2013 Laser Worlds- Conditions turn light in Oman to help Kiwis

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 21 Nov 2013
After solid wind through the opening half of the 2013 Laser World Championships in Oman, Day 4 provided sailors a new challenge with light and very shifty conditions at Mussanah Beach.

Two races were sailed and Sam Meech was the New Zealand sailor to best meet the challenging conditions beginning the day with a second place in the first race and going on to record and eighth in the second race of the day.

Ascending through the ranks after an average Day 1, Meech, from the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club, is now the best placed of the NZL Sailing Team in 11th position overall in the world-class fleet.

Meech’s team-mates Andy Maloney and Thomas Saunders both produced one excellent race apiece today, and one less desirable. For Saunders Race 7 becomes his discard.

Maloney (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) is lying 15th overall after a 22nd and a fifth today, while Saunders (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club) who recorded a 44th and a sixth is in 17th on the leaderboard.

With the qualifying series completed, Robert Scheidt now has a five point lead over Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus with Sweden’s Jesper Stalheim four points behind in third place. On Thursday, the fleet is divided into Gold and Silver fleets with two races scheduled on each of the two remaining days.

2013 Laser World Championships, Muscat, Oman: New Zealand’s standings after Day 4 (total fleet 126)

11th Sam Meech (16, 26, 7, 15, 17, 1, 2, 8)
15th Andy Maloney (7, 7, 8, 19, 5, 23, 22, 5)
17th Thomas Saunders (15, 4, 11, 2, 22, 21, 44, 6)
104th George Lane
106th Michael Cate

Full results click here

Links
Regatta website: http://omanlaserworlds2013.com/eng/index.php
NZL Sailing Team on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NZLSailingTeam
Yachting New Zealand website: http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/
NZL Sailing Team sailor profiles: http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/racing/nzl-sailing-team/team-profiles