Big turnout of Paper Tigers for Lake Ngaroto Grand Prix round

7:52 PM Sat 28 Nov 2009 GMT

'Mark Bell of Auckland on his way to winning the Paper Tiger Lake Ngaroto Regatta' Ross Wrenn Click Here to view large photo

A good turnout of 23 Paper Tiger catamarans from all over the North Island descended on Lake Ngaroto just north of Te Awamutu for round two of the North Island Grand Prix series.

The event was convincingly won by 2006/2007 National Champ Mark Bell of Auckland, carding a 1,1,3,2,1,3, Hayden Roulston of Napier was second with 8,3,1,1,2,6 and multiple Nationals winner Terry Valder of Auckland scoring a very consistent 2,2,2,4,3,4 in the sometimes tricky conditions. The class has been enjoying strong growth in recent years on both sides of the Tasman at a time when many indigenous classes are struggling to maintain participation, with a number of new boats hitting the water over the last few seasons.

Mark Bell of Auckland on his way to winning the Paper Tiger Lake Ngaroto Regatta - Ross Wrenn Click Here to view large photo

The 2009 Nationals in Nelson attracted 45 entries, an impressive turnout for a class that has most of its strength in the North Island, although the South Island fleet is also experiencing a growth spurt, with good second-hand boats in high demand.

The 2010 Nationals will be sailed at Napier in early January, with the club also hosting the Internationals over Easter, where a fleet of 10 top finishers from the Australian Nationals will compete with the Kiwi top ten and a number of invitation skippers for the individual and Teams Trophies.

by mark bell