Issue date
Today belonged to the NZL Sailing Team’s top Olympic skiff sailors both on fire in their quest for their respective 2014 European Championship titles in Helsinki.
Burling and Tuke took three bullets from three gold fleet races today which sees them take the overall lead, while Maloney and Meech claimed two bullets and climb to within one point of the lead.
It was a different story for Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie in the light winds off Athens where just one race was possible. They’re lying 5th after day two.
49er and 49erFX
New Zealand’s reigning world champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, and Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech put on an impeccable display on day four of the 2014 49er and 49erFX European Championships in Helsinki today.
Between them they won five out of the six gold fleet races sailed today in near perfect sailing conditions making great viewing for any kiwi watching the live on-line coverage of the racing.
It was a clean-sweep of bullets today for Burling and Tuke who now lead the 49er fleet, by eight points, as a result.
“We had good boat speed all day,” said Tuke, “and that got us out of trouble even when we found ourselves on the wrong side of the shifts. We picked up a penalty at the start of race one but still managed to find our way through to the front. And then getting a port tack start over the fleet was like winning a race all by itself.”
Australia’s Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have come back into the game after a poor opening day and it’s the kiwis long-time rivals that hold second overall after today. Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign (GBR) are in third.
Maloney and Meech climb from 7th to just one point off the lead in the 49erFX after they crossed the line first in the day’s opening two races. They were 7th in the third race of the day.
Only Ida Nielsen and Marie Olsen of Denmark are ahead of the kiwis on the leader-board now with just one point separating the two pairs.
With another day of finals before Saturday’s theatre style medal races the NZL Sailing Team still have plenty of racing to look forward to before the medals are decided at what is billed as the second most important regatta for the class this year behind the ISAF World Champs in September.
Here you can view the video from day 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl36MuFZdsg
2014 49er and 49erFX European Championships, Helsinki, Finland
What: Olympic skiff classes (Men’s and Women’s)
When: Tuesday July 8th - Sunday July 13th
New Zealand’s Current standings
49er: (83 boats)
1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke 26 points (23(cf), 1, 1, 1)
Silver fleet
10th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski
21st Logan Dunning-Beck and Jack Simpson
23rd Ben Goodwin and Sam Bullock
49erFX: (51 boats)
2nd Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech 37 points (29 (cf), 1, 1, 7)
30th Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland
NZL Sailing Team Coaches: Jez Fanstone and Hamish Willcox
Men’s and Women’s 470
Light winds struck Athens for the second day of racing at the 2014 470 European Championships where both the men and women managed just one race.
Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie had a 17th which drops them back to 5th place overall in the provisional standings.
“Not quite such a solid day today, we were held ashore before heading out for what ended up just being one race and a lot of waiting around,” says Jo Aleh.
“We gave ourselves all the right opportunities in the race, good start, in the mix half way up the first leg, but just one bad decision to get a little too far left was the difference between 5th at the top and 30th. Rather painful reminder of just how close it gets with a big fleet like this and not much wind.”
“Was very hard work once we were back in the pack, with the front boats just sailing away. We made a few gains but not nearly enough, so let’s just say we have our drop race of the event so far!”
Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox are 34th after a 22nd on the water today.
2014 Men’s and Women’s 470 European Championships, Athens, Greece
What: Olympic double-handed dinghy classes (Men’s and women’s)
When: Thursday July 10th - Tuesday July 15th
New Zealand’s current standings
Women’s 470
5th Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie 25 points (5, 3, 17)
Men’s 470
34th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox 43 points (3, 21, 19, 22)
NZL Sailing Team Coaches: Nathan Handley and Pete Evans
Nacra 17
It was the penultimate day of the 2014 Nacra17 European championships at La Grande Motte today and it didn’t go the way kiwis Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders would have wanted.
The New Zealand pair were 8th, 24th and 29th in today’s three races which puts them in 20th overall (in a total fleet of 70 boats) missing out on the top ten medal race for tomorrow.
They will sail again tomorrow (if conditions allow) with the remainder of the gold fleet competitors outside the top ten, giving them the opportunity to end the regatta on a high note.
2014 Nacra 17 European Championships
What: Olympic mixed multihull
When: Monday July 7th - Saturday July 12th
Where: La Grande Motte, France
New Zealand’s Current Standings
20th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders 87 points (1, 11, 8, 9, 8, 8, 24, 29)
NZL Sailing Team Coach: Will Howden
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
