Opti LTS SOTY – James McLaughlin – James only started sailing in December last year and shot through his levels in record time, starting green fleet in Term 1 and at age 8 won the Pritchett Trophy – which is awarded to the youngest sailor to complete every race in the green fleet at the Opti Nationals despite some windier conditions showing excellent determination and perseverance.
Opti Green SOTY – Sammy Corcoran- Sammy moved from LTS up to green fleet this summer and has shown a consistently good attitude to training, keeping him moving up through the green fleet.
Opti White SOTY – Michael Schierhout- Michael progressed from green to white fleet this summer and finished up the season 32nd in White fleet at Opti nationals aged 11.
Opti Open SOTY – Eason Lan- Eason had a good final season in the Opti and is finishing his time in the class by representing the club and travelling to Japan for the Opti Friendship Regatta in July.
Academy Most Improved – Ben Radich- Ben also progressed from Green to White after the Sir Peter Blake regatta and finished up his season finishing 34th in the White Fleet at Opti Nationals but scoring himself a 4th place finish on the final day to end his season with a bang as well as scoring a top-10 finish in the Open Fleet at the recent AWSS series.
Academy Values – Bien Yeoh- He is always willing to assist the group with rigging and launching and consistently supports the coaches with launching and retrieving. He is a very engaged and proactive student who contributes positively to the team environment.
RS Feva SOTY – Theo Kenyon- Theo has consistently raced and trained all season in the Feva with various partners but has shown dedication to training and finished the season with a very respectable mid-fleet finish in a crowded fleet at the Feva Nationals last month.
Starling SOTY – Stavro Purdie- Stavro placed 4th at the Sir Peter Blake regatta and 18th at the Starling nationals in a fiercely competitive fleet, as well as consistently pushing himself & others at training and club racing.
29er SOTY – Louis Quere and Hugo Smith??- Louis and Hugo have had an outstanding season in the 29er class, finishing 3rd at the New Zealand Nationals, and have just left to represent New Zealand in both Germany and Italy over the next couple weeks.
ILCA SOTY – Beau Utting- Beau placed 5th at the ILCA 6 nationals and over the course of the season qualified for a spot at the ILCA 6 World Championships in LA.
Teams Racing SOTY – Marlon Porteous- Marlon captained the Auckland Grammar team to back-to-back national titles and victory at the Interdoms hosted at RAYC last spring, losing just one race at each major regatta this season.
FF15 SOTY – Sally Garrett & Neil Easton – Sally Garrett and Neil Easton on won the 2024 Flying Fifteen Nationals at Wanaka Yacht Club.
Environmental – 2025 Optimist Nationals- The Environmental award goes to the Toyota Optimist National Championships. This regatta won a Platinum level clean seas regattas certification. Thank you again to all of the volunteers who helped make this regatta possible.
Junior Volunteer of the Year – Lachie Gillies- Lachie has given up his time consistently all throughout the summer with the Learn-to-Coach program, helping our youngest sailors take their first steps by ably assisting our coaching team. He doesn’t stop there normally though, often abandoning his own starling on the boat ramp to take trailers down to the LTS groups, help catch greenies on the ramp or help coaches pulling gear up at the end of the day, he is a huge asset to have around the club.
Senior Volunteer of the Year – Linda Ross – Linda, Vice Commodore and Chair of the Sailing Committee, throughout the year. Her leadership helped bring the prestigious Optimist Nationals to the club, reinforcing our reputation as a great venue for hosting major events. She dedicated exceptional hours to organizing the event, securing sponsors, ensuring fiscal oversight and delivering a very successful and smoothly run event.
Wendy Price Memorial Cup – Lucy Fenwick- Lucy has trained all summer with our green fleet coaches and has shown amazing promise for her future, including being one of a few dominant girls in the Green Fleet at Opti Nationals, taking a race win for herself as well as a few other top results. We look forward to seeing what she can do next season!
Junior Sailor of the Year – Morgan Lay- Morgan Lay has been training in the 29er with various partners. This season he placed 4th at the 29er Nationals, 3rd at the North Island Championships, 1st at the Winter Championships, and 2nd in the Youth Trials.
Junior International SOTY – Beau Utting- Beau placed 5th at the ILCA 6 nationals and his consistent results throughout the season earned him qualification for the 2025 ILCA 6 World Championships in Los Angeles.
Offshore SOTY – V5- Brian Peterson and his team on V5 Claimed Line Honours in the 2025 New Caledonia Groupama. Race. After leaving Noumea on a Sunday morning they navigated around New Caledonia to cross the finish line the Wednesday after, a phenomenal effort through challenging conditions.
International SOTY – Eli Liefting- In the iQFOiL 8m class, Eli won the national title at the New Zealand Wind foil Championships, narrowly defeating Josh Armit and Grae Morris. At the Oceanbridge Sail Auckland event, he secured first place, maintaining a one-point lead over strong competition. In skiff sailing, Eli showcased his versatility by winning the 12ft Skiff Interdominions in January. alongside Blake McGlashan. Additionally, he and Adam Mustill, along with Josh Schon, secured the 18ft Skiff national title a few weeks later.
Club SOTY – Tasman Rowntree- Tasman Rowntree won the 2025 Chereb Nationals with her crew Josh Schon, Taz made history by becoming the first female skipper to win the Cherub national title – a milestone in the class’s 70+ year history.
