The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT took them two days to make their way here from ‘Down Under,’ but the New Zealand team is ready to begin competition this weekend in the 2019 Optimist North American Sailing Championships.

The 13-member contingent, featuring four sailors, were the first team here, arriving in town on Saturday and are taking in the atmosphere at the Nassau Yacht Club as they await the arrival of the remaining teams.

The championships, the largest to be staged in the Bahamas, is scheduled for September 27 to October 4 and will involve more than 160 junior sailors from 20 countries around the world.

David Kayrouz, the head of the delegation from New Zealand, said their sailors had to go through their national championship to be selected and having emerged as the cream of the crop, they are here to carry their flag in the competition.

Libby Porter, New Zealand’s coach, said their sailors are eagerly looking forward to competing here.

“It’s very nice, nice warm cool air, really excited to be here,” Porter said. “We are just waiting to get started in the competition and see how well they do. But we hope that every one of them will do very well.

“Our sailors have competed outside of New Zealand before, so they are familiar with the conditions they have to face. But we like it here. Everything has been going very well.”

All four sailors, three of whom are out of Auckland, have indicated that after the long trek here, they can’t wait to compete.

“It’s really warm and nice here,” said Jasper Camenzind, a 10-year-old, who has been competing for the past four years. “I am really looking forward to sailing and seeing some of the other competitors.”

Louie Poletti, the only competitor who does not hail from Auckland, but out of Picton, said after sailing for the past four years, he can’t believe that he’s in the Bahamas competing.

“It’s really nice and warm and the water is so clear and blue,” stated the 13-year-old. “I can’t wait to get in it. I feel that we have a team that will do very well when the competition starts.”

Valentine Kayrouz, another 13-year-old also in his third year of sailing, said it’s good that they have a couple of days to relax and enjoy themselves before the competition gets underway.

“There is so much for us to do. We are just trying to take it all in,” he said. “I think that we have a very good team and we will perform very well in the competition.”

And Tian Lo, the oldest member of the team at age 14, said this is the biggest trip that he has been on and he’s going to make the best of his experience here in the Bahamas.

“We came all the way here to win and we will do our best,” Lo said. “I’m looking forward to the competition and the rest of the teams that we will compete against.”

Team Bahamas, which has been affected by the passing of Hurricane Dorian in Abaco and Grand Bahama, will be managed by Rhianno Thomas from Hope Town, Abaco.

The team members are captain Joshua Weech, Kaemen Floyd, Craig Ferguson, Cameron Eldon, Finley Labert McKinney, Jasmin Aberle, David Huber, Maison Koepke, Zane Munro, Matthew Reid, Patrick Tomlinson, Saoirse Duffy, Amy McSweeney, Mary Jac Nash, Scarlett McCarroll and Conry Raine.