Big boost for sailors

The Cook Islands yachting team for the South Pacific Games in Samoa in August has just received a tremendous boost.
This announcement came from the Office for the Minister for Sport Ngamau Munokoa. She revealed that on Thursday, Sailing Cook Islands President John Tierney advised that the team had been very fortunate to secure the services of renowned coach Rob Coutts to provide the team with his training and preparation programme.
Rob Coutts is the brother of Russell Coutts, the two time successful America’s Cup skipper.
Rob Coutts spends eight months each year as the Director of Sailing and Development at the prestigious Stamford Yacht Club in New York. He winters over back home in Waiheke Island, New Zealand.
In January and February 2007, the elite squad of Helema William, Taua Elisa and Junior David Charlie attended the Rob Coutts Sailing School in Waiheke. They competed in the Auckland Laser Champs, the Sail Auckland Olympic Class Regatta and the NZ Laser Class National Champs in Kerikeri in February 2007.
The squad competed excellently proving the skill and ability on the water and their high standards off the water. It was the talent of the team that convinced Coutts to continue training the Games squad.
SKILL
He will be in the Cook Islands between 16 April and 24 April to conduct another training and preparation programme and to assist in the selection trials for the team to Samoa. He will be accompanied by Karla Palmer.
During the team’s participation in races in Auckland, Coutts reported that the Cook Islands sailors were the most fantastic group of sailors he had taught.
They became the talk of Auckland and NZ Laser sailing. They beat the best in the world at times and shocked many well known far more experienced sailors.
Even Russell Coutts was cheering for them and remarked that they had so much talent, look out NZ and the world, here comes the Cook Islands, Coutts said.
UNBEATEN
For the record, Taua Elisa was unbeaten against the other Pacific nations and at times beat the best NZ sailors.
Junior Charlie won second place in the 4.7 class and won a coveted Laser Cube Trophy for outstanding achievement.
Helema William won second place in the women’s Radial class and stunned her competitors.
All three, who hail from the Manihiki Sailing Club, are on scholarship at Tereora College. In New Zealand the team was managed by Cathy William, the Club captain of the Manihiki sailing Club.
The sailing squad is Helema William, Taua Elisa, David Junior Charlie and Jan Sijp.
Sailing Cook Islands is now seeking sponsorship for the squad and fund raising events are planned. They include a special dinner at Sails Restaurant on 23 April. These very talented sailors are most deserving of support.

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