Four consecutive titles, a semifinal breakthrough, and victories over the very best.
For the fourth year in a row, Westlake Girls High School has claimed the New Zealand Secondary Schools Girls Team Racing Title. This is a massive achievement. This team is no longer simply the best among girls’ schools. They are among the best, full stop.
Across the regatta, which included 28 schools, Westlake Girls sailed with great clarity and cohesion against both boys’ and girls’ teams. Starts were sharp, manoeuvres were deliberate, and every finish was hard-earned.
Guided by coach Robbie Wooldridge and Manager Paula Satterthwaite, communication on the water was understated and precise.
The defining moment came in their race against Westlake Boys, the eventual Open Champions and widely regarded as the strongest school sailing team in the country. Westlake Girls met them head-on matching aggression with composure, strategy with execution and secured a decisive 1, 4, 5 victory. Then came the breakthrough that elevated this campaign into something truly historic: a run to the semifinals of the Open Competition. In doing so, Westlake Girls became the first girls’ school in over two decades to reach the Petite Finals, a barrier now firmly broken.
At the helm was captain Jess Handley, whose leadership anchored the team throughout the regatta. Calm under pressure and fiercely competitive, she set the tone both on and off the water. Alongside fellow Year 13 sailor Gretel Satterthwaite, Handley has been part of the team since the beginning of this remarkable title streak in 2023 – a core of experience underpinning sustained success.
The team’s depth is equally striking, highlighted by rising star Charlotte Handley. Fresh from her national triumph at the New Zealand Starling Championship in Wellington where she claimed the Girls’ title and an outstanding third place overall in a fleet of more than 80 boats. The Year 11 sailor played a pivotal role in Whangārei, anchoring boat #3 to success. Charlotte’s focus now shifts to the international stage for the World 420 Championships in France followed by the European Championships in Germany. Her trajectory mirrors the team itself – ambitious, fearless, and accelerating.
With winter training a few months away, the Westlake Girls team now sets its sights on the Inter Dominion Championship in October, where they will face Australia’s top school teams at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club.
Results:
Race 1: Win v Whangarei Girls 1,2,4
Race 2: Win v Auckland Girls Combined 1,2,4
Race 3: Win v St Kents College 1,3,5
Race 4: Loss v Garrin 3,4,5
Race 5: Loss v Napier Boys1,5,6
Race 6: Win v Westlake Boys 1,4,5
Race 7: Loss v Glendowie College 1,5,6
Race 8: Win v Rangitoto College 1,2,5
Race 9: Win v Wellington College 2,3,4
Race 10: Win v Nelson Boys 1,2,5
Race 11: Win v Takapuna Grammar1,2,4
Race 12: Win v Christ College 1,2,5
Race 13: Loss Auckland Grammar 1,3,6
Race 14: Win v Macleans College 1,3,5
Race 15: Win v Garrin College 1,2,4
Race 16: Win v Mt Aspiring College 1,2,3
Race 17: Win v Glendowie College 1,2
Semifinal v Westlake Boys: Loss 2-0
3rd v 4th v Macleans: Loss 2-1.