European Optimists - Two Kiwis make the Gold fleet
by Angus Haslett on 25 Jul 2015
Day 4 European Optimist Championships Alan Dop
www.sportsimages.wales
The 2015 Euros has ended for the kiwi team on a day where solid starts and clever wind picks were needed. The breeze was ok - averaging around 11knots but it was streaky and a bad start or missed shift meant a punishing result.
For Ben Paterson our top placed kiwi in Gold Fleet that was what happened, but he was not the only one in the top who suffered this fate and whilst he had to take a drop in his last race, his placing overall was still an outstanding 16th, one of the best Euro results for NZIODA and a reflection of a very solid, consistent regatta amongst some top sailors including USA's Tim Rice, the eventual regatta winner
The second of our two Gold Fleet sailors, this time in the girls, Alice Haslett, couldn't break into higher placings in the strong Gold fleet, but her regatta which saw two top ten placings in the qualifying series, resulted in a 47th overall, placing her inside the top 50 girls in the competitive European Opti sailing world.
Our remaining three boys were well placed overnight in the Silver Fleet - also a highly competitive fleet and within 5 points of each other before the final race there was plenty to sail for. However the intensity of the final start saw firstly, 14 black flags followed by two other black flag starts - eventually leaving a fleet of around 30. Unfortunately Oliver Cowley and Francesco Kayrouz were in the black flag group however despite this, their overall result was in the top half of the fleet that was also built on some very solid results with top 10 race placing's for both of them. That left Campbell Stanton to sail the last race as the only kiwi and what better way to finish than with a first - propelling him to fourth overall in Silver Fleet - the result of a gritted, determined, clever sailing effort. Another solid result for the kiwis.
Overall the kiwi team has performed well and the experience of big fleet, competitive sailing in a new environment has added some lifelong skills and plenty of new international friends. The sailing conditions were a perfect mix of challenging winds, big breaking swells and streaky wind shifts and thanks to the drive of coach Briar Dye- Hutchinson the team now has the opportunity to add to their skills at the British nationals starting in three days time.
Go 2015 NZIODA Team Euros!
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