Westlake Boys High School and Westlake Girls High School combined to make 2026 a clean sweep for the Westlake Schools, with the Boys claiming the overall New Zealand Secondary Schools Team Sailing Championship and the Girls extending their Women's division reign to four consecutive titles. Both events were decided at Parua Bay, where Sail Northland and Whangarei Cruising Club, in partnership with the New Zealand Team Sailing Association, hosted 28 teams drawn from across the country.
Racing ran over five days, from Tuesday 14 April through to finals day on Saturday 18 April, with competitors sailing modified 420-type boats. The week produced 269 races in total, though not without its challenges. At one end of the weather spectrum, racing was abandoned when winds climbed above 30 knots; at the other, crews spent lengthy periods waiting for a light Northland breeze to establish itself sufficiently to get underway.
Auckland Grammar School looked the team to beat through Stage 1, which was structured around a hybrid Swiss League format. Grammar's record was flawless at that stage, 18 wins from 18 rounds, with Westlake Boys close behind on 15 wins and Westlake Girls third on 13. The finals rounds told a very different story, reshuffling the order considerably. Westlake Boys overhauled Auckland Grammar to take the overall title, and Macleans College stepped onto the podium in third place.
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The Women's division result was equally decisive. Westlake Girls High School won the grade for the fourth consecutive year, cementing their standing as the competition's standout programme in that championship. Nelson College for Girls finished as runner-up, with Whangarei Girls High School rounding out the top three. Rangitoto College claimed the Silver fleet title, while Nelson College for Girls took the Bronze fleet honours.
