YACHTING NEW ZEALAND

Media Release
14 May  2002
Forwarded By: Esther Melville
Email: esther@yachtingnz.org.nz
Telephone: 64 9 488 9325 exn 808
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For Immediate Release


Press Release
14 May 2002

The Worser Bay Boating Club is rapt with the announcement that one of its members, World OK Dinghy Champion Greg Wilcox has been named one of the three finalists in the Newstalk ZB Wellington Sportsman of the Year Award.

Greg Wilcox won his World title in Napier in January of this year, from a particularly strong field of 79 competitiors with sailors from 16 countries. The field included three past World Champions, from Denmark, Australia and Germany.

Greg said that an intensive season of training had paid off, and felt that Wellington Harbour, and particularly Worser Bay had provided him with a great training ground. "We're very lucky with our facilities here, and easy
access to the water. I was also lucky with the calibre of local competition". Paul Rhodes, one of Greg's long time training partners, also achieved a top performance in the contest.

Greg has previously competed in a number of the World Championship events, but to date his best placing had been  4th in England in 1983.

Greg is a Breaker Bay resident and long time member of the Worser Bay Boating Club. Greg is currently on the club's executive committee, as well as providing  coaching assistance with the Club's junior sailing programme. He is employed in his own sailing making business.

Worser Bay's Commodore Heleen Visser said that the achievement is a great inspiration for other club members, and felt it was a boost for the sport of sailing generally. Other finalists in the Wellington Sportsman of the Year category are  rookie golf pro Gareth Paddison, and Oceania Karate Champion Tyron Edwards.

The awards ceremony is  to be held on the 29th of May, at the Duxton Hotel in Wellington.


Further information contact:

Commodore: Vice Commodore:
Heleen Visser Maurice Scott
(04) 972-3326 (home) (04) 934-9966
(04) 463-8308 (work)