Gold and Silver for the NZL Sailing Team at ISAF World Cup in Hyeres

by Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting NZ on 27 Apr 2015 The NZL Sailing Team has taken gold in the 49er and silver in the Women’s 470 competing against the world’s best Olympic class sailors at 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres regatta which has just concluded in France.

49er: With an unassailable points lead at the end of day four Peter Burling and Blair Tuke capped off the regatta with a win in today’s medal race to extend their winning streak to an incredible 18 consecutive victories in the 49er skiff class. The pair has now gone unbeaten since the 2012 London Olympic Games where they won silver.

Flawless in today’s breezy conditions the NZL Sailing Team pair of Burling and Tuke lead from the start of the race and celebrated as they crossed the finish for the race win and the overall victory at what has been their first ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta for the year.

The kiwis appear unfazed by the new regatta format which meant all fleets were reduced to a maximum 40 boats, and fleet racing held over four days leading to the top ten medal race. Over 13 races sailed in Hyeres, Burling and Tuke finished top three in ten of those including four race wins.

49 points back the Australian pair of Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen took the silver medal while Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) claimed bronze.

Women’s 470: But while the pressure was off for Burling and Tuke today, it was all on for Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie who were lying fourth overall going into today’s medal race left hunting the front runners after some mixed results on day three.

Today’s performance put them onto the podium for silver edging out Camille Lecointre and Helene Defrance (FRA) who had to settle for bronze, while Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills (GBR) were relegated to fourth. Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan from Brazil took the Women’s 470 gold medal.

It was an action packed medal race with a very tight finish which meant it wasn’t until they reached shore that the kiwi girls discovered the actual outcome, and it came as a welcome surprise; “Some big ups and downs in the medal race today! There was great breeze and some awesome waves.”

“We didn't start the race well, and were on the back foot to begin with, but got back in the game on the first downwind leg. Then we got the kite sheet caught under the bow at the first bottom mark.. but Polly clambering up on the bow to fix it, not exactly a fast manoeuvre.”

“But we got ourselves sorted, and sailed a decent enough leg to round the top mark in fourth, with the French we needed to beat just ahead of us, and the British who we needed to beat with one boat in between just behind us… So it was all on for the downwind!”

“We got away at the top, and it was all looking good for third in the race which would mean second overall. Only to stuff up the bottom half of the leg, this culminated in what was a very good photo finish between us and the French. We thought we might have got them, but watching their coach celebrate with them, followed by a 'tough luck girls' from Nathan (Handley), we were rather grumpy.”

“So after a grumpy sail in, and some commiserations on the ramp, we were approached by the media team who wanted to interview us for second, but we told them, no, no, we got fourth... They insisted that we were actually second, and as that’s what the iPhone said, it had to be true.”

“So there we go... left our run up the leader board a little late, but great to finish off with a silver medal after what was a rather tough week.”

49erFX: Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech were third in today’s 49erFX medal race and end the regatta in seventh overall.

470 Men: A fifth in today’s medal race sees Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox end the regatta in seventh overall.

Finn: Josh Junior comes away from ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres in eighth after placing seventh in today’s Finn medal race.

Laser: Andy Maloney sailed in today’s Laser medal race to conclude the regatta in ninth overall. He reports, “We had some epic conditions for the Medal Race today in Hyeres! Best conditions to finish the week off, but unfortunately I was at the wrong end of the pack and dropped to ninth overall for the event.”

“The margins for error are minuscule in such a highly competitive 10 boat race, and I didn't get a couple things right today. Loving the tight racing though and looking forward to improving at the next ISAF Sailing World Cup event in England, in just over a month’s time.”

2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres NZL Sailing Team final results

1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke – 49er
2nd Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie – Women’s 470
7th Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech – 49erFX
7th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox – Men’s 470
8th Josh Junior – Finn
9th Andy Maloney – Laser
12th Thomas Saunders – Laser
14th Sam Meech – Laser
19th Mike Bullot – Laser
12th Andrew Murdoch – Finn
13th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski – 49er
21st Sara Winther – Laser Radial
16th Natalia Kosinska – Women’s RS:X
14th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders – Nacra 17