Sisters Kate and Greta Stewart will have plenty of exciting news to share with their Warwick Academy classmates when the next school semester begins in the new year.

The daughters of Ian Stewart, the Oracle Team USA base manager, secured a podium finish after winning bronze competing on home waters in the 29er skiff in Auckland, New Zealand, at the Aon Youth World Sailing Championships.

The pair also won bronze at the previous championships in Malaysia.

“It feels amazing to have got our second youth worlds medal,” said crew Kate, who is the deputy head girl at Warwick and the elder of the siblings. “Of course we would have liked to have done better, but we’re still really happy and it’s such a great event to be a part of.”

Kate, 18, and Greta, 16, were the only members of New Zealand’s 13-member sailing team to win medals at the five-day championships, where Bermuda trio Cecilia and Michael Wollmann and Campbell Patton competed in the Nacra 15 and Laser Radial.

They entered the final day of the competition on Tuesday within striking distance of a silver medal which ultimately proved beyond their reach as a penalty took its toll.

“We had a nice start and were pretty well placed at the top mark, but we had to do turns which didn’t help us too much and it was hard to come back from there,” Kate added.

Dave Horan, the Warwick Academy principal, congratulated the siblings on their podium display at the championships, which is widely regarded as the pinnacle of youth sailing.

“The school is incredibly proud of the girls,” he said.

“It is great to know that their hard work and dedication has paid off for them.

“They are both exceptionally strong students and so it is nice to see that they, not only keep it together in the classroom, but out on the water as well.

“Kate is our deputy head girl and shows outstanding leadership qualities. I personally would like to congratulate both the girls on this achievement.”