Issue date
After another stunning day on Auckland’s Waitemata the scene is set for a great finale to 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland with the regatta set to wrap up tomorrow and the winners crowned after racing.
Find today's photo gallery here.
The close racing continued across all courses today. Our World Champion sailors including Aleh and Powrie, Burling and Tuke and Maloney and Meech are leading their respective fleets going into the final day tomorrow.
470: Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie have surfaced at the top of the 470 leader-board mastering today’s conditions better than any of their rivals in the 470 fleet. With two wins and a 2nd in today’s three races the Olympic and world champions have overtaken Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox for the overall lead.
For Snow-Hansen and Willcox, NZL Sailing Team men’s 470 pair, things just didn’t go their way today and they’re looking forward to hitting the race track tomorrow for a chance to improve. They are lying 2nd overall after a 3, 3, 5 in today’s three races.
Daniel Willcox, from Murrays Bay Sailing Club, says; “It wasn’t a day that we wanted, but I think we came out of it with good learnings so we’re positive looking forward. It was just a few mistakes here and there and you really paid the price for it today.”
“Tomorrow looks like a similar forecast so I think we just need to go into it with a pretty relaxed attitude and just really keep our heads out of the boat I think.”
Snow-Hansen adds; “In every race there was one critical decision at some point and it was very expensive if you got it wrong.”
Korea’s Cheul Yoon and Se In Yoon are in 3rd but share equal points with James Turner and Luke Stevenson which will make for an interesting final day to determine the podium places.
49erFX: Reigning World Champions Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech hold their overall lead in the 49erFX fleet going into the final day of racing tomorrow. Maloney says it was tricky on the course again today and it was Bekkering of the Netherlands who took out the first two of today’s four races.
But the young kiwi pair, came back with a couple of wins and now hold a nine point leading margin from Bekkering going into day four when the final placings will be determined. Australia’s Haylee Outteridge and Ella Clark are in 3rd place.
Laser: Leading from day one visiting international Rutger Van Scaardenburg from the Netherlands has continued his form into day three and looks hard to beat in the Laser class where 25 sailors are competing.
Van Schaardenburg, who placed 3, 6, 1 today and is nine points clear of New Zealand’s Andy Maloney (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) who had a 4, 1, 4 from today’s three races. In 3rd overall and in good shape for a podium finish is Mike Bullot, also from the Murrays Bay Sailing Club.
Laser Radial: Ryan Lo Jun Han, a youth sailor from Singapore, is now leading in the Laser Radial after a great day on the water with a gun and two 2nds. However his leading margin is a narrow two points with 2012 Olympian Sara Winther (Takapuna Boating Club) lying 2nd and in easy striking distance.
With Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club youth sailor Trent Rippey just one point further back from Winther, the final day of Laser Radial racing is likely to be intense.
Finn: After a clean sweep of wins yesterday from Josh Junior the pressure was on Andrew Murdoch to come out fighting on day three, and he did. Conditions were light for the opening race of the day but as the breeze filled in the final race provided free pumping conditions.
Murdoch (Kerikeri Cruising Club) describes the day; “I had a 2, 1, 1 and it was pretty close in that first one too, pushing JJ, so the Finn battle continues.”
Junior still holds the lead by three points though and Murdoch says; “I might end up running out of races but I’m happy with how I’m improving things.”
Junior, from the Worser Bay Boating Club, says; “It was pretty tricky like yesterday, and the day before - it was tough. Me and Andrew are going pretty even, and whoever makes the least mistakes wins and today he made a few less than me so he got a couple of wins, but that’s alright.”
He adds; “It’s been a really good week actually. Really tight, and we seem to get beaten to the top mark by the masters quite often – I don’t know what’s happening there, but we need to sort that out!”
Nacra 17: Nine races and nine wins put Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders in a commanding position in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull class. The pair are on track to make it a double victory in the National Championship, which they secured recently, here at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland in the new Olympic boat.
Rachel Basevi and Tomer Simhony are in 2nd, and Taylor Burn and Vicky Francis are in 3rd.
RS:X Windsurfing: JP Tobin continued his winning form in the men’s RS:X 9.5 wind-surfing looking to have the title in the bag. Kyounghwan Lee from Korea has been consistently placing 2nd, however today Tony Mackenzie from the Manly Sailing Club took a 2nd place in race two.
It was Natalia Kosinska’s day today in the RS:X 8.5, the NZL Sailing Team rider taking three race wins and leap-frogging youth entrant Patrick Haybittle for the overall lead. Her winning form sees her go into the final day of the regatta with a five point lead over Haybittle in 2nd with Joanna Sterling of Australia lying 3rd.
Paralympics Classes: Sonar, SKUD 18, 2.4mR
A match-racing dual took place on the Sonar course today with Rick Dodson and Callum Conroy going head to head. Dodson and his crew took the first and third races of the day and they retain their lead at the end of the penultimate day.
Tim Dempsey and Gemma Fletcher were dominant in the SKUD18 class winning all three races sailed today on their course area which enjoyed nice consistent breeze. Brendan Tourelle and Anna Ankersmit are four points behind the leaders.
Australia’s Matt Bugg relinquished his overall lead in the 2.4mR class to Brett Willcock who also took three wins from three races on day three. Bugg is now tied for 2nd place with Andrew May in provisional results.
Invited: 29er & 420, Hansa Liberty, Hansa 303
Oceanbridge Sail Auckland is a pinnacle youth regatta with New Zealand’s young guns vying for selection into the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team. As a result racing in the 29er and 420 classes (as well as the other youth divisions) is hard fought and closely watched.
Currently Micah Wilkinson and Jack Rogers lead in the 29er fleet from Markus Somerville Isaac McHardie lying 2nd. In the 420 Sam Barnett and Zak Merton are out in front from Brittany Wornall Emma Stenhouse.
John Buchanan has hit the lead in the Hansa Liberty class after securing three victories on the race track today which sees overnight leader Helena Horswell relegated to 2nd. Both are local sailors who represent the host Club – Royal Akarana Yacht Club.
In the Hansa 303 Tan Wei Qiang and Yap Qian Yin have lead from the outset and nothing changed today. They are looking good for overall victory.
2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland
Top three standings after day three (provisional)
Full results here
49er
1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (12 points)
2nd Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (23 points)
3rd Logan Beck and Jack Simpson (30 points)
49erFX
1st Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech (11 points)
2nd Annemiek Bekkering and crew (20 points)
3rd Haylee Outteridge and Ella Clark (31 points)
470
1st Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (12 points)
2nd Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox (16 points)
3rd Cheul Yoon and Se In Yoon (KOR) (22 points)
Laser
1st Rutger van Schaardenburg (NED) (18 points)
2nd Andy Maloney (27 points)
3rd Mike Bullot (32 points)
Laser Radial
1st Ryan Lo Jun Han (19 points)
2nd Sara Winther (21 points)
3rd Trent Rippey (22 points)
Nacra 17
1st Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (8 points)
2nd Rachel Basevi and Tomer Simhony (16 points)
3rd Taylor Burn and Vicky Francis (24 points)
Finn
1st Josh Junior (10 points)
2nd Andrew Murdoch (13 points)
3rd Karl Purdie (24 points)
RS:X 9.5
1st Jon-Paul Tobin (7 points)
2nd Kyounghwan Lee (14 points)
3rd Tony Mackenzie (21 points)
RS:X 8.5
1st Natalia Kosinska (12 points)
2nd Patrick Haybittle (17 points)
3rd Joanna Sterling (23 points)
420 – provisional
1st Sam Barnett and Zak Merton (13 points)
2nd Brittany Wornall Emma Stenhouse (17 points)
3rd Olivia Mackay Abby Goodwin (18 points)
29er
1st Micah Wilkinson and Jack Rogers (16 points)
2nd Markus Somerville and Isaac McHardie (19 points)
3rd William MacKenzie and Sam Simpson (26 points)
Kite-board
1st Torrin Bright (10 points)
2nd Brad Walker (27 points)
3rd Ben Turner (30 points)
Hansa Liberty
1st John Buchanan (16 points)
2nd Helena Horswell (19 points)
3rd Russell Phillips (AUS) (21 points)
2.4mR
1st Brett Willcock (12 points)
2nd Matt Bugg (AUS) (20 points)
3rd Paul Francis (20 points)
Skud 18
1st Tim Dempsey and Gemma Fletcher (10 points)
2nd Brendan Tourelle and Anna Ankersmit (14 points)
3rd Paul Wager and Jan Apel (26 points)
Sonar
1st Rick Dodson, John Weston and David Allerton (9 points)
2nd Callum Conroy, Pauline Eitjes and crew (11 points)
303 Double-handed
1st Tan Wei Qiang and Yap Qian Yin (9 points)
2nd Lim Kok Liang and Aaron Per Yong Quan (14 points)
3rd Sulaiman Bin Pungot and Low Mun Chong (24 points)
To follow the action head to sailauckland.org.nz - the up-to-the-minute website features a social media feed where competitors, supporters and volunteers posts using #sailakl on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will paint a real-time picture of what’s happening on the water.
About 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland
Oceanbridge Sail Auckland 2014 will take place at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club from the 1st – 4th February 2014.
The NZL Sailing Team are anticipated to feature strongly in what is the biggest Olympic and Paralympic class regatta in New Zealand, and alongside them will be New Zealand’s top developing youth sailors and keen competitors in a range of invited classes such as the OK Dinghy and A-Class catamaran.
All Olympic and Paralympic class boats are invited to take part: The Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, 470 Men, 470 Women, 49er, 49er FX, RS:X 8.5, RS:X 9.5, Nacra 17, Skud 18, 2.4mR and also other classes are encouraged: the OK Dinghy, 29er, 420, Liberty, Hansa 303, Kiteboards, F18 and A Class Catamaran.
Over four days of racing 11-15 races will take place for each fleet, and the format for all classes will be fleet racing with no medal race. All racing will take place in the Waitemata Harbour, in the surrounds of Rangitoto Island, North Head, Mechanics Bay and Browns Island.
Oceanbridge Sail Auckland is made possible only thanks to the contributions from principle sponsor Oceanbridge, and supporters: Sport New Zealand, Yachting New Zealand, Royal Akarana Yacht Club, Danske Mobler, The Landing and Orakei Marina. Equally important is a team of more than 50 volunteers that are behind the success of this regatta every year.
Media enquiries:
Jodie Bakewell-White
Jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz
021 709 065
Sailor enquiries:
Suellen Hurling
suellen@rayc.org.nz
021 892 004
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