Zhik Trans Tasman eSailing Champs: Meet the racers
by Yachting NZ 4 Jun 2020 19:40 NZST
The Zhik eSailing Trans Tasman Championships gets underway on June 7th © Yachting New Zealand
Coming up this Sunday June 7th, Zhik's Trans-Tasman eSailing Championships kicks off. Over the next few days, we will introduce you to the six sailors from New Zealand and six from Australia who will compete.
Remember, you can watch the live stream on the Yachting New Zealand Facebook page from 8pm. There's a $500 Zhik voucher up for the winner with $300 for second and $200 for third and the top five net scores from each country will count to see which nation comes out on top.
New Zealand
Seb Menzies
Age: 15
Club: Murrays Bay Sailing Club
eSailing boat name: Seb Menzies
Finishing position in Zhik New Zealand eSailing Challenge: 5
eSailing experience: 1 year
Regular sailing experience: I now sail a 29er and Waszp but started sailing when I was 8
Best result: My best result was winning the 2018 420 world championships with Blake McGlashan. We also won the boy’s 420 at the 2019 youth sailing world championships
Sailing ambition: To go to the Olympics
Ryan Tait
Age: 18
Yacht club: Paremata Boating Club
eSailing boat name: rynosailor
Finishing position in Zhik New Zealand eSailing Challenge: 6
eSailing experience: On and off for a few years. I played Sailx when it was around and joined Virtual Regatta a couple of years ago but have only really played it regularly in the last couple of months
Regular sailing experience: I started sailing an Optimist when I was 11 and have since sailed a Starling, 420 and E6 match racing and have since dabbled in Lasers and other boats.
Best result: Competing in the 2017 420 open world championships in Fremantle, when we came 39th overall. The experience of representing New Zealand after years of learning and improvement makes it my highlight.
Sailing ambition: My current focus is multisport (primarily training for the Coast to Coast) but I hope to get back to competitive sailing one day. For now I am coaching sailing instead and my sailing ambition at the moment is to provide young people in my area with the opportunities and experiences that I have been lucky enough to receive in my sailing life, by coaching and mentoring them.
Australia
Quinten Palmer
Age: 43
Club: Brisbane 18 Footers Sailing Club
eSailing boat name: Q47
Finishing position in Zhik Australian eSailing Challenge: 6th
eSailing experience: 12 months with a covid inspired improvement.
Regular sailing experience: 18ft skiff
Best result: Most recently, sailing yacht in Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island 2019 race weeks, finishing 4th in our division at both.
Sailing ambition: Getting back up to Hamilton Island in our new J122 and getting on the podium!
Liam Miller
Age: 15
Club: Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
eSailing boat name: I’m Sinking
Finishing position in Zhik Australian eSailing Challenge: 7th
Regular sailing experience: I'm currently sailing a 29er with Finn Meehan called WHAT
Best result: In 2019 it was finishing second in the Flying 11 Queensland Youth Week
Sailing Ambition: Solo foiling boat