Issue date
The Youth Sailing World Championships is not the usual time and place for a double-handed combination to have their first race together but that's the reality for New Zealand sailors Helena Sanderson and Cam McGlashan.
The pair teamed up in a Nacra 15 in March to prepare for this week's youth worlds and last night's three races were their first at a regatta together in the class. They came away sitting in sixth overall, leaving them in a handy position with four more days of racing at youth sailing's pinnacle event.
Sanderson and McGlashan were one of four New Zealand boats to sit in the top 10 after a tricky opening day at The Hague sailed in light 6-11 knot breezes, strong current and messy chop.
George Lee Rush and Seb Menzies are sixth in the boy's 29er, Hugo Wigglesworth seventh in the boy's kitefoiling and Lucas Day and Sam Scott ninth in the boy's 420.
Sanderson is one of two members of this year's NZL Sailing Foundation Youth Team who have previous youth worlds experience - Menzies is the other - having finished sixth in the Nacra 15 as a 15-year-old in 2019.
She's since competed in two Nacra 17 world championships and last week was part of the Live Ocean Racing team who finished second in the latest round of the ETF26 Grand Prix Series.
"I think it was a pretty solid first day," Sanderson said. "We kept it pretty simple and just chipped away. We were happy with our speed downwind, that’s where we can make a lot of gains, and have a few things to take through to the next few days.
"There were a few things today that kept us getting the top points so we’ll look to nail those over the next few days. We'll look to do the basics right and trust that the results will take care of themselves."
It's an approach that will be mirrored elsewhere in the team, especially as this is the first time New Zealand sailors have competed at the youth worlds in three years.
Light winds and confused seas are forecast for the second day of racing and race management have already announced delays for some classes in the hope more wind will arrive in the afternoon.
Results and standings after day 1 of the Youth Sailing World Championships in The Hague:
Boy's kitefoiling (19 boards)
1st: Maximilian Maeder (SGP) (3) 1 2 1 - 4 points
2nd: Riccardo Pianosi (ITA) 1 (2) 1 2 - 4 pts
3rd: Jakub Jurowski (POL) 2 3 3 (11) - 8 pts
7th: Hugo Wigglesworth (NZL) 9 (DNC) 7 7 - 23 pts
Nacra 15 (14 boats)
1st: Garcia de la Casa / Garcia de la Casa (ESP) 2 (4) 1 - 3 pts
2nd: Grandjean / Fehlmann (SUI) 1 (2) 2 - 3 pts
3rd: Rideau / Moreau (FRA) (4) 1 3 - 4 pts
6th: Helena Sanderson / Cam McGlashan (NZL) 5 (6) 4 - 9 pts
Girl's ILCA 6 (56 boats)
1st: Eve McMahon (IRL) 2 1 - 3 pts
2nd: Evie Saunders (AUS) 1 7 - 8 pts
3rd: Roos Wind (NED) 4 4 - 8 pts
37th: Teaghan Denney (NZL) 33 41 - 74 pts
Boy's ILCA 6 (61 boats)
1st: Sebastian Kempe (BER)1 1 - 2 pts
2nd: Yogev Alcalay (ISR) 5 3 - 8 pts
3rd: Ole Schweckendiek (GER) 8 2 - 10 pts
11th: Caleb Armit (NZL) 4 24 - 28 pts
Girl's 29er (23 boats)
1st: Gout / Babin (FRA) 1 1 (5) - 2 pts
2nd: Ichihashi / Goto (JPN) 2 (3) 2 - 4 pts
3rd: Stenhagen / Halstensen (NOR) 4 (UFD) 1 - 5 pts
21st: Lucy Leith / Lizzie Shapland (NZL) (20) 18 16 - 34 pts
Boy's 29er (24 boats)
1st: Videla / Funes de Rioja (ARG) (1) 1 1 - 2 pts
2nd: Devaux / Enael (FRA) (4) 3 2 - 5 pts
3rd: Sesto Cosby / Wilkinson (GBR) (17) 2 3 - 5 pts
6th: George Lee Rush / Seb Menzies (NZL) (7) 4 7 - 11 pts
Girl's 420 (21 boats)
1st: Wehrie / Rinn (GER) 5 1 - 6 pts
2nd: Maria Perelio Mora (ESP) 1 6 - 7 pts
3rd: Deguchi / Miyamoto (JPN) 4 4 - 8 pts
19th: Nicola Hume / Daniella Wooldridge (NZL) 21 17 - 38 pts
Boy's 420 (23 boats)
1st: Levy / Gal (ISR) 1 1 - 2 pts
2nd: Sotiriou / Michalopoulos (GRE) 5 4 - 9 pts
3rd: Barcelo / Villamueva (ESP) 2 10 - 12 pts
9th: Lucas Day / Sam Scott (NZL) 11 7 - 18 pts
Girl's windfoiling (29 boards)
1st: Merve Vatah (TUR) (1) 1 1 1 - 3 pts
2nd: Tamar Steinberg (ISR) (1) 1 1 1 - 3 pts
3rd: Lina Erzen (SLO) (DNF) 3 5 3 - 11 pts
15th: Aimee Bright (NZL) (DNF) 13 17 11 - 41 pts
Boy's windfoiling (31 boards)
1st: Hidde van der Meer (NED) 1 (3) 1 1 - 3 pts
2nd: Charlie Dixon (GBR) 1 1 (3) 1 - 3 pts
3rd: Davis Mazais (LAT) 3 5 3 (7) 11 pts
30th: Jack Parr (NZL) (DNS) 25 27 27 - 79 pts
Full results
- Helena Sanderson and Cam McGlashan are sixth in the Nacra 15 after the opening day of the youth worlds. Photo: Sailing Energy / World Sailing.
