Big day for the NZL Sailing Team in Rio

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Issue date

17 Aug 2015

It was a big day at 2015 Rio Test Event on now in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with racing in all ten Olympic events being contested this week.

New Zealand has the early lead in the Nacra 17 class after Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (pictured above) started the regatta with a couple of great races. 49erFX crew Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech had a similar day with two excellent results from their three races to hold 2^nd overall, while in the 49er Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are in 3^rd overall.

Nacra 17

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders lead in the Nacra 17 event after kicking off the regatta with two 2^nd places in races one and two.

“We sailed really well in the first two races, we had two great starts and sailed the shifts well. It was tough out there with the sea breeze but we managed to sail the conditions really well,” says Saunders.

“We had a little problem after the start and I fell off the trapeze and into the water, so we were a bit behind from there and it was pretty hard to catch up.”

Gemma Jones adds, “It was a good day overall, those things happen. We’re going really well and starting well, and really switched on which is good leading into the rest of the week.”

“Tomorrow we’re on the bridge course and it will be completely different conditions down there and hopefully another good day.”

49er

A mid-afternoon start for the 49ers meant they were the only class not to complete a full schedule of racing only managing two before the light faded and they came ashore.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have made a solid start and are in 3^rd overall, placing 2^nd in the opener then 6^th in race two.

49erFX

Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech are lying 2^nd overall in the 49erFX at the end of day one. The 19 boat women’s skiff fleet sailed three races today and the New Zealand pair opened strongly with two excellent results notching up a 3^rd in the opening race, then a win in race two.

A 15^th in race three came after they didn’t get off the start line the way they wanted, but Maloney and Meech still look good in the overall standings because the first discard is already in play.

“It was a great way to start the day and leading into the third race we had some confidence going into it but just didn’t quite execute our game plan,” says Molly Meech.

“That win in race two was actually a bit unexpected,” continues Meech. “We were in 3^rd or 4^th going round the mark in the last downwind and we played a few shifts right and we managed to take it at the end which was nice.”

About conditions on the Escola Naval course she says, “It was pretty good, we had around 10 knots to start off with and quite a strong incoming current which made it tricky on the start line, but it was actually really nice sailing conditions.”

“Tomorrow we head out to Niteroi course, that’s outside in the waves so that will be quite interesting for the FXs, hopefully the breeze doesn’t pick up too much. It should be really fun.”

Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) were the best performers of the day and lead the class at this early stage with a 1, 2, 3 on the water today.

Women’s 470

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie are underway, sailing two races on day one of the regatta. They placed 4^th in race one and then 12^th in race two climbing back through the fleet as the race progressed.

They’re 7^th overall on the leader board with plenty of racing yet to come.

"We were miles out to sea today for our first day of racing. It was absolutely beautiful out there! Blue sky, blue water... Just lovely!! Our actual day of racing on the other hand was not quite so picturesque.""

"The first race went just fine, and we sailed a solid race to finish 4th, then the next race was all very tight coming in to the first top mark when we made a bit of an uncharacteristic mistake and infringed another boat, so did the right thing and went straight into a two turn penalty. The fleet was so tight that when we finished that one we were exactly second to last."

"From there it was damn hard to come back, we probably could have got back a little better than we did, but it just wasn't to be.. Even when the wind completely died on the finish line and we all drifted over in a pack.. We couldn't actually make up any real numbers.. So not the best way to finish off the first day of racing!"

"But, at least it is only the first day, plenty more to come, we will try and tidy up a few things and see where that gets us!"

Men’s 470

In the men’s fleet New Zealand’s Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox are in 14^th overall after their first day of competition.

Like the women they sailed two races today. In race one they were 17^th, bouncing back with a 10^th in race two.

Finn

In the single-handed men’s heavyweight dinghy Josh Junior is lying 8^th overall at the end of day one. In today’s two races the 25 year from Wellington placed 7^th then 10^th.

He describes his day as average; “I think I got myself into some good positions and then made just one mistake up the second beat in the second race. But, I’m still in the hunt, so looking forward to tomorrow.”

“It was a bit of a one way track, a procession out to the right so everyone tacked over ten minutes that way then tacked over and went ten minutes back to the top. Follow the leader stuff.”

Laser

It was day two for Laser sailor Andy Maloney who had mixed results on the water with a 9^th and a 22^nd in today’s two races sailed on the outside Niteroi course where winds were described as funky.

He is in 8^th overall and will be back on the water for more racing tomorrow before the Laser fleet have a reserve day scheduled.

2015 Rio Test Event, Rio de Janeiro
The NZL Sailing Team current standings

1^st Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders - Nacra 17 (2, 2, 14)
2^nd Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech - 49erFX (3, 1, 15)

3^rd Peter Burling and Blair Tuke - 49er (2, 6)
7^th Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie - Women’s 470 (4, 12)
8^th Josh Junior - Finn (7, 10)
8^th Andy Maloney – Laser (11, 6, 9, 22)
14^th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox - Men’s 470 (17, 10)