NZL Sailing Team- Medals reign on Kiwis in World Cup Weymouth

by Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting on 15 Jun 2015 In what has been one of the NZL Sailing Team most successful international regattas the team has won six medals at 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth including one gold, four silver and one bronze.

Gold and silver in the 49er for New Zealand with Peter Burling and Blair Tuke further extending their unbeaten run in the class and team-mates Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski sharing the podium for silver.

Both New Zealand’s womens’ double-handers crews have won silver medals, Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie beaten on count-back only by long-time rivals Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills (GBR). Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech take silver in 49erFX also overthrown in the final race, by class favourites.

Featuring strongly all week in the Finn standings New Zealand has collected silver and bronze in the class, which will come to New Zealand in November this year to battle out their World Championship title.

The regatta was dominated by three countries, with Great Britain and New Zealand winning six medals each, and Australia winning five medals. The USA Mens 470 team won the Gold medal - a welcome achievement for the nation which has been out of the Olympic spotlight for too long. USA was one of 14 countries to win just a single medal each at the regatta staged in the 2012 Olympic Regatta venue.

49er and 49erFX:

Despite a poor start at this regatta, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke were back in front in the men’s 49er class and went into today’s medal race with an 18 point buffer over team-mates Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski.

All went according to plan for Burling and Tuke and after a sixth place on the water today they collected the gold, extending their amazing unbeaten run to 17 straight victories at the major events in the class.

“Our first win in Weymouth,” says a delighted Burling.

On their approach to today’s race Burling said, 'We had a little bit to do, but we had a little bit of a points gap on second so the game plan was to try and stay close to them, and we managed to put together a relatively solid result.'

Hansen and Porebski were seventh in today’s medal race and comfortably secure the silver medal making it 1-2 for New Zealand on the 49er podium. Encouragingly, this is their best result for 2015 to date.

Taking the lead into today’s medal race Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech were out performed today by reigning world champions in the women’s 49erFX class, Martine Soffiatti Grael and Kahena Kunze. The Brazilian’s struck out an early lead in today’s medal race and never relinquished it finishing well ahead of the pack.

Maloney and Meech crossed in ninth and have to settle for silver this time.

'We just didn't get the shift right today and we couldn't stay with our competitors which was a bit of a mistake and we just let the Brazilians get away from us,” said Maloney after racing.

'It was a pretty nice week sailing in Weymouth, we got some pretty good races in but we had a disappointing Medal Race and we can learn lot from it.'

The 49er and 49erFX fleets will sail their 2015 European Championship next month in Portugal, building towards August’s Aquece Rio International Regatta (Olympic Test Event) and then the 2015 49er World Championship being staged in Buenos Aires, Argentina in November.

Women’s and Men’s 470:

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie have enjoyed being back in Weymouth where three years ago they won Olympic gold, and this time they came oh so close again finishing this regatta on equal points with victors Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR).

The kiwis were fifth in today’s medal race, while the Brits were fourth and drawing equal on points the gold goes to Mills and Clark because they placed higher in today’s race.

Aleh and Powrie congratulate them on a great final race; “It was an interesting day on the water, the British girls Hannah and Saskia pulled off a very well executed race and we didn't quite match them this time. So they won this round and we ended up second overall,’ says Jo Aleh.

“It's been a good week of sailing, some great learnings as always. We’re ready to tidy up a few more areas of our racing ready for the next regatta which is European Champs in a few weeks.”

Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox sailed well across the first half of the series, but were knocked by some average results on day four and went into the Men’s 470 medal race lying 10th. Finishing fifth on the water today didn’t change their position and they end the regatta in 10th overall.

Finn:

Josh Junior put up a good fight for gold in the Finn medal race, the young Wellingtonian giving it everything he could to take victory off the on-form Giles Scott from Great Britain.

Knowing that Junior was in with a reasonable chance needing only to finish two places ahead of him in today’s race Scott and Junior ended up towards the back of the fleet and while the kiwi crossed ahead in ninth Scott was right behind him 10th and secured the gold medal.

Junior recently won silver at the Finn European Championships in Split, Croatia and admits that both he and Murdoch have made gains in the class;

Junior says, 'I think we are now getting the gear right and are starting to go really fast. Doc [Murdoch] has been a great sailor for many years and I've sailed pretty well and we are both starting to move towards the front, so hopefully that continues and we can do this more regularly.'

Andrew Murdoch sailed home with a sixth in today’s medal race coming close to team-mate Junior on points, but not close enough to take silver from him. Murdoch, from Northland’s Kerikeri Cruising Club takes the bronze for his first Finn medal at an ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta.

This November the Finn class will sail the Finn World Cup (their 2015 World Championship) here in New Zealand with Takapuna Boating Club set to host the world’s best in the Olympic heavy-weight dinghy later this year. The kiwis will be hoping to put on a good show on home waters.

Laser and Radial:

Two New Zealand sailors were in today’s Laser medal race; Andy Maloney ended the regatta well with a second place today which sees him end the regatta in seventh place overall.

“After a week of ups and downs, I'm pretty happy to finish on a high with second place in the medal race. It was an extremely tight race which moved me up to finish seventh overall. Not the goal but some real positives to take from the week,” reports Maloney.

Meanwhile Sam Meech, who broke into the top ten with great results on day four, has concluded the regatta in eighth after placing eighth in the medal race.

Thomas Saunders ends the regatta in 12th with Michael Bullot close behing in 13th.

In the Laser Radial, Sara Winther ends the regatta in 17th place; Susannah Pyatt in 31st.

Nacra 17:

Olivia Mackay and Micah Wilkinson conclude their first ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta in 26th place.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth (10-14 June 2015)
New Zealand’s Final Results

1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, 49er
2nd Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski, 49er
2nd Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, Women’s 470
2nd Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech, 49erFX
2nd Josh Junior, Finn
3rd Andrew Murdoch, Finn
7th Andy Maloney, Laser
8th Sam Meech, Laser
12th Thomas Saunders, Laser
13th Michael Bullot, Laser
10th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox, Men’s 470
17th Sara Winther, Laser Radial
31st Susannah Pyatt, Laser Radial
26th Olivia Mackay and Micah Wilkinson, Nacra 17

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More about the ISAF Sailing World Cup

The ISAF Sailing World Cup is a world-class annual series for Olympic sailing. It is open to the sailing events chosen for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition. Its centre piece is the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup will consist of five regattas for all ten Olympic events and where possible, Formula Kite Racing. Qualification places for the ISAF Sailing World Cup final are up for grabs at each event. The final will bring together the top 20 boats in each Olympic event and an Open Kiteboarding event where the World Cup Champions will be crowned