Issue date
Image by JesusRenedo/SofiaMapfre - Maloney and Meech in action in the 49erFX
It has been another excellent day for the NZL Sailing Team in Spain for ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma, where day two racing has just wrapped up.
Among the New Zealand sailors to climb up the standings were Andy Maloney, up to 4th in the Laser; Josh Junior, moving four places to 6th in the Finn, and Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox rising to 5th overall in the Men’s 470.
Racing got underway in the much talked about 49erFX women’s skiff class, and kiwis Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech are lying 2nd overall after four races in the fleet of 34 boats.
Images from day two tell a story similar to day one, Palma Bay once again putting on decent wind, the kiwi team clearly enjoying the breezy conditions.
“We had good breeze today, not as windy as yesterday, a little lighter and shifter, but great conditions for racing,” reports Jez Fanstone, High Performance Director for Yachting New Zealand, in Spain with the team. “All in all it was a good day, everyone sailed well and there will be some tired bodies tonight.”
“We have some younger crews, some new sailor combinations and other sailor’s now in new classes,” continues Fanstone. “So for them this regatta is about gaining knowledge, learning as much as they can and also about forming relationships with potential international training partners.”
“The team had some great results today, Tom Saunders was delighted with a race win, and another from Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox. Josh Junior and Andrew Murdoch are happy with how they’re going in the Finn, they’re both still learning about the boat. And it’s great to see all three of our Laser sailors are sitting top twelve. It’s early days in the regatta, but the feeling in the camp is very positive.”
On the Men’s 470 course Snow-Hansen and Willcox opened the day with a bullet following that with a 5th place in the second race of the day, their results prompting an improved overall standing by two places up to 5th overall.
The best placed of the New Zealanders are Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech who had to wait out day one due to strong breeze, catching up on day two with four races in the 49erFX class.
Their card reads 4, 0, 15, 5 (the 0 is for a race win) giving them nine points and sandwiching them between two Danish crews in the standings. Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen owned the day and with three race wins, and a 3rd they enjoy the enviable outcome of a zero point total after day one of racing.
Andy Maloney, older brother of Alexandra in the 49erFX, is now the best placed of the three kiwi sailors in the Laser returning two 2nds on day two.
“Day two of racing in Palma brought more great conditions with a nice wind strength of 10-17 knots and some more big waves. I scored a couple more solid results,” reports Maloney.
With an 8th and a 4th today Sam Meech also features well up the leader board, now lying 6th overall, while Thomas Saunders, who had a race win today is now sitting in 12th place.
For our Finn sailors Josh Junior came away with two 4ths on day two shifting him up the leader board to 6th place. Andrew Murdoch had a mixed day with one good and one not so good – the recent Laser convert was 7th in the first race of the day and then 30th.
Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski are lying 53rd in the Men’s skiff where only one of two qualifying fleets raced on day one requiring some catch up in the schedule on day two. The NZL Sailing Team’s pair of 20 year-olds did sail on day one, finishing a credible 4th in the opening race, but were struck by gear failure on day two. They will be back in the action tomorrow.
“The guys broke a spreader on the boat just before the start of their first race today,” reports Fanstone. “So they had to come ashore and missed racing today. They’ll be fine for tomorrow though.”
View Marcus Hansen video sailor profile here.
The forecast is for winds to continue to lighten with softer, lighter breeze on the cards over the next 24 hour period. Qualifying rounds will continue tomorrow, following which fleets will be divided into gold and silver for two days of finals, building to the medal stage racing on the final day of competition on April 6th in Spain.
ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma
New Zealand’s standings after day two
Finn
6th Josh Junior – 7, 26, 4, 4
11th Andrew Murdoch (NZL Sailing Team) – 9, 18, 7, 30
Laser
4th Andy Maloney (NZL Sailing Team) – 5, 3, 2, 2
6th Sam Meech (NZL Sailing Team) - 2, 2, 8, 4
12th Thomas Saunders – 7, 16, 0, 9
470 Men
5th Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox (NZL Sailing Team) – 11, 3, 0, 5
36th Francisco Lardies and Luke Stevenson – 20, 16, 10, 18
49er
53rd Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (NZL Sailing Team) – 4, DNC, DNC, DNC
49erFX
2nd Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech – 4, 0, 15, 5
Nacra 17
13th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders – 18, 16, 5
26th Nicole van der Velden and Tomer Simhony – 32, 24, 23
Links
Full Results
NZL Sailing Team on Facebook
Yachting New Zealand website
ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta website
ISAF website
For more information contact:
Jodie Bakewell-White, Communications Manager
Yachting New Zealand
E: jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz
M: 021 709 065
