Westlake Girls reaffirmed its dominance as the country’s top girls’ sailing school at last week’s New Zealand Secondary Schools Teams Racing Championship in New Plymouth.
Hosted by the New Plymouth Yacht Club, the five-day regatta welcomed 29 schools from across the country—from Wānaka to Whangārei. Over 200 students raced in 33 yachts, supported by 50 volunteers and 20 patrol boats. Conditions ranged from light breezes to strong 27-knot gusts with a backdrop of bright autumnal sun.
Entering the event as the reigning Girls Champions, Westlake Girls was the only girls’ team to compete in the prestigious Gold Fleet, which featured the top eight schools in the country, including Westlake Boys and eventual Gold Fleet winners Auckland Grammar.
Led by NZ Youth Sailor Jess Handley, Westlake Girls opened well with wins against Napier Boys and Christ’s College in light winds. Racing was cancelled on Day Two due to strong gusts, but Day Three saw Westlake secure key victories over St Kentigern, Glendowie, and Mt Aspiring, confirming their place in the top 8 for the next round.
After attending an ANZAC Day service on Friday morning, the team returned to racing after lunch but faced several narrow defeats, including a tough race against their male counterpart, Westlake Boys. On the final day, they bounced back with strong wins over Rangitoto, Napier Boys, and Takapuna Grammar, finishing 6th overall and once again claiming the title of top girls’ team and a ceremoniously dunking of their champion coach, Robbie Wooldridge.
The top three girls’ teams, Westlake Girls, St Kentigern Girls, and Napier Girls, will join with the top three boys teams, Auckland Grammar, Westlake Boys, and St Kentigern to represent New Zealand at the Inter Dominion Regatta in Goolwa, South Australia from 29 September to 2 October 2025.
The Kiwis are the defending champions of the Secondary Schools Trans-Tasman series, and Westlake Girls will look to defend their title as the top girls’ team once again.