RPNYC skipper Matt Steven who was recently crowned as Junior OK World Dinghy Champion now has another title to add to the list. Capping of a fantastic 3 weeks where Steven also finished third overall at the OK Dinghy World Champs and helped defend the National Bank Cup, he has finally won the CentrePort International Youth Match Racing Championships. By winning the CentrePort International Youth Match Racing Championships after four days of tight racing on Wellington Harbour the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club Blue team, consisting of Matthew Steven, Anita Trudgen, Hana McGuire and Heather Trudgen have taken out the final leg of the 2009-10 Trans Tasman Youth Match Racing circuit.

Steven lined up against a team from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, skippered by Will Mackenzie in the best of five final, sailing away to a comfortable 3-0 victory on the waters off Oriental Bay on Saturday. In the first match Stevens won the start and built a 40 second win in a warm10 knot breeze. In the second Steven beat Mackenzie by 9 seconds after a furious gybing duel. In the final match a big shift to the left exaggeraed the final result with a 3 minute 17 seconds win, giving Steven the series.

“We are really pleased to have won the CentrePort Championships. There has been some tight racing out there this past four days and it is a great feeling to win on our home turf” said a delighted Steven at the end of racing.

In third place on the podium was the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club red team consisting of Tim Coltman, Michael Cook and Jackson MacFarlane. Coltman had a tougher time coming from one race down to ultimately win the sail off for third place with a 2-1 scorecard against a team from the Royal Sydney Yacht squadron, skippered by Jordan Reece.

Josh Porebski finished ahead in the fifth and sixth sail off against the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club team skippered by Jason Waterhouse.

It was an inter-club clash as Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron skippers Dan Pooley and Jamie Dawson faced off in the sail off for seventh and eighth with Pooley taking seventh place over his club-mate.

That is not the end of sailing for the squad. Steven now changes jobs from skipper to coach and takes a young team of women sailors to Auckland to compete in the New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championships then to Sydney to compete in the Harken International Women’s Match Racing Championships.

This result caps off a great season for sailors in the Wellington under 21 Match Racing squad. Teams have competed in five of the six regattas on the Trans Tasman circuit, winning three of the events, placing second in another and scoring two third places in a further two events.

Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club CEO Dean Stanley said “we are really proud of the achievements of our young Wellington Sailors this season. They have out performed all other clubs on the circuit this year.”

“Their results are a real tribute to the vision of the Port Nicholson Yachting Trust in partnership with the Wellington City Council Talent Development Programme. Both groups have shown strong belief in the potential of these sailors and their support over a number of years is really beginning to pay dividends.”