Sailor Profile | Amelia Otto-Birrell

Amelia Otto-Birrell, 21,  has been a part of NPYC since 2023 when she moved to Taranaki from Napier. She’s an amazing member of our coaching team, sharing her knowledge and expertise with the Optimists, Starlings, Women on Water, Adult Learn To Sail and the High School Sailing Teams.

Amelia is very active and loves being outside. She’s a 3rd year nursing student at WITT. She loves spending time with her husband Caleb Otto-Birrell and their two dogs, Brin and Xena. Amelia also likes to read and is currently working on writing a novel.

Please enjoy reading her SAILOR PROFILE

😀Name: Amelia Otto

🎂Age: 21

🏠Hometown: Napier

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family members: Emily (Mama), Philipp (Papa), Brianna (Sister), Zarah (Sister)

❤️Relationship: Married - Caleb Otto-Birrell

👷‍♀️Occupation: Student, Aqua Fitness Instructor, Lifeguard, Pool Receptionist and Learn to Swim Instructor

🏅Sports: Sailing, Netball, Canoe Polo

🐕Pets: Xena and Brin (dogs)

⛵️Boat: ILCA 6, Barefoot - Hartley 16

❓️When and why did you start sailing?

• I started sailing when I was 8yrs old at the Napier Sailing Club LTS, because my sisters and dad were sailing and I wanted to start as well. 

• I sailed sporadically over the next few years, but committed to the sport when I started high school at 12yrs to sail with my sisters in 420 teams racing for the school. 

• Since then, I progressed from teams racing to fleet racing, going through the Starling and then ILCA.

❓️What do you love about sailing?

• I love being out in the fresh air.  Being able to manage myself and my boat on the ocean is quite a cool feeling. I don’t just sail to race. I quite like solo sails where it is just me out on the water.

  
  

❓️What boats have you sailed?

• Optimist, Starling, Sunburst, 420, ILCA, Europe, Hartley 16, Nacra 17,

Hobie 16, 16ft & 18ft Skiff, Elliott 5.9 & 6.

❓️What are some of your favourite places to sail?

• Napier, Nelson, Taupō

  
  

❓️Please share some favourite sailing memories?

• I am lucky enough to have met my husband Caleb through sailing, at 420 Teams racing nationals, which we both attended in 2022 when we were 17. We were captaining rival teams and came together through mutual friends and then developed our relationship from there ❤️

• Being a part of the 2018 Napier Girls’ High School 420 Teams Racing team, when we were the first Girls team to win the Central North Islands.  We won ‘Top Girls Team’ at the Nationals and placed 8th in the Gold Fleet.  We then continued on to the Interdominions against Australia, where we were Top Girls again, which helped New Zealand take the win over Australia!

  
  

❓️What is your favourite boat to sail?

• Probably the 420, because you can sail with a friend and it’s a pretty versatile boat if you hook up the spinnaker or go on the trapeze. It’s also fun to handle in heavier conditions without becoming too overpowered. 

  
  

❓️Have you a story about a mishap out on the water and how you dealt with it?

• At the most recent regatta I sailed at, over King’s Birthday Weekend, I had just finished my first race, when my outhaul broke. Luckily, l always carry a spare strop with me and I was able to fix it in time for the next race. Unfortunately, after a capsize in the last race, I had some more trouble with it again.  Despite being in the cold water and falling well behind the fleet trying to fix it again, I still went on to finish the race 💪

  
  

❓️What is your connection to NPYC and when did you join?

• I joined the New Plymouth Yacht Club in the 2023/2024 season after I moved to New Plymouth, to live with my then boyfriend –now husband– Caleb.

  
  

❓️What's special about sailing in New Plymouth?

• New Plymouth is a beautiful place to sail, with the Sugarloaf islands, and rocky waterfront. Most of all I can never get over the stunning view of Taranaki Maunga from the water.

  
  

❓️How do you keep fit for sailing?

• Wall sits and duck walking is great for hiking 🦆

• I run a few times a week 🏃‍♀️

• Planks and hiking benches 

  
  

❓️Have you read or watched anything exciting about sailing you'd like to share?

• I like watching the Volvo ocean race highlights on youtube

  
  

❓️Have you got a dream within sailing?

• To make a family Teams Racing team with my Papa, 2 sisters, Brother In-Law and Caleb to compete at the Open 420 Teams Racing Nationals.

  
  

❓️Are you going to any regattas in the future?

• I compete in several regattas each season in both the H16 and ILCA.

• My next biggest sailing goal is to compete at the OK Dinghy Worlds in Napier in 2029, I am already training because I’m about 10kgs too light.

  
  

❓️Which regattas have you been to before?

• 420 Teams Sailing North Islands, Nationals, and Interdominions In Australia.

• Hartley 16 North Islands, and Nationals

• ILCA North Islands, and Nationals

• Starling traveller series events

• Europe Nationals (Amelia qualified for the Europe Worlds in 2022!)

• Other club and regional regattas

  
  

❓️Are you inspired by any particular sailors? Perhaps a female sailor?

• Antje Muller - Europe dinghy sailor who is also planning on competing at the OK Worlds 2029

• Greta Pilkington - NZ Olympic ILCA 6 sailor.

  
  

❓️You’ve been doing a lot of coaching for NPYC. How did you get into coaching? What do you enjoy about it? Any tips for aspiring coaches?

• I got into coaching with my best friend in Napier, when we were in high school, coaching the Napier Learn to Sail.

• It’s a rewarding experience watching the kid’s skills improve, and watching them perform at regattas.

• When you start off, make sure you shadow an experienced coach, get lots of feedback, listen to other people’s experiences, and record as many sailing drills as you can remember.  But most important of all, don't forget to put your bungs in…💧