Issue date
Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox have made a dream start to the 2016 470 World Championships with two race wins to lead the fleet after the opening day of the pinnacle Olympic class regatta which got underway today in Argentina.
In the women’s fleet Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie placed 6th and 13th in their two races to hold 9th overall at the end of day one.
The 11am start to racing in San Isidro, Argentina was postponed until the light breeze built enough for the men’s and women’s 470 fleets to open the Championship which runs for six days until Saturday 27 February.
“Race 1 for the 470 Women got underway soon after midday, but was abandoned after around 20 minutes due to a significant change of wind direction,” describes the official report.
Racing got underway at around 2:30pm local time in a building easterly breeze and lasted into the late afternoon with two races sailed by both fleets.
The men and women are sailing a single series, so all the heavy hitters are up against each other from the outset and every single point counts. In a light and shifty breeze, and a hard to read silty water, technique makes all the difference.
The NZL Sailing Team men’s combination of Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox, being coached at this event by Hamish Willcox, can be delighted with their opening day performance with two race wins to hold the overall lead going into day two. With plenty of racing yet to come, they will be keen to maintain their early momentum.
Behind the kiwis Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic of Croatia are in 2nd place, five points adrift of Snow-Hansen and Willcox, while Italy’s Gabrio Zandona and Andrea Trani are in 3rd.
Half a dozen women’s crews suffered a UFD disqualification for being over the start-line in the last minute, including some major players, but fortunately Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie weren’t among them, and they came away from their first race with a 6th place. Adding a 13th in race two sees the New Zealand women, who are coached by Nathan Handley, lying 9th overall.
USA’s Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha have the overall lead in the women’s fleet after two races.
Meanwhile, in Israel the 2016 RS:X World Championships is underway with Natalia Kosinska representing New Zealand in the women’s fleet, lying 16th overall at this early stage.
2016 Men’s and Women’s 470 World Championships, Argentina
New Zealand’s current standings
Men
1st Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox (1, 1)
35th Sam Barnett and Zak Merton (36, 32)
Women
9th Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (6, 13)
2016 RS:X World Championships, Israel
New Zealand’s current standings
16th Natalia Kosinska (8, 9)
Links
2016 470 World Championships regatta website http://2016worlds.470.org/en/default/races/race
2016 RS:X World Championships regatta website http://www.rsxclass.com/worlds2016/
Yachting New Zealand website http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/
About the NZL Sailing Team
The NZL Sailing Team includes New Zealand’s top Olympic campaigners who have made the top 20% in their most recent (respective) class World Championships or pinnacle event and have shown consistency of performance over the year including other significant Championships.
Yachting New Zealand’s High Performance Programme is focussed on winning medals at the Olympics in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
NZL Sailing Team sailors all started out at grass roots yacht clubs around the country and with commitment, dedication and drive have risen to be world class athletes; they work hard in the gym, train long hours on the water and are supported by great coaches.
For more information
Jodie Bakewell-White
Yachting New Zealand Communications Manager
Tel. 021 709 065
Email. jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz
