Issue date
Ten sailors or teams have been selected to receive a Yachting New Zealand Performance Award in 2014 recognising an outstanding performance and/or exceptional performances in the sport of yachting over the past twelve months.
The Yachting New Zealand Performance Awards winners for 2014 are…
- Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie – 2014 Women’s 470 World Championship Silver medallists
(RNZYS, Takapuna Boating Club)
Our golden girls of 2012 have delivered another stellar year of results with podium finishes at all the major regattas in the Olympic Women’s 470 class they’ve contested over the last 12 months. They took overall victory at the Olympic Test Event in Rio in August, and at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Regattas in Palma and Hyeres earlier in the year. At the 2014 Women’s 470 European Championships they won Bronze. The World Championships saw a very close battle which came down to the medal race in Santander where Jo and Polly came away with the Silver medal.
- Mark Bond – Winner of the Stewart 34 Championships
(RNZYS)
Mark Bond’s victory on Pionnier in the 2013/14 Stewart 34 Championship marks a four year winning streak in the class and the Auckland sailor has now won this Championship 11 of the past 14 years. Since 1996, Mark has been nearly unbeatable with over 150 guns in around 20 years of sailing.
- Peter Burling and Blair Tuke – 2014 49er World and European Champions
(Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club, Kerikeri Cruising Club)
Now going unbeaten in the Olympic 49er class since the 2012 Olympic Games, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have delivered back-to-back convincing victories as their trajectory in the yachting world continues to climb. In Santander they had the 2014 49er World Championship crown in the bag before the last race. The list of victories during the last year goes like this; ISAF World Cup Palma in March, ISAF World Cup Hyeres in April, 49er European Championship in July, 49er World Championship in September and 49er South American Champions in November.
With Burling at the helm and Tuke on board Emirates Team New Zealand placed 3rd at two Extreme 40 Regattas in Russia and China. At January’s A-Class World Championships both were on the podium, Tuke taking Silver and Burling Bronze
- Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders – 2014 Nacra World Championships 5th place
(Murrays Bay Sailing Club, Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club)
Attracting plenty of the world’s highly accomplished Olympic sailors racing in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull class has been not only visually spectacular but also incredibly competitive. Therefore a top five finish at the 2014 Nacra World Championship for the young NZL Sailing Team pair of Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders was a highlight performance. The month prior they finished 6th overall at the Olympic Test Event in Rio.
- Josh Junior – 2014 Finn World Championships 5th place
(Worser Bay Boating Club)
24 year old Josh Junior is one of two Finn sailors in the NZL Sailing Team and both are on tonight’s list of Performance Awards winners. Solid results throughout the year include a 4th at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres in April, 13th at the Finn European Champs in May and 9th at the Rio Olympic Test Event, but the year’s highlight came for Junior at his pinnacle event with a top five finish at the 2014 Finn World Championships in September.
- Scott Leith – 2013 World Apprentice Master Laser Champion
(Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
In 2013 Laser Masters campaigner Scott Leith took victory in the Apprentice Master Laser division at the Laser Masters World Masters Championship making it four world titles in a row. Having won the 2010 (UK), 2011 (USA), and 2012 (Australia) World Master Laser Championships in the Laser Radial class, Scott challenged himself to sail the full rig Laser at the World Masters in Oman in December 2013. Scott’s score card of consistent race wins meant he won with a day to spare, dropping a 3rd place. Also during the past year Scott ( in his 40s) campaigned the Radial Open Men’s World Championships in Ireland managing a creditable 14th in a fleet of 100.
- Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech – Consistent podium finishes in the 49erFX class
(Murrays Bay Sailing Club, Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club)
Alex Maloney and Molly Meech have had another impressive year in the Olympic 49erFX class with a string of podium placings at major international events. The pair took Silver at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres, at Garda and Trentino Olympic week and at the August Rio Olympic Test Event. They also claimed the Bronze medal at July’s 49erFX European Championship in Finland, and Silver at the 2014 South American 49erFX Championship in November.
- Sam Meech – 2014 Laser World Championship 9th place
(Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club)
23 year old Sam Meech topped off an excellent year in the Olympic Laser class with his personal best result at World Championship level with a 9th place in Santander in September. Sam took the overall victory in the Laser class at Delta Lloyd Regatta in May and filed top ten results from the 2014 Rio Olympic Test Event, ISAF Sailing World Cup Regattas in Palma and Hyeres and at Garda and Trentino Olympic week.
- Andrew Murdoch – 2014 Finn World Championships 6th place
(Kerikeri Cruising Club)
Finding form in the Finn after years of successfully campaigning in the Laser Andrew Murdoch recorded a 10th place at the 2014 Finn European Championship, 6th at the Rio Olympic Test Event followed closely by a 6th place at the 2014 Finn World Championships in Santander.
- Waka Racing – Winners of the 2013 Monsoon Cup and 3rd overall in the 2013 Alpari World Match Racing Tour
(RNZYS - Phil Robertson, Nick Catley, Garth Ellingham, James Williamson and Adam Martin)
Waka Racing took out the prestigious Monsoon Cup event of the Alpari Match Racing World Tour in December 2013 sweeping to victory with a 3-0 win over Ian Williams and crew. The result combined with consistent performances across the other event seeing the kiwi crew finish 3rd overall in the 2013 Alpari World Match Racing Tour.
For more information about the 2014 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards please contact:
Media enquiries:
Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting New Zealand Communications Manager
Tel: 021 709 065
Email Jodie
General enquiries:
Beth Orton, Event Manager
Tel. 09 361 4020
Email Beth
