Burling and Tuke have massive lead ahead of Medal Race in Hyeres

by Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting NZ on 26 Apr 2015 Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have a 45 point leading margin in the 49er event going into the final day of ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres Regatta on now in France, where the NZL Sailing Team have a further five crews set to sail medal races tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s medal races will be screened live between 1100 and 1700 local time in France or 2100 and 0300 New Zealand time.

49er & 49erFX: With a comfortable leading margin already, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke were able to further extend that today in Hyeres, France on what was the penultimate day of racing at this prestigious ISAF Sailing world Cup Regatta.

They were second and then took a win in the first two races today. In the third race they were 21st which they discard from their results tally to top the leader-board with 47 points. Australian’s Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen are 45 points back in second overall.

Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski weren’t able to secure a position in the 49er medal race with three double-digit results they have dropped back to 13th place and this will stand as their final result for this regatta.

Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech will go into the 49erFX medal race in ninth place. They sailed four races today going 18-15-5-11 to inch one place up the leader board and lie equal on points with the Norwegian crew in eighth. A good day tomorrow could see them improve on their final place.

470 Women and Men: Two excellent results from Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (pictured) today has put them back within closer reach of the podium, and they will go into tomorrow with nothing to lose and everything to gain. They opened the day with a win, followed that with a third and now hold fourth overall just one point adrift of Camille Lecointre and Helene de France in third place.

Brazil’s Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan hold the lead on 41 points from Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) on 43 points.

Jo Aleh says, “Finally a better day on the water for us, bounced back from the annoyances of yesterday, got a few things a little more sorted and just enjoyed ourselves out there today. Two good races in 10-12 knots of wind, and some great waves to catch downwind.”

“So even after our fails mid regatta, we are back in the hunt now, sitting in fourth place overall, six points back from the Brazilian girls who currently have the lead, four points off the Brits in second, and one point behind the French in third, so basically it’s all on for tomorrows medal race!”

“Looks like some great breeze forecast, can’t wait to get out there and give it heaps! See if we can just pull off the basics, good start, good pace, sail smart and stay upright.”

Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox come away from day four retaining fifth overall after one good race and one not so good today. They took a 26th in the first, which becomes their discard, but bounced back with a second place.

Ten points behind fourth makes it challenging for them to improve from here, but the gutsy kiwis will be giving it their best shot in tomorrow’s medal race.

Laser & Radial: Andy Maloney will represent the NZL Sailing Team in tomorrow’s Laser medal race, lying eighth overall at the end of today.

Thomas Saunders ends the regatta in 12th, Sam Meech two places back in 14th and Mike Bullot ends the regatta in 19th. All four kiwis are within the top half of this talented, invitation only fleet featuring only the world’s best Olympic class Laser sailors.

In the Women’s Laser Radial Sara Winther wraps up the regatta in 21st place.

“The new world cup format has been awesome racing! I am loving racing the top 40 in the world,” says Winther. “This regatta finished my five week stint here in Europe, which has been my most testing time overseas to date. I have been plagued with illness and injury but most of all I didn't back myself when I needed too. It has been a rocky few weeks, but going to take the lessons and not dwell on the results.”

“Tomorrow I am going to go support the rest of the NZL Team.”

Finn: Josh Junior will sail tomorrow’s Finn medal race after today’s performance on the water sees him climb from 13th place overall up inside the top ten to eighth. He placed second and 11th in today’s racing.

Junior is now lying equal on points to Caleb Paine (USA) lying seventh with just the Croatian just one point in front of them – this all sets the scene for a great battle in tomorrow’s medal race.

Andrew Murdoch also had a good day on the water coming away with a sixth and an eighth but hampered by gear damage on day two Murdoch has to settle for 12th overall at this regatta.

Nacra 17: Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders also sailed well in today’s breezy conditions but it wasn’t enough to see them break into the top ten. New Zealand’s mixed multihull pair finish this regatta in 14th.

Women’s RS:X: Natalia Kosinska closes the regatta in 16th place.

2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres - NZL Sailing Team current standings

1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke – 49er (2, 9, 3, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 20, 2, 1, 21)
13th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski – 49er (9, 12, 19, 29, 16, 35, 9, 15, 1, 23, 17, 30)
9th Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech – 49erFX (12, 16, 18, 14, 4, 9, 15, 28, 18, 15, 5, 11)
4th Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie – Women’s 470 (3, 25, 6, 5, 17, 12, 1, 3)
5th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox – Men’s 470 (24, 7, 18, 5, 9, 1, 26, 2)
8th Josh Junior – Finn (33, 27, 7, 10, 11, 15, 2, 11)
12th Andrew Murdoch – Finn (5, 5, DNF, 28, 31, 9, 6, 8)
8th Andy Maloney – Laser (12, 9, 18, 7, 10, 3, 21, 25)
12th Thomas Saunders – Laser (16, 30, 14, 30, 17, 12, 13, 1)
14th Sam Meech – Laser (11, 2, DSQ, 39,7, 6, 5, UFD )
19th Mike Bullot – Laser (21, 18, 12, 22, 34, 20, 11, 24)
21st Sara Winther – Laser Radial (26, 11, 19, 32, 30, 6, 12, 34)
16th Natalia Kosinska – Women’s RS:X (27, 13, 28, 11, 3, 21, 12, 10, 29, 15.8 RDG, 4)
14th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders – Nacra 17 (5, 18, 29, 10, 14,14, 19, 24, 13, 3, 8)