Sailing champs take to waters at Akaroa this weekend | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

Normal service should resume at this weekend's Zephyr national sailing championship at Akaroa when four-times winner Glen McKenzie (left) competes.

The Christchurch teacher flunked last year's nationals because they were held in the North Island the weekend before school restarted.

However, victory in the South Island championship (four wins in five races) at Akaroa last month and his domination of the Canterbury championship races so far indicate he'll score top marks again.

As well as giving yachties lessons on the water, the 35-year-old is an innovator at work ashore.

The sports co-ordinator at Paparoa St School, he's been responsible for its unique three-year-old sports academy programme.

Last year that was extended to include remedial work as well as helping elite youngsters, and seeing children who lacked ball skills and confidence change and then bring their new confidence into the classroom gives McKenzie special pleasure.

"Sport is my passion and teaching is my passion, and to combine the two, I'm really lucky," he said.

Paparoa St is the only Christchurch primary to operate this programme, and McKenzie said he'd been very lucky having a supportive principal and board that "saw the vision."

However, with school out McKenzie has been studying diligently for the nationals, where six Auckland and four Hamilton sailors and several other out-of-town skippers will be in the expected fleet of 45 for the 49th contest.

Among the visitors are 25-year-old Hamilton sailor Mark O'Brien, experienced in a variety of dinghy classes, who won in McKenzie's absence last year.

"The competition is a lot tougher this year than it's ever been with new people coming into the class, and during racing it's a lot closer," said McKenzie.

"In the South Islands I was never ahead and had to catch up from behind."

McKenzie points to 22-year-old Matthew Hannah, who he trains with, and newcomers Mason Williams and Tristan Ornsby, as well as O'Brien, as threats.

And a former runner-up John Kennett was back in a boat borrowed from 2002 national champion Don Le Page, who can't sail because of a shoulder operation, he said.

McKenzie said the great thing about Zephyrs was that no matter where a sailor was in the fleet, he got close racing.

"In Canterbury the Zephyrs are the biggest fleet by far, and it's taken that image of an old man's boat away, and we've got young ones in the class."

However, as well as the youngsters there's a gallery of well-known veteran sailing names in the entry who'll contest masters honours behind the championship contenders.

They include 1989 champion Bill Beere who's chalked up decades in the class, former national R class and Phoenix champion Andy Holland, Tony Park, and Ron Mackie. At 72 Mackie is the oldest entrant and 50 years older than the youngest, Hannah.

Brenda Wenham is the only female skipper this time. Already 20 or so local sailors are planning to go to the 50th contest in Auckland next year, and the class looks set for a robust future.

The first hull has come off a new jig in Auckland -- and been inspected by designer Des Townson to ensure the lines he drew by hand in the 1950s match what the computer produced.