NZL Sailing Team - Kiwi 49er duo blast out four wins on Worlds Day 3
by Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting NZ on 12 Feb 2016
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke - 2016 Nacra 17, 49er and 49erFX World Championships in Clearwater, Miami Jen Edney / EdneyAP
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have stamped a mark of dominance over their rivals on Day 3 of the 2016 49er World Championships in Clearwater Florida, where the Olympic men’s skiff, women’s skiff and mixed multihull are vying for their 2016 world titles.
In the 49erFX Alex Maloney and Molly Meech had a solid day to lie sixth overall, while in the Nacra 17 Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders have lifted to 18th.
49er:
The 2012 Olympic silver medallists and defending world champions won all four of their heats on day three of the six day regatta, and now show a clean-streak of five straight race wins as the regatta moves into day four.
“We had an absolutely awesome day,” says Peter Burling after racing. “We’ve been waiting for a long time to get some good racing in, you know it was good to get out there and get one race in on the first day, but today the forecast looked really nice and we managed to get one race in the offshore breeze to start with, which was a little more shifty and lighter, but then the really nice sea breeze filled in and we had tree in pretty perfect skiff sailing conditions.”
Talking about making the transition from heavy air set up to light airs, Blair Tuke explains, “The way you set up the rig is completely different.”
“The first day we raced in 15 knots and really big seas with breaking waves and it was pretty full-on hard boat handling to just keep the rig in the air, so to change the mid set and change the way we set the boat up and how we approach the races for today. To get four wins out of it is pretty awesome, and something I don’t think we’ve ever done ever before.”
“We’re excited for tomorrow and get a few more races in and hopefully keep the hammer down.”
With four points the kiwis have the lead from Australian pair Nathan Outteridge and Ian Jensen who also sailed well today to lie six points adrift of NZL Sailing Team’s Burling and Tuke. Great Britain’s John Pink and Stuart Bithell are lying third a further five points behind the Aussies.
Isaac McHardie and Trent Rippey, Aon Fast Track Squad sailors, are well placed to make the cut and race in gold fleet after a solid day on the water today including two top ten results. They’re currently in 20th position in the 68-strong fleet.
49er FX:
Alex Maloney and Molly Meech were back on the water today in the 49erFX adding three races to their score-card and keeping it consistent and solid.
The NZL Sailing Team duo, who come to Florida straight off the back of a recent victory at 2016 Sailing World Cup Miami, are currently lying sixth overall at the end of day three. In today’s three races Maloney and Meech placed fourth, seventh and second and lie equal on 12 points with the Dutch crew in fifth.
With the top placed crews all very close on points and plenty of racing yet to come the kiwis will be pleased with their overall consistency so far.
Despite their young age, the Aon Fast Track 49erFX pairing of Erica Dawson (21 years old) and Ellie Copeland (20 years old) are demonstrating that they can foot it with the world’s best and are on track to better their 2014 49erFX World Championships result of 34th.
In today’s racing Dawson and Copeland placed eighth, 10th and 11th to now lie 15th overall.
Nacra 17:
In the Nacra 17 World Championships, being sailed concurrently at the same venue, two races were added today.
Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders of the NZL Sailing Team are now in 18th overall after changes were made to yesterday’s scoring and today’s two races are added. Jones and Saunders placed 18th in their first race today, and then 30th in the subsequent race.
Olivia Mackay and Micah Wilkinson, the young Aon Fast Track Squad pair, are just behind in 19th overall after placing ninth and 20th on the water today.
Racing resumes tomorrow in Clearwater with qualifying racing continuing longer than planned with a minimum of six heats required before splitting the fleets into gold and silver for finals racing. Medal races are planned for Sunday 14th February.
New Zealand’s current standings…49er World Championship
1st Peter Burling & Blair Tuke (1, 1, 1, 1, 1)
20th Isaac McHardie & Trent Rippey (11, 22, 29, 9, 3)
35th Logan Dunning Beck & Jack Simpson (22, 7, 13, 17, 21)
42nd Markus Somerville & Josh Porebski (DNF, 29, 22, 7, 6)
49erFX World Championship:
6th Alexandra Maloney & Molly Meech (6, 4, 7, 2)
15th Erica Dawson & Ellie Copeland (4, 8, 10, 11)
Nacra 17 Championship:
18th Gemma Jones & Jason Saunders (27, 22, 2, 24, 8, 18, 30)
19th Olivia Mackay & Micah Wilkinson (12, 26, 27, 13, 21, 9, 20)
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