Issue date
Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie are one step closer to claiming their first world title in the Olympic 470 class with just one day and one race remaining at the 2013 470 World Championships now coming to its conclusion in La Rochelle, France. Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox have scraped into the Men’s top eight and will be back on the race course tomorrow too.
The Women’s gold fleet sailed two races in La Rochelle today to determine the top eight pecking order ahead of tomorrow’s double-points medal race. 27 year-old Aleh and 25 year-old Powrie (Takapuna Boating Club/Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron) placed 13th and then 3rd and retain their overall lead going into the final day.
The reigning Olympic champs have 29 points and an 11 point margin over the next best placed team of Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar of Austria back on 40 points. Three further adrift in 3rd are the reigning European Champions and local heroes Camille Lecointre and Mathilde Geron and France who will be disappointed with their day five performance – their poorest of the series.
The non-discardable medal race is where the pressure really comes on with a shortened race course and incurring double-points. The Austrian, French and Chinese crews placed in 2nd, 3rd and 4th are all very close on points and the battle for the podium will be a hot one.
The last day of finals racing didn’t go all their way; “Race one was a bit of an annoying race of missed opportunities where we were actually up there, but just made a few bad calls and ended up rather deep trying to get back. We made it back to 13th eventually,” reports Jo Aleh.
“We had a much better second race where we just got clear off the start and kept our wits about us in what were some rather tricky conditions, with rain squalls and massive shifts, to round the top mark in 3rd. After a slightly scary second upwind leg, it just looked like boats were gaining from everywhere, we managed to hold on and finish 3rd.”
“It was however a tough day for all of our competitors as well, so we have managed to keep our lead.”
Paul Snow-Hansen (Wakatere Boating Club) and Dan Willcox (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) have recovered from 11th place in the Men’s Championship edging into the top eight medal race by a whisker.
In today’s opener they placed 18th and still had work to do, but a 2nd in the final determining race was enough to lift them into 8th overall by just two points from 9th. From where they sit now Snow-Hansen and Willcox could optimistically reach an end result of 6th, a very creditable showing for their first World Championship as sailing partners.
Australia’s Matt Belcher and Will Ryan have been dominant throughout and go into the medal race with the overall lead.
The other two New Zealand crews racing in the Men’s fleet were Francisco Lardies and Luke Stevenson who have placed 49th while Richard Power and John Power have ended the regatta in 100th.
2013 Women’s 470 World Championship (52 boats)
Top three standings…
1st Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) – 29 points
2nd Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (AUT) – 40 points
3rd Camille Lecointre and Mathilde Geron (FRA) – 43 points
2013 Men’s 470 World Championship (114 boats)
New Zealand’s current standings…
8th Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox (NZL) – 81 points
49th Francisco Lardies and Luke Stevenson
100th Richard Power and John Power
Coaches: Nathan Handley and Hamish Willcox
The schedule
5, 6, August: Qualifying Series
7, 8, 9 August: Final Series
10 August: Medal Race and Prize-giving
Links
Championship website
Yachting New Zealand website
NZL Sailing Team sailor profiles
NZL Sailing Team on Facebook
About the NZL Sailing Team
NZL Sailing Team includes New Zealand’s top Olympic campaigners who share the ultimate goal to win Olympic medals for New Zealand at the Rio Games in 2016.
NZL Sailing Team sailors all started out at grass roots yacht clubs around the country and with commitment, dedication and drive have risen to be world class athletes; they work hard in the gym, train long hours on the water and are supported by great coaches.
For more information contact
Jodie Bakewell-White
Communications Manager, Yachting New Zealand
E. jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz
M. 021 709 065
