NZL Mixed 470 crew make their mark at Kiel Week
by Julia Faire 29 Jun 15:10 BST
Tessa Clinton and Will Mason (NZL 28) - Mixed 470 - Kieler Woche - June 2026 © Sascha Klahn; Felix Diemer
Kiel Week 2026 delivered a strong statement from New Zealand’s newest Mixed 470 combination, with Tessa Clinton and Will Mason showing encouraging pace in their first international regatta together.
Held each June on the Baltic Sea, Kiel Week is one of sailing’s great international fixtures. The 2026 470 fleet brought together 29 mixed crews from Europe, Asia and Oceania, with four days of single-fleet racing deciding the top ten boats for Wednesday’s two-race final.
It has been some time since New Zealand was represented in the 470 class at Kiel Week, but Clinton and Mason made an immediate impression. The pair arrived in Germany as a fresh combination, having teamed up only four months earlier to take on the Olympic mixed 470.
The benchmark was high. The fleet included ambitious young teams and experienced competitors, including Olympic and World Championship medallists. For Clinton and Mason, Kiel brought several firsts: their first race in a 470, their international regatta together, their first 470 campaign at this level, and the international debut of the new Mackay-built M10 470.
Supported by coach Jenny Armstrong, the result was an impressive opening chapter in their 2028 Olympic campaign.
In light and tricky conditions, the New Zealanders posted five top-ten finishes from nine starts, including a standout third place. In the final race before the cut, they were again inside the top five when racing was abandoned due to a lack of wind. That lost opportunity proved costly, with the pair narrowly missing the top ten final and finishing 12th overall.
“It’s been a steep learning curve, and as the racing went on, we gained more and more confidence with our light-air performance,” said Clinton.
“It was a really tricky regatta given the light winds, but we’re stoked with our first international regatta sailing together,” added Mason.
The performance was also an encouraging first international outing for the Mackay M10 470. Developed by Mackay Boats for the modern mixed 470, the M10 is designed around coordinated body movement and pumping. Increased volume in the bow and stern, a wider cockpit, higher gunwales amidships and refined hull and deck shaping aim to deliver a stable, responsive platform across a wide range of trim demands. Kiel’s light air racing gave the new platform a useful early test.
Clinton and Mason now turn their attention to Poland and the 470 Junior World Championships for under-24 Mixed crews.
For more on the M10 by Mackay Boats mackayboats.com
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