Ashley dominates on water as elite sailors breeze in | Bay of Plenty Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Bay of Plenty

He's only been on an RS:X board for four months but Sven Pedersen's sailing education got a major boost over the weekend.

The 16-year-old Tauranga windsurfer got to share the water with Olympic champion Tom Ashley, national champion Jon-Paul Tobin and visiting Italian representative Flavia Tartaglini at the North Island championships.

Admittedly he was starting in the second flight, five minutes behind the open men, but to see Ashley up close, zipping across Tauranga Harbour in perfect 15-knot westerlies was an undoubted thrill.

"It was amazing just to watch him on the water - you improve so much by just seeing what they do at that sort of level," Pedersen (pictured right) said.

"The other great part about it is that I live in Tauranga but it was the first time I've actually raced here.

"It was a nice change not to have to go up to Auckland and compete and it was a nice wind to sail in."

Ashley agreed. The 25-year-old cleaned up in yesterday's three races after sharing Saturday's spoils with Tobin and Aucklander Antonio Cozzolino, although Tobin had to pull out of the last two races yesterday with a broken batten.

After the best part of a year out of the sport, Ashley was just glad to be back on the briny.

"There were just as many cobwebs as I thought, possibly more, but it was really good fun and I had a great time," Ashley said. "They were great conditions."

Auckland's Steffanie Williams  claimed the women's title, winning four of the six races, although she benefited from the withdrawal of rival Kate Ellingham with injury.

Ellingham wasn't alone - several novice sailors ended up back on shore with slings and bandages after high-speed spills as the crafts explored the limits of their wind range.

Williams herself has only just recovered from a broken wrist while another top New Zealand female, Justina Sellars, recently dislocated her shoulder for the third time.

Pedersen used the regatta as part of his buildup to the Sail Auckland and national championship events in February, which double as the two selection events for the national youth squad and entry into the world championships.

That could be some way off, however, with his training regime limited by boarding at St Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton.

"It makes it a bit hard to train without a decent body of water handy but I  I do all my fitness work during the week, heading to the gym and going for three or four runs.

"I've only been in the RS:X for four months, having moved up from the Techno ranks, and I'm not doing that well at the moment but hopefully I'll get better soon."

National coach Dave Robertson, who works with Ashley, Tobin and Cozzolino, came away beaming after Tauranga's first taste of hosting the North Island regatta.

"We had two really good days of training and these two days of racing have been awesome as well," Robertson said. "We've been here four days and every session has been spot-on.

"This has been a great little trip away and we try to do this once or twice a year so we'd definitely consider it again."

The other title went to under-19 RS:X sailors Oliver Gunman and Lucy Driver, under-17 Techno competitors Tim Driver and Izzy Hawkins and Mitchell Rutter and Xanthe Bowater in the under-15 Techno division.