Otumoetai College student Coral Headey has won an international windsurfing regatta only ten months after taking up the sport.

Coral, 14, was first girl in an 18 board-fleet at the New Caledonian Youth Windsurfing Championships on November 2-4.

Otumoetai College student Coral Headey sails in Noumea at the New Caledonian Youth Windsurfing Championships.

Coral competed as part of a five member New Zealand team of two boys and three girls.

She represented Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club, where she learnt to windsurf benefitting from the Bay of Plenty Sailing Academy Trust's investment in the Bic Techno T293 one design race boards and the club's extensive formal training programme.

'I saw a sea snake, a dolphin and a flying fish,” says Coral after the final day.

'We did this really long race, the upwind was around 1.5 kilometres and we had to do a slalom downwind and then up to the finish.

'It counted as double points. All races we did today had two slalom legs then a downwind and we had to pass through gates at certain times, it was so confusing but I did well enough to win. Now the regatta is over we are going shortboarding tomorrow or will be going to Duck Island off Anse Vata Beach.”

The three day racing schedule immediately followed on from a four-day training clinic with top level French Olympic coaches for the group of 10-16-year-olds.

In the racing, a wide range of conditions tested the sailors' capabilities with up to six races a day over the three-day regatta, says Coral's mum Christine Headey.

'Noumea enjoys regular sea breezes of 15-25 knots, so the young sailors relied on good techniques to handle their large 6.8m and 7.8m rigs in those conditions, when most adult windsurfers would have changed down to smaller sails.”

Christine says the Kiwi kids love the speed, physicality and relaxed camaraderie that Techno windsurfing offers.

They can be sailed in 3-25 knots with one design equipment and sails, and have well attended regattas all over New Zealand.