Breeze deserts Oceanbridge Sail Auckland for Final Day

by Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting NZ on 28 Feb 2016 A calm, humid day in Auckland meant no racing was possible Sunday at 2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland and the regatta wraps up with prizes awarded to those out in front after Saturday’s competition.

Competitors, organisers and supporters have all enjoyed the warm hospitality of both Murrays Bay Sailing Club and Fairway Bay Hobbs Wharf venues with some great close racing across all fleets.

Youth sailors competing in the 29er, the 420 and Laser Radial have been provided a rare opportunity to compete at a regatta alongside members of the New Zealand’s Olympic campaigners – the very sailors that inspire them to take part in the sport of sailing.

Paralympic and other accessible classes join the mix, as well as invited classes including the Flying 15s and OK Dinghies all making for a fun, and competitive event.

“We’re really wrapped and excited to host Oceanbridge Sail Auckland here,” says Commodore of Murrays Bay Sailing Club Scott Leith. “I’m really proud of our Club, we had about a hundred people from our club help out over the four days.”

Talking about what Oceanbridge Sail Auckland Regatta offers that is unique Leith says, “It was inspiring for our youth sailors particularly to compete with the best in the world and see the Olympians in the flesh, and for the Olympians to walk around the park and rub shoulders with them and talk to them.”

Over the course of the four day regatta sailors enjoyed a range of conditions. Leith says, “The weather turned it on, the first three days were fantastic conditions, a bit of light, a bit of medium and one race of heavy.”

Murrays Bay Sailing Club, where a brand new club house was opened last September, is hosting this regatta for the first time. “We’re really excited with the new club house. I think it performed extremely well. We had enough room to fit everyone and more so we can do it bigger and better next year I think.”

Leith, a competitor himself in the Laser Radial class, was delighted and surprised to defend his title.

“I started off a bit hazy after spending so much time last week organising the regatta. I started off with a 14th and from there I went forward to sixth after the first day, to second after the next day to winning it yesterday,” he says. “So I’m pretty relieved and quite dumb-founded that I actually managed to win because I didn’t sail my best. Good to retain the title.”

2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland
Final Results – top three
Full results here

49er

1st Jack Simpson and Logan Dunning Beck (NZL)
2nd Ryo Takahashi and Ibuki Koizumi (JPN)
3rd Isaac McHardie and Trent Rippey (NZL)

49erFX

1st Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL)
2nd Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland (NZL)

Laser Standard
1st Sam Meech (NZL)
2nd Andy Maloney (NZL)
3rd Colin Cheng (Singapore)

Laser Radial – Overall
1st Scott Leith (NZL/Men)
2nd Susannah Pyatt (NZL/Womens)
3rd George Gautrey (NZL/Youth)
(See here for full results listing in the Laser Radial results including Women, Men and Youth)

Nacra 17
1st Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (NZL)
2nd Olivia Mackay and Micah Wilkinson (NZL)
3rd Vicky Francis and crew (NZL)

Sonar

1st Rick Dodson, Andrew May and Chris Sharp (NZL)
2nd John Weston and crew (NZL)

Hansa Liberty

1st Sarah Dunckley (NZL)
2nd Robert Coulter (NZL)
3rd Tim Demspey (NZL)

420

1st Josh Berry and Henry Haslett (NZL/Male)
2nd Jonathon Weston and Taylor Balogh (NZL/Male)
3rd Xanthe Copeland and Karensa Jennings (NZL/Female)
(See here for full results listing in the 420 results including Female and Male)

29er

1st Jackson Keon and Tom Fyffe (NZL)
2nd Lewis Anderson and Pat Morgan (NZL)
3rd Sebastian Lardies and Scott McKenzie (NZL)
(See here for full results listing in the 29er results including Female and Male)

OK Dinghy

1st Ben Morrison (WBC)
2nd Rod Davis (WBC)
3rd Russell Wood (WBC)

Flying 15

1st Adrienne Rekke and Craig Coulam (RAYC)
2nd Bruce Yovich and crew (Onerahi YC)
3rd Sally Garrett and Neil Easton (RAYC)

To see the full results and follow the action head to sailauckland.org.nz