NEW ZEALAND™

New Zealand sailor Paulien Eitjes has won back to back titles in the Homerus International Blind Match Racing Championship, this year sailed at Sulzano on Lake Iseo, Italy.

Racing commenced on Thursday, October 2 with three teams entering from Italy, two from Spain and one each from Australia, New Zealand, Israel and the USA.

Sailors competing in this event must be IBSA classified B1 or B2 - legally blind. The championships are sailed in two identical Nitek keelboats by a two person crew with a sighted observer on board. Three "beeping buoys", each with a unique signal, set out the course and each boat has its own sound signal that changes when on port or starboard tack.

Eitjes (NZL), sailing with experienced Italian crew Alberto Prudenzano was favourite for the event, having claimed a startling victory on debut at last years championship in Palermo. Luigi Bartanza & Elisabetta Bardella (ITA2) were the most experienced Italian combination, both having been in the medals during previous events. The Australian pairing of Kylie Forth and Ryan Honschooten, both from Perth in Western Australia, had lost all their races in last years event but had trained hard during the year with the aim of improving their place on the leader board.

The weather on day one was difficult - cold and misty with a light 2-4 knot breeze. Eitjes/Prudenzano (NZL) had a convincing first race win over Israeli/Rosenzveig (ISR) to stamp their authority on the event. They backed it up with another win later in the day but Bertanza/Bardella (ITA2) also took two wins. There were cheers all round when Forth/Honschooten (AUS) defeated Pesaresi/Malerba (ITA3) in race 3 to record their first win in international competition. Later in the day, after freezing in the transfer boat waiting for the breeze to steady, the Australians were beaten by Parente/Malipiero (ITA1) but went on to defeat Israeli/Rosenzveig (ISR) with the boat speed to overcome a port/starboard penalty incurred at the start.

Day two was cut short by the arrival of a 25 knot squall, sending everyone scurrying for shore, but Eitjes/Prudenzano (NZL), Israeli/Rosenzveig (ISR), Bertanza/Bardella (ITA2) & Bersani/Bisio (USA) all recorded wins. Halfway through the event, Eitjes/Prudenzano (NZL) and Bertanza/Bardella (ITA2) shared the lead with 3 points and Forth/Honschooten (AUS) were 1 point adrift.

Clear sunny skies and steady breezes enabled organisers to complete 10 races on day three. The leading New Zealand and Italian teams both won their encounters with the Australians, who then lost their heat against Gimeno/Giner (ESP2). Despite this setback, the Aussies sailed two of their best races of the series against quality competition.

On the final day, the light breeze slowly built to 10-15 knots, providing excellent racing conditions. Forth/Honschooten (AUS) won both of their encounters and finished their regatta in dramatic style by having Bersani/Bisio (USA) black flagged before the start. But it was not enough and Gimeno/Giner (ESP2) had sailed more consistently to take third overall.

The final series was sailed between Bertanza/Bardella (ITA2) & Eitjes/Prudenzano (NZL). Heat one was a convincing win to Eitjes, but the Italians came back to win the second. In the last race it was an easy victory for Paulien Eitjes & Alberto Prudenzano to take out the Championship.

After racing, the cheers from the assembled crowd were almost as loud for the Australians as they were for the winners. The 23 year old Kylie Forth, who lost her eyes aged three and who is also an above-knee amputee, is very popular amongst the Homerus competitors and officials.

Now having won two Championships in a row sailing with Italian crews, Paulien Eitjes has proven a determined and skilled sailor who really enjoys the tactical challenges of the match racing discipline. It was a well earned win.

Even while celebrating her win in Sulzano, Eitjes already had her next objective in mind. She is also aiming to record sequential wins in the IFDS Blind Sailing World Championships B2 Division, with the next Worlds being held on Lake Rotorua, New Zealand, in March 2009. Eitjes coach, Gary Smith, will join her crew as tactician for this event as he did for the 2006 Worlds in Rhode Island, USA.

2008 National Blind Sailing Champions.
Gary Smith, Paulien Eitjes, Tom Donaghy

The result of the 2008 new Zealand Blind Sailing Championships remained open till the eighth and final race sailed in light conditions on lake Rotoiti on the weekend 17 and 18 May

Swapping boats on rotation after each race the tight racing and close result confirmed the competitive evenness between boats and suitability of the one design Nolex 25 for the purpose. ,

Martyn Tasker and TV camera crew provided an early and effective distraction for celebrity helmpersons while he obtained promotional footage for the 2009 World Champs.

On day one Paulien Eitjes with Gary Smith as tactician and Tom Donaghy on mainsheet, sat back in the pack and let the rest of a very competitive fleet fight over the top places.

After four races top spot with two wins was B3 Eddie Moree with Shannon Leslie mainsheet and Tony Thompson tactician. Sharing a win each was B2 Dave Allerton with B1 Rob Aislabie on mainsheet and young Taranaki champ Starling skipper Paul Moriarty performing well as tactician, and Dick Lancaster now sailing as a B1 With B1 Russell Lowry from Palmerston North on mainsheet and Allan Civil from BOPTYS as tactician.

With a four point spread and a wide open contest there was an excited let’s go racing atmosphere among the crews on Sunday morning. As the race boats slid back into the water with a white frost blanketing decks and sail-covers and a light breeze whispering amongst the ducks taking refuge in the bay, there was promise of another great day of racing.

The Tauranga crew had talked over their troubles as they travelled, and Paulien proceeded to carve her way back up to the top of the points table by winning each of the four races, leaving the rest to fight for the minor places. An excellent recovery effort by Paulien and crew in the flukey conditions and four different boats but it was not all her own way. The light air provided plenty of passing opportunities that kept the fleet close and positions changing. Eddie and his very experienced BOPTYS crew applied an incessant close quarters attack in the final race but the champion Tauranga trio were solid on defence to confirm their overall win by two points.

Despite the usual frustrations of light air lake sailing this was a very enjoyable and successful weekend of racing. The blind sailors are as always very grateful to BOPTYS and the assistance and support of so many sighted persons who committed to the success of the contest. Boat owners, boat owners reps who were also the fourth crewman, patrol boat crews, officer of the day Don McGowan and his committee boat crew, thank you all.

This event also provided some insights into systems that may be used in the upcoming World Blind Sailing Championships to be held on Lake Rotorua next March. News media agents for that event, from the Waiariki Polytech, now have clips of the New Zealand Champs on U-tube.

At The recent Blind Sports Awards evenin held at Awhina House, Paulien was award B2 Sports Person of the year. Her performance was set out on the entry nomination as follows:-

April 2007. Paulien defended for the third time the NZ Blind Sailing Championship overall title as well as the B2 Division

Gold Medalist in the Homerus Blind Match Racing International regatta at Palmero, Italy, November 2007. Paulien traveled to Italy by herself. Seven Countries, Nine Teams. Paulien recorded No losses. Two new types of boat and a different style of sailing. Sailed with an Italian crew that she had never met! Sighted issues as well as languages issues!! The event is open to any vision impaired sailors with the skills to match race (same type of event as the Americas Cup).

INTERNATIONAL
This style of sailing puts two VIP sailors in the boat. The marks have sound signals and the boats have sound signals. There is no sighted assistance on the boats unless there is a dangerous situation. The boats and this style of sailing is not used in NZ.

NATIONAL
Her determination to get to Italy meant that she approached the organizers of the event in Italy on her own, as BSNZ were not in a position to send a team. As the IFDS B2 World Champion in September 2006 the Homerus organization was keen to have a new Zealand representative of Paulien's caliber to attend the Homerus event. They did not expect her to win the contest without loosing a race!.

During the year Paulien trained by sailing her Starling with the Tauranga Yacht clubs sighted fleet. A Starling is 2.6m long, weighs 41kg and is one of the key training boats used in NZ sailing. The Tauranga fleet includes national and provincial champions. Sailing in the Tauranga Regatta, she finished ahead of several of the sighted competitors as well as taking the time to deal with the "Campbell Live" presenter and promoting sailing and Vision impaired sailing.
Paulien also races on Wednesday Night on "Sniper". A 10.5m Elliot A Division Keelboat. As mainsheet hand she is expected to contribute the same as everyone else on the boat. She also sailed as part of the crew in the recent Auckland to Tauranga 126mile overnight race on Sniper. . (This race took 32.5 hours!)

According to the broad smiles and positive feedback from our new VIP sailors and new volunteer sighted helpers, our ‘Taster’ Sailing School over the weekend of 4th and 5th of November was a success.

I thank you all for your contribution, during the planning and preparation, and during the weekend action. Please convey my thanks also to the essential sighted support persons and crews.

Saturday began with an introductary session in the club then an hour of stem to stern familiarization on board. After lunch the 13 of us headed out on ‘Green Pepper’ and ‘Fun and Games’ for three hours of basic boat handling around the inner harbour in an ideal 8 to 12 Knot NW breeze, under an unforecast sunny sky.

On Sunday the forecast wet weather pattern hit the city but not out on the harbour. With a cloudy sky and fresher NW wind and 16 aboard ‘Higher Ground’ and ‘Fun and games’ we cruised down to Issy bay where we rafted together for a leisurely lunch. With 20 Knots and a forecast threatening 40, we had to work a bit harder sailing back up the harbour with crecked sheets and the crew on the rail, andd then a few short tacks to Westhaven about mid-afternoon.

The new VIPs were rotated around the cockpit and Ida, Hillary and Hugh all picked up helming very quickly.

Brian Trubovichs Higher Ground crew at Islington Bay

School Principal Dick Lancaster opening proceedings

Dale now has three new members to follow-up for Auckland. Thanks again for your contribution, boats, time, effort, thoughts, publicity, and other useful input.

Regards

School Principal
Dick Lancaster.