Issue date
New Zealand’s city of sails turned on its very best for the first day of Oceanbridge Sail Auckland 2013, with over 200 sailors on the water racing in 16 different divisions, in a day described as magic.
Results at this stage are not necessarily reflective of the final regatta outcomes, although there are some familiar names clear ahead on the leader board, despite their “rusty” return to Olympic Class sailing.
London 2012 Olympic Gold Medallists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie carded three race wins in the five boat mixed fleet of 470’s, and Paul Snow Hansen with temporary crew Chris Dawson follow in second overall.
“It was really fun to be back racing”, Jo discusses her day on the water. “We were definitely a bit rusty and were a sailed a bit average at the beginning. The whole fleet got better as the day got on.”
“The wind was pretty good from the east all day, but there was big waves and lumpy choppy water” she says about the race course between Rangitoto and Browns Island. “We don’t usually sail out that way.”
The NZL Sailing Team’s 2012 Silver Medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke also made a commanding return to sailing together; they too lined up a row of one’s next to their names in the men’s 49er division. Training partners Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski followed behind with a second place finish in every race.
The Women’s 49er FX (same hull as the men’s 49er but with smaller sails) saw a similar situation, with the Auckland North Shore duo of Alex Maloney and Molly Meech winning all four races. The girls’ good start to this regatta comes after winning the December 2012 Sail Melbourne ISAF World Cup regatta and Sail Sydney.
Andrew Murdoch made his Finn class debut with two second place finishes, but he was unlucky over the start line too early in the third race, so carries an 11 point penalty. NZL Sailing Team ex Laser sailor Josh Junior won every race on day one of four.
“It’s my first Finn regatta, first day of racing and third day ever lining up against somebody else” says Andrew. “I’m really happy with how it’s going.”
“I’m sure this will be a regatta where I’m just learning the whole way through, and by the end I hope to have things a bit sorted” he continues. “Even just the hiking style is very different from the laser, but the boat has a lot of ways to depower it so I’m able to work around it”.
With NZ’s two time Olympic Laser representative Andrew Murdoch out off the scene, Kiwis Andy Maloney, Thomas Saunders, and Sam Meech are pushing the top of the Laser fleet. After the first three races in the Laser full rig, Australian sailor Ash Brunning leads the fleet, just one point ahead of Maloney.
Board sailor JP Tobin is back on the race course with a vengeance, using this regatta in preparation for the RS:X World Championships which start at the end of this month in Buzios, Brazil. Natalia Kosinska will also be going to these World Championships, she is currently placed second in the RS:X 8.5 after this first day of racing.
2013 Halberg Award Emerging Talent finalist Andrew McKenzie is showing his world class talent, leading the Laser Radial fleet with London 2012 Olympic Laser Radial sailor Sara Winther just one point behind. The Laser Radial is a unique class at this event as it is being sailed by youth, women, and men of all ages.
Competition is also hot in the youth 29er fleet, although 2013 National Champions Markus Sommerville and Jack Simpson from Wakatere Boating Club are clear ahead after four wins; the heat is up for second, third and fourth place getters with just four points between them.
In the two day OK Dinghy regatta, Ben Morrison and Paul Rhodes have an early tie on five points each from three races. 2013 National Champion Russell Wood is four points off the pace with one more day of racing left.
Sailors on the Paralympic course were the first to get through three races, with London 2012 2.4mR representative Paul Francis winning all three of his races today. His coach, Charlie Baillie Strong is also leading his fleet: the two person SKUD 18 Paralympic keelboat with Genevieve Wickham of Australia.
The Kiteboarders were the lucky last on the water on Saturday afternoon, having sailed four races from Kohimarama Beach. This is the first time that Kiteboard Racing has been part of Oceanbridge Sail Auckland, and it’s proving popular.
Local board sailing coach Dave Robertson takes the early regatta lead just one point ahead of Tauranga’s Torrin Bright. Dave was New Zealand’s top finisher at the 2012 Kiteboard Racing World Championships where he finished ninth.
Day 1 Provisional Standings:
49er
1. Peter Burling/ Blair Tuke (1, 1, 1, 1)
2. Marcus Hansen/ Josh Porebski (2, 2, 2, 2)
3. Ben Goodwin/ Sam Bullock (3,4, 3, 3)
49er FX
1. Alex Maloney / Molly Meech (1,1,1,1)
2. Ida Neilsen/Marie Olsen (DNF, 2, 2, 2)
3. Erica Dawson/ Ellie Copeland (DNC, DNC, 3, 3)
470 Combined
1. Jo Aleh/ Polly Powrie (1, 1, 1)
2. Paul Snow Hansen/ Chris Dawson (3, 2, 2)
3. Francisco Lardies / Luke Stevenson (2, 4, 3)
420
1. Taylor Balogh / Samuel Lee (4, 1, 1)
2. Olivia MacKay / Abby Goodwin (2, 3, 3,)
3. Sam Barnett/Zak Merton (5, 2, 2)
Finn
1. Josh Junior (1, 1, 1)
2. Matt Coutts (4, 3, 2)
3. Timo Hagoort (3, 4, 3)
Laser
1. Ash Brunning (1, 1, 3)
2. Andy Maloney (3, 2, 1)
3. Thomas Saunders (2, 3, 5)
Laser Radial
1. Andrew McKenzie (1, 3, 1)
2. Sara Winther (2, 1, 3)
3. Scott Leith (3, 2, 2)
RS:X 9.5
1. JP Tobin (1, 1, 1)
2. Byung Gun Lee (2, 2, 2)
3. Tony MacKenzie (DNF, 3, 3)
RS: X 8.5
1. Nicholas Goyard (1, 2, 1)
2. Natalia Kosinska (2, 1, 2)
3. Patrick Haybittle (3, 4, 3)
Kiteboards
1. Dave Robertson (2, 2, 1)
2. Torrin Bright (1, 1, 2)
3. Matthew Taggart (3, 3, 3)
Access Liberty
1. Lindsay McGregor (1, 1, 5)
2. Max Stacey (2, 2, 4)
3. John Toole (6, 3, 1)
2.4mR
1. Paul Francis (1, 1, 1)
2. Brett Willcock (2, 2,2)
SKUD18
1. Genevieve Wickham/ Charlie Baillie Strong (1, 1, 1)
2. Tim Dempsey / Stephanie Hazard (2, 2, 2)
3. Brendan Tourelle / David Staley (3, 3, 3)
29er
1. Marcus Somerville/Jack Simpson (1, 1, 1, 1)
2. Cole Rippey/ Trent Rippey (4, 3, 2, 2)
3. Isaac McHardie / Micah Wilkinson (2, 2, 4, 4)
OK Dinghy
1. Ben Morrison (3, 1, 1)
2. Paul Rhodes (1, 2, 2)
3. Russell Wood (2, 4, 3)
F18 - subject to protests pending
1. Gemma Jones/Jason Saunders (DNF, 2, 1)
2. Reuben Corbett / Thomas Bentham (DNF, 1, 2)
3. James Sandall/ Harry Thurston (1, 3, 3)
Full results can be viewed online the Oceanbridge Sail Auckland website
Racing resumes on Sunday at 11:00am on the Waitemata Harbour.
Follow Oceanbridge Sail Auckland LIVE (via tiwtter) on the Regatta Website www.sailauckland.org.nz and on Facebook www.facebook.com/sailakl for news and photos.
This regatta is made possible only thanks to the contributions from principle sponsor Oceanbridge and supporters Danske Mobler, Yachting New Zealand, Sport New Zealand The Landing, Orakei Marina and most importantly, a team of more than 60 volunteers
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Image: of Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie on Day One of Oceanbridge Sail Auckland 2013 by SubzeroImages / Oceanbridge Sail Auckland
More information:
Media Contact: Kristine Lederis- Kristine@yachtingnz.org.nz- 021 871 301
Regatta Contact: Suellen Hurling- Suellen@rayc.co.nc – (09) 524 9945
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High resolution images and interviews are available for download from the YNZ Media Zone . Free registration is required and this will be updated as soon as possible after each race day
