Issue date
LIVE RESULTS
COURSE A
420 (final): 1. Cam Brown/Alex Norman 1 (6 UFD) 1 1 1 4 3 3 - 14 pts; 2. Jed Potbury/Finn Balchin 3 2 2 3 (4) 2 2 1 - 15 pts; 3. Joe Leith/Joshua Ferrissey 2 1 4 2 2 1 (5) 4 - 16 pts. Full results here.
470 (final): 1. Derek Scott/Rebecca Hume 2 2 1 (4 UFD) 1 1 1 1 - 9 pts; 2. Brittany Wornall/Sam Street 1 1 (2) 1 2 2 2 2 - 11 pts; 3. Adrian France/Marie France 3 3 3 2 3 (4 DNC) 4 DNC 4 DNC - 22 pts. Full results here.
ILCA 6 (final): 1. Greta Pilkington 4 4 2 2 1 3 1 (8) - 17 pts; 2. Annabelle Rennie-Younger 1 3 5 3 3 2 4 (10) - 21 pts; 3. George Lane 2 2 7 4 4 (10) 3 3 - 25 pts. Full results here.
ILCA 7 (final): 1. Tom Saunders 1 (2) 2 1 1 1 1 1 - 8 pts; 2. George Gautrey 2 1 1 2 2 2 (4) 2 - 12 pts; 3. Luke Cashmore 4 3 3 3 3 8 2 (11 UFD) - 26 pts. Full results here.
COURSE B
29er (final): 1. Sean Kensington/Rowan Kensington 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 (5) - 9 pts; 2. Valentine Kayrouz/Cam McGlashan (9) 3 3 3 2 4 6 3 2 - 25 pts; 3. Will Mason/Lucas Day 4 (18 UFD) 4 2 5 6 3 4 1 - 29 pts. Full results here.
49er (final): 1. Scott McKenzie/Blake McGlashan 1 1 1 3 (5) 2 3 5 5 - 21 pts; 2. Campbell Stanton/Will Shapland 3 2 3 4 2 (6) 2 3 3 - 22 pts; 3. Seb Menzies/George Lee Rush (6) 6 5 2 4 1 4 1 1 - 24 pts. Full results here.
49erFX (final): 1. Alex Maloney/Olivia Hobbs 1 2 2 2 (3) 1 1 1 1 - 11 pts; 2. Jo Aleh/Molly Meech 2 1 1 1 1 (3) 2 2 2 - 12 pts; 3. Courtney Reynolds-Smith/Brianna Reynolds-Smith (3) 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 - 22 pts. Full results here.
COURSE C
Kitefoil (final): 1. Hugo Wigglesworth 2 1 1 2 (3) 1 1 1 2 - 11 pts; 2. Lochy Naismith 1 2 2 1 1 2 (3) 3 1 - 13 pts; 3. Justina Kitchen (3) 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 3 - 21 pts. Full results here.
iQFOIL 8M (final): 1. Max van der Zalm 1 1 (2) 1 2 1 - 6 pts; 2. Veerle ten Have 2 2 1 2 (4) 4 - 11 pts; 3. Jack Parr (3) 3 3 3 1 3 - 13 pts. Full results here.
iQFOIL 9M (final): 1. Josh Armit 2 (3) 2 2 1 1 3 2 - 13 pts; 2. Joost Vink 1 (4) 3 3 4 3 1 1 - 16 pts; 3. Thomas Crook 4 1 4 4 3 5 (7) 4 - 25 pts. Full results here.
Welcome to our coverage of the final day of the 2023 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta, hosted by Torbay Sailing Club.
Yesterday produced some close racing across the 10 fleets after day 1 was abandoned due to Auckland's wild weather.
Below you can follow our live updates and results, as they happen. (Please refresh the page for the latest updates).
4.10pm: Racing complete
With confirmation that Max van der Zalm has won the iQFOIL8M fleet, with four wins in six races, that concludes the 2023 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta.
Congratulations to all our winners, thank you to all the competitors, sponsors and volunteers who made the event a success, and make sure you keep an eye on all of Yachting New Zealand's platforms to see all the reaction, photos, quotes and more from today's racing.
3.50pm: Maloney and Hobbs produce perfect final day
Alex Maloney and Olivia Hobbs have turned the tables to win the 49erFX title at the 2023 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta.
On the back foot after Saturday's races, where they won the first race but saw Jo Aleh and Molly Meech claim the next four, Maloney and Hobbs found their form on Sunday to reel off four straight wins to claim victory by one point and back up their victory at the national championships last week.
In the 49er fleet, it was the opposite, with Scott McKenzie and Blake McGlashan taking a big early lead with three wins on the first day, and holding on to win by one point over national champions Campbell Stanton and Will Shapland.
McKenzie and McGlashan finished fifth in their last two races to open the door to the chasing pack, but Stanton and Shapland could only snare two thirds, with Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush finishing the strongest, winning three of today's four races to finish third.
Sam Morgan and Pat Morgan, sailing in a borrowed boat after their mast snapped yesterday, also finished well with a win and two second places to take away some positives from the meet.
In the 29er class, Sean and Rowan Kensington completed a dominant display, winning seven of the nine races in the 17-boat fleet to win by a whopping 16 points.
3.35pm: Saunders reigns supreme
Tom Saunders has produced a perfect final day to win the ILCA7 title at the 2023 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta.
Saunders won all three races today to beat rival George Gautrey by four points.
In the ILCA6, Greta Pilkington claimed victory despite having to discard an eighth place in the eighth and final race, with closest rival Annabelle Rennie-Younger discarding a 10th to see Pilikington hold on to a four-point margin and earn a reward for consistent sailing.
Overnight leader Olivia Christie finished 12th, 17th and 11th in the three races today to finish fifth overall.
Cam Brown and Alex Morgan held off a late charge from Jed Potbury and Finn Balchin to win the 420 class by one point, while Derek Scott and Rebecca Hume won every race today to come from behind and clinch the 470 title.
3.08pm: Gold for Armit
Kiwi Josh Armit has held off a Dutch contingent and a strong showing by teammate Thomas Crook to win the iQFOIL 9M title at the 2023 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta.
Two race wins and top-three finishes in all the others saw Armit beat Joost Vink by three points.
Crook (25pts) gets the bronze
2.58pm: Maloney, Hobbs move up
Alex Maloney and Liv Hobbs have won their third race of the day to take the lead in the 49er FX fleet. Jo Aleh and Molly Meech drop to second after eight races.
2.38pm: New ILCA 6 leader
Greta Pilkington is now at the top of the ILCA 6 fleet after winning race 7, with overnight leader Olivia Christie dropping to fourth.
Annabelle Rennie-Younger is second overall, three points behind Pilkington, with George Lane in third.
In the ILCA 7, Tom Saunders has continued his winning start to the day. He's now three points ahead of George Gautrey, who was fourth in race 7.
2.21pm: Two in two for FX team
It's two wins from two races for Alex Maloney and Olivia Hobbs today. They are now only one point behind Jo Aleh and Molly Meech (third and second) after seven completed races in the 49er FX fleet.
Alex Maloney and Liv Hobbs have won back-to-back races today. Photo / Adam Mustill Photography
2pm: Kitefoil wraps up
Hugo Wigglesworth has claimed the 2023 Oceanbridge kitefoiling crown by two points from national champion Lochy Naismith.
The teenager won five of the weekend's nine races - including two of the three raced today.
Justina Kitchen has claimed bronze.
1.50pm: Maloney, Hobbs two behind Aleh, Meech
Alex Maloney and Liv Hobbs have taken out the day's first 49er FX race, followed by Courtney and Brianna Reynolds-Smith.
Jo Aleh and Molly Meech finished third and are now only two points ahead of Maloney and Hobbs on the leaderboard.
1.48pm: Another Saunders-Gautrey 1-2
Tom Saunders leads George Gautrey by two points in the ILCA 7 after winning race 6. Gautrey finished second.
1.47pm: Thriller in the ILCA 6
It's close at the top of the ILCA 6 fleet following leader Olivia Christie's 12th place in today's first race. She remains one point ahead of Greta Pilkington and Annabelle Rennie-Younger.
1.44pm: 49er - Menzies, Rush win race 6
Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush have won the first 49er race of the day - their first success this weekend - to close the gap on third-placed Campbell Stanton and Will Shapland.
Scott McKenzie and Blake McGlashan still lead the fleet by three points overall after finishing second.
Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush won the first 49er race of the day. Photo / Adam Mustill Photography
1.42pm: Kensingtons make it six
The Kensington brothers have extended their lead over Valentine Kayrouz and Cam McGlashan to nine points by winning race 6 of the 29er competition. It's their sixth bullet of the regatta.
1.31pm: Wigglesworth starts well
Hugo Wigglesworth has won the first race of the day (the seventh of the kitefoiling fleet) to retain his overall lead from Lochy Naismith.
Justina Kitchen finished second in the race, with Naismith third.
1.20pm: Windfoilers heading out
The iQFOIL 8M and 9M fleets are on the water, with the breeze picking up enough for the kitefoilers to also start on Course C.
Josh Armit, who is leading the 9M fleet after day 2, is excited to test his skills in the lighter conditions.
"I'm hoping for another good day of racing," Armit said after beating the star-studded Dutch contingent yesterday.
Josh Armit is looking forward to racing in lighter conditions on the final day of this year's regatta.
1.05pm: First races under way
And they're off (on courses A and B at least).
Just a reminder of how things stand after five completed races - Tom Saunders and Olivia Christie lead in the ILCA 7 and ILCA 6 fleets respectively, while Cam Brown and Alex Norman (420) and Brittany Wornall and Sam Street (470) have the edge in their divisions.
In the 29ers, the Kensington brothers, Sean and Rowan, have a comfortable lead after a perfect day 2. Scott McKenzie and Blake McGlashan (49er) and Jo Aleh and Molly Meech (49er FX) are also in front.
12.43pm: Last-minute boat trouble for 49er crew
And just as we're about to go, one of the 49er teams are forced into some last-minute repairs on the beach.
Second-placed Sam Bacon and Cailen Rochford have the toolbox out...
Sam Bacon and Cailen Rochford have been forced into some last-minute repairs.
12.30pm: All set to start
All boats are now out on the respective courses. The first races of the day is about to start.
Racing is about to get under way on the final day of the 2023 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta. Photo / Adam Mustill Photography
11.59am: Sailors pitch in with beach clean
The sailors are still making their way out onto the water as we wait for the action to get under way.
Earlier this morning, Yachting New Zealand staff, sailors and volunteers helped with a beach and boat park clean.
A broken chair, a tidemarker stuck in a tree and general plastic waste were some of the items cleared.
Windfoilers Eli Liefting, Thomas Crook and Patrick Haybittle helped clean the beach this morning.
11.32am: Minutes away from the start
Principal Race Officer Ian Clouston says we're approximately 20 minutes away from the start.
"At this stage, we're hoping for four races on courses A and B and five on C," Clouston said.
"We're likely to lose about an hour which means we could have only three races on A and B and four on Course C."
Course A has the 420 and 470 fleets, as well as the ILCAs. The skiffs - the 29er, 49er and 49er FX fleets will be on Course B, and Course C will host the kitefoilers and windfoiling fleets.
11.19am: Still no sailing
The breeze is starting to fill in but the sailors are yet to start launching. Some are keeping busy playing cards in the club building.
Playing cards is one way sailors have been passing the time while they wait for the breeze to come in.
Day 2 recap: Saunders, Gautrey slug it out on 'tough' day
After a subdued start to his season and with an important European campaign fast approaching, time in the boat and competitive racing is top of Tom Saunders’ wish list.
On Saturday, New Zealand’s sailor of the year got both.
Saunders, a former world champion in the ILCA 7 who won top gong at Yachting NZ’s Excellence Awards in November, is leading the fleet after five races of the 2023 Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta following a tough battle with teammate George Gautrey.
Saunders and Gautrey traded victories in the first four races before Saunders claimed the last to lead by one point heading into the final day.
With sailing abandoned due to Auckland’s wild weather on Friday, sailors faced extended time on the water today - and it was felt in the physically demanding ILCA 7, Saunders said.
“It was a pretty long day for us. I think I've done five races in my life once and that was a long time ago, so it was pretty tough out there," he said.
“It was a good battle between George and I and we were just holding hands out there all day. It’s all part of the build-up for Europe. George is obviously on the pace, so it was good having him there, trading blows.”
Saunders and Gautrey head to Palma for the Princesa Sofia Regatta next month – the start of European competition for many of the country’s Olympic hopefuls and an important next step on the road to the 2024 Paris Games.
It comes after a slightly underwhelming start to their year – Saunders and Gautrey both claimed top 10 finishes in the Australian National ILCA Championships and the Sail Melbourne regatta in January but failed to get on the podium in either.
“We’re getting better but there’s still a lot of work to do,” Saunders said.
“At least we’re starting to put in a lot more time in the boat and the more you do, the better you feel.”
Tom Saunders leads the ILCA 7 fleet after five races. Photo / Adam Mustill Photography
Gautrey agrees.
“We’re definitely seeing progress but it takes time. Both Tom and I had things we weren’t happy with and that’s why getting to Adelaide and training with some of the best overseas sailors was so important,” he said.
“You can keep training in New Zealand but sometimes you can get caught up in your own bubble.”
Meanwhile, Olivia Christie leads the ILCA 6 fleet by three points from Greta Pilkington, after taking out three of five races.
“It was pretty good conditions for sailing and the rain held off just long enough,” Christie said.
“I had some really good starts and the races just all seemed to come together. But tomorrow’s a new day and new conditions and hopefully, I can keep building on today.”
Jo Aleh and Molly Meech have started the defence of their 49er FX crown in emphatic fashion, winning four consecutive races to lead Alex Maloney and Olivia Hobbs by three points.
“It was a good day after making a bunch of mistakes in the first race and some new tangles we haven’t had before,” Aleh said.
“We settled down after that and managed to do what we set out to do.”
With lighter conditions expected tomorrow will provide a whole new challenge, Aleh said.
“It will be good to change it up. It’s a pretty small fleet which means plenty of boat-on-boat racing, so for us, it will be all about minimising our mistakes.”
Jo Aleh and Molly Meech are at the top of the 49er FX fleet. Photo / Adam Mustill Photography
In the 49er class, Scott McKenzie and Blake McGlashan have a narrow lead over Sam Bacon and Cailen Rochford, while a perfect day - with five wins from five races - means the Kensington brothers, Sean and Rowan, are a comfortable seven points ahead in the 29er competition.
The kitefoil division saw another epic tussle between teenager Hugo Wigglesworth and national champion Lochy Naismith with the duo going race-for-race to finish tied on seven points.
Max van der Zalm leads Veerle ten Have after five races in the iQFOIL 8M fleet, while Josh Armit had a strong day – winning two races and achieving a top-three finish in the others to lead a visiting Dutch contingent by six points in the 9M class.
Hugo Wigglesworth in action on day 2. Photo / Adam Mustill Photography
