Issue date
Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie have taken the lead in the Women’s 470 at the Olympic Sailing Test Event (Aquece Rio – International Sailing Regatta 2014) on now in Rio, Brazil.
New Zealand also holds second place in both the men’s and women’s skiff events with World Champion crews Peter Burling and Blair Tuke moving up in the 49er ranks and Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech delivering more keeper results today.
Aleh and Powrie recorded a faultless performance, racing on the Niteroi course outside Guanabara Bay, the experienced pair took two guns from two races sailed in the women’s double-handed 470 pushing them to the top of the leader board after lying 3rd going into today. With five races on the board they are three points clear of the USA crew lying 2nd with GBR in 3rd place.
The kiwis were prominent on the 49er course today where two races were sailed by the 19 boat fleet featuring the world’s top crews. Burling and Tuke claimed a 3rd and a 2nd which sees them shuffle up the board into 2nd overall two points behind the French, while their NZL Sailing team-mates Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski added a 4th and a bullet climbing to 7th overall.
Overnight leaders Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen from Australia only managed two mid fleet finishes and slip to 3rd place.
Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech (pictured above) retain 2nd place in the 49erFX with two 2nds and a 5th on the water today. They are five points behind local favourites and overall leaders Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze sailing in front of a home crowd.
Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders were solid and consistent once again in the Nacra mixed multihull racing recording a 7th and two 5ths today. The young pair are lying 4th overall.
Over in the Finn class Andrew Murdoch recorded his first race win of the regatta and has moved into 5th overall. He placed 3rd and 10th in the other two races sailed today.
Meanwhile Josh Junior went 6-7-16 in today’s three races and holds 9th overall in the Finn event.
Men’s 470 pair Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox also took a race win in Rio today and have improved their overall standing by four places up to 6th overall.
In the Laser event, featuring two kiwis, the men sailed two races today. Sam Meech was 10th and 7th and retains 8th place, while Andy Maloney retains 13th after an 8th and a 15th in racing today.
Sara Winther is in 13th in the Laser Radial class with an 8th and a 13th today.
With only the top ten placed sailors advancing to the medal race the regatta has come to a close for New Zealand’s Natalia Kosinska lying 11th in the Women's RS:X windsurfing and just outside the cut for tomorrow’s finale.
Racing resumes tomorrow for everyone else on what will be the penultimate day of the regatta for the 49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17 and Finn classes. The 470s, Lasers and Radials have three days left on the programme.
Aqueece Rio – International Sailing Regatta 2014, 2-9 August 2014
New Zealand’s current standings Full results here
1st Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (Women’s 470) - 6 points (7, 2, 2, 1, 1)
6th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox (Men’s 470) - 55 points (8, 9, 7, 1, 9)
2nd Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech (49erFX) - 15 points (1, 1, 7, 4, 2, 5, 2)
2nd Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (49er) - 18 points (9, 2, 2, 14, 3, 2)
7th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (49er) - 30 points (11, 3, 11, 12, 4, 1)
5th Andrew Murdoch (Finn) - 39 points (10, 12, 8, 4, 3, 3, 1, 10)
9th Josh Junior (Finn) - 54 points (5, 16, 18, 3, 1, 6, 7, 16)
4th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (Nacra 17) – 29 points (3, 5, 6, 5, 7, 5, 5)
8th Sam Meech (Laser) – 28 points (3, 12, 8, 10, 7)
13th Andy Maloney (Laser) – 42 points (9, 13, 12, 8, 15)
13th Sara Winther (Laser Radial) – 47 points (12, 14, 14, 8, 13)
11th Natalia Kosinska (Women’s RS:X) - 62 points (13, 2, 15, 2, 12, 7, 11, 15)
Support and coaching: Jez Fanstone, Mark Howard, Nathan Handley, Simon Briscoe and Hamish Willcox, Craig Panther, David Slyfield, Louise Johnson, Christel Dunshea- Mooij
Links
Regatta website
NZL Sailing Team Sailor profiles
NZL Sailing Team on Facebook
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
