2025 NZ Finn National Champs 2 – 4 March 2025

2 March and day 1 of the nationals dawned fine with light winds from the west. The “it’s never normally like this cry” echoing around the boat park as 4 sailors (including 2024 National Champion Richard Hawkins hailing from Port Chalmers YC) joined the 17 who’d contested the North Island champs. With the wind and tide playing ball three 45-minute races were completed with Ray, Richard and Mark ending the day within 1 point off each other in the lead. Placings 4-8 were close behind. Consistency in the conventional sense was hard to find. The consensus being if you finished all races in the top 8 then you were doing well. Three different race winners emerged (from various corners of the race course) and comprised Richard Hawkins, Ray Hall and Dan Bush….Bushy sailing a cracker to dominate race 2. This racing was definitely not for the faint hearted or those suffering from nervous disorders! Cool heads and self-belief (often in the face of overwhelming despair while waiting for that final shift that you just “knew” was there to materialise before the finish) won the day.
Day 2 (Moving Day) dawned with everything to play for, and Ray Hall made his move, dishing out a lesson in consistency to the fleet. Two firsts and a 4th putting him in a very commanding position heading into the final days racing. His club mate Karl Purdie also having a good day moved into 2nd with Lucas Prescott 4th (suffering the 3rd race blues which otherwise would have seen him much higher) and Richard Hawkins hanging in there at 3rd. Mark Perrow with 8th, 8th and 9th had a day he’d rather forget after dominating the earlier regatta scoreboard. However, such is the nature of sailing at Waiuku where risks are rewarded and more conservative, mid-course sailing severely punished. You pay your money and take your (educated guess) chances at this venue!
The legendary mermaid of Waiuku showing she had no local favourites with Mark Perrow suffering her wrath for failing to make adequate sacrifice …. Ray’s salted caramel muesli bars obviously finding favour with her fickle, wilful wiles!
Day 3 and we all knew these last 3 races were crucial…. for Ray a victory would be a fitting culmination of 18 years of effort, for the rest us redemption was on the line. Ray nailed it in the first 2 races without having to sail the last with an ever-consistent 2nd and 3rd followed by a victory lap 2nd in the final. Richard finding the fresher breezes to his liking scored 1st, 9th and 1st for second overall with Karl having a less than stellar day just managing to cling to 3rd from a fast-charging pack. Third to seventh only 5 points apart in the results.
Our Aussie mates performing admirably for Waiuku first timers finishing 4th (John Warlow, and winner of the International Trophy for first non NZer) and 7th (Lucas Prescott). Their presence certainly added to the event with Lucas taking out a mortgage and owning the course right side. A huge thanks for making the trip over the ditch.
At the end of the day a very worthy and deserving new champion was crowned and will add his name to the national trophy alongside the crème de la crème of past NZ yachting champions. This is truly a trophy you want to see your name on. It’s worth noting Russell Coutts won an Olympic Finn gold medal but he never managed to win our Finn nationals.
As always “if it turns out you don’t win and there is more to Finn sailing than getting your name on the tin” (Brendon Hogg lyric, visit attached facebook link) everyone had a fantastic social time as well. The pre- and post-race food and beer was truly outstanding and although it’s an often-mentioned cliché we all say with great feeling…. thanks so much to the ladies in the kitchen run by Dawn – an outstanding effort. The dinner at The Kentish and BBQ at the club were attended by everyone with a great time had by all. It’s worth noting some of the ladies also brought our beach trolleys in/out during boat retrieval/launching, now that is dedication to the smooth running of a regatta. The fleet would also like to thank Hoggy (aka Wrecker) for the tunes provided at the end of each racing day capturing many key moments.

Our race officer was Sacha Mc Gregor, she did a stellar job completing the 15-race format in often demanding circumstances. She provided that rare combination of listening to the sailors but also remaining firmly in charge. A finer race officer would be hard to find – Sacha a huge thank you from all of us! Thankyou also to SailLens Photography for the brilliant picture galleries produced each day.
As always also a very big thanks to Mr Waiuku himself, the one and only Alan Dawson (Dawsey). Unfortunately, unable to sail himself he set to helping run/organise the regattas, without him they would not have been the memorable events they were. On a personal note, the author would like to once again express his gratitude to Dawsey for the lend of his restored Finn over the 5-day period, there’s life in that old girl yet mate!
The fleet now looks forward to the next nationals in Nelson (tentatively) this November prior to about 18 sailors then containering their boats to Brisbane for the Aussie Nats, Finn Gold Cup and Finn World Masters to be held at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron during February 2026.
A final word for Waiuku…. we came, we saw and we were conquered! Truly this venue cannot be beaten for its hospitality and sheer mind bendingly, challenging nature. Sailing would be bloody boring if every venue was the same and this course is definitely not that. Grass roots sailing at its very best where everyone has a chance. In the end though given enough races the good sailors still tend to rise to the top.