Issue date
Manly Sailing Club hosted the 2014 RS:X and Techno National Championships over the weekend of the 14th, 15th and 16th of February.
Click here for photos on Facebook
The Men’s RS:X Division was a tough fought battle between reigning Olympic champion Dorian van Rijsselberghe from the Netherlands and New Zealand’s own Jon-Paul Tobin, with some of New Zealand’s younger riders given the opportunity to sail against the world’s best. Windsurfers from Italy and Korea were also in the top five.
Taking three race wins a piece Van Rijsselberghe and Tobin were hard to separate, the Dutch sailor edging out to take the victory by just two points after eight races. Tobin retains his New Zealand title however, with the visitor ineligible for the crown.
NZL Sailing Team’s Natalia Kosinska (below), from the Takapuna Boating Club, fended off solid challenges from Australian rival Joanna Sterling, and New Zealand’s best youth riders like Patrick Haybittle and Alex Hart to take out the RS:X 8.5m title.
Full results across the RS:X 9.5 and 8.5 fleets and the Techno divisions are in the pdf files below.
Tobin reports on the regatta;
“A tight conclusion to the three day NZ National Championships for 2014 with Dorian van Rijsselberghe and JP Tobin Windsurfing taking the fight for overall honours right up to the final race of eight off Manly Beach, Whangaparoa.”
“From the start the 'decider' race was close and continued right through to the final section of the final run into the finish with Dorian setting up for a strong push to take the overall title...however nice for me that Dutch does not equal Kiwi so the National title stays put.”
“Completing the men’s fleet top five were the remainder of the international contingent bringing some serious firepower to the regatta with Kiran Badloe (Netherlands) 3rd Marco Baglione ITA 2 (Italy) 4th and Lee (Korea) 5th.”
Tobin continues; “ It has been super cool to see a whole bunch of groms racing hard so far this summer and I am really looking forward to see them continuing to train well and race with intensity at the Youth Olympic Games in August (Nanjing, China) and World Youth Championships, July (Tavira, Portugal) with the right support they will be kicking ass.”
“Great also to have two NZ Windsurfing legions on hand with Bruce Kendall working his magic with the next generation and Aaron McIntosh (Dutch National Coach) providing some valuable insight to the aspiring kiwi youth.”
