Ryan Amlehn World Champion

Shuttersport’s Marc Palmano talks with local lad Ryan Amlehn whom recently returned from the World Laser 4.7 Youth Championship, sailed off the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, South Pattaya in Thailand with the U16 winner’s trophy in hand.

Ryan, when and where did you start sailing and what was it or who was it that sparked your interest in sailing?
I was about 8 or 9, my Dad used to work for Sealords on the boats and he thought  I might be interested in sailing so he enrolled me in the ‘learn to sail’ course at Nelson Yacht Club.  My younger brother started as well but quit after a while.  My mum has always supported my sailing and has always been there for me to take me to and from training.

The first boat I owned was a second hand Viking that I quickly and embarrassingly found out to have a leak between the hull and deck, tell me about your first boat.
It was a black wooden Optimist named ‘OPTICAL’.   Had it for one season then moved onto fibreglass Opti, which was much lighter and more competitive.

Did you follow the classic Kiwi progression from Optimist, P Class to the Laser?
Sort of, I raced Optis for while then tried the P class for one season and competed in the National’s which were here in Nelson, finishing down the fleet.  I didn’t like the P that much so move dback to the Opti until I was about 14 when I moved to the Laser 4.7.

My first races, in a Phase 2 in Auckland, both resulted in being towed back by the safety boat, due to a busted kicking strap and being overpowered by the conditions, when did you start racing, which boat, and how did your first few races go?
I think my first regatta was at Lake Rotoiti in 2004.  It was extremely gusty with the wind coming from all directions and the racing was abandoned due to the rough conditions.

And where did you win your first race and which regattas have you sailed in NZ ?
I won my first race in Nelson.  In the Opti I have sailed Nationals at Taipa, Torbay, Napier, Christchurch and Wellington.

How long have you been racing in the Laser 4.7?

Just this season.  At the start of the season I had to choose between the Laser 4.7 and the Starling.  I chose the 4.7 as it is an international class.

How big is the Laser 4.7 fleet in Nelson?
There are about 13 or 14 boats, we train on Wednesdays and race on Saturdays.

How often are you out on the water and do you have a set training regime?

Three of four times a week.  Wednesday is  training for the whole fleet, Saturday is race day and Sunday is teams racing, followed by a one on one session with our coach Charlie Strong. I also go to the gym three or four times a week with my mates.

Let’s talk about your success at the World’s.  What was the pathway for being selected and what did you feel when you knew you would be going?

The NZ Laser Association accepts nominations and then makes selections based on results.   I won the South Island Championships in December 2009 and then came second overall (first in U18 class) at the Nationals in January 2010.

After the Nationals Dad rang to say “it’s all good to go to the World’s”.  I was pretty happy to get to go to Thailand.

Have you travelled before, and had you been to the East?
I’ve been to Italy, Slovenia and New Caledonia World’s representing New Zealand in the Optimist.  We stopped over in Shanghai briefly on one trip.

What were your first impressions of Thailand?
Really hot, a wave of heat hits you when you walk out of the airport.  The people were friendly especially the taxi drivers and at the Yacht Club.

How many representatives from NZ were there, and what size was the fleet in your class?
There were 3 of us, one in Under 18 and Ben Whiteside and me in the Under 16’s.  There were 30 boats in my fleet and 46 in the U18.  Ben  finished  5th in my fleet  and Dylan was 25th in his.

How were the conditions compared with sailing here in Nelson?
There were southerlies every day during the regatta which was very similar to the Nelson sea breeze outside The Cut.  The wind strength was typically 10 knots building to 15 in the afternoon, with 20 knots for the last race.   There was a bit of a short step chop and some wake from the ferries leaving Pataya but it was okay.

Recount the race series, were you always in control or was it nip & tuck?  Who was your closest rival?
A Thai lad was winning early on but he was disqualified for being overage.  I was leading the series all the way but Mark Spearman, an Aussie, was never more than a few points away.

Does any particular race standout and if so why?
Yes, the second to last.  I was winning by a good margin and I knew it would increase my lead over Mark to 2 points going into the last race.

Looking at the series results Race 9 looks intriguing as you and Mark and several other top performers finished down the fleet, what happened?
The leading group went way left and got picked up by a strong current plus a wind shift that took us past the mark so we had to reach in, leaving the rest of the fleet to sail past.

Tell me at what stage did you think, I’ve won this?
Not until rounding the last mark of the final race.  With three legs to go Mark was leading and I was back in 4th.  I managed to work myself up to 3rd by the next mark then 2nd by the final mark which I knew would be good enough to win the series.

How did your friends react on your return home?
Not sure.  They joked I had a ‘big head’ but they always take things way out of proportion.  But they were pleased for me.

And finally Ryan what’s next for you sailing wise?  Will you stay with Lasers or are you looking at other classes?
I’ m moving up to  the Laser radial for the coming season and hope to compete in the Nationals at Torbay, the North Islands at Taupo and the South Island champs in Nelson.
I’d like to go to the Olympics, probably in the full rig Laser, but that is some way off just yet.

Ryan, thank you for very much for your time, all of us at Shuttersport.co.nz wish you the best for the future.

The results show just how tight the series was:

FINAL RESULTS
8 April 2010
Results Under 16 Mixed
Scores take into account 2  discards

Click here to see the official event site

Be sure to check back regularly on Shuttersport for the latest you news of Ryan's sailing career