of The Devonport Flagstaff. Download PDF.