sail-world.com -- ISAF World Cup: New Zealand crew takes top spot in new Olympic event
ISAF World Cup: New Zealand crew takes top spot in new Olympic event
Sat, 8 Dec 2012
New Zealand's crew of Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech have become the first crew to win an ISAF World Sailing Cup event in the new Womens Olympic Skiff, the 49erFX.
The New Zealand crew, who sailed the 49erFX extensively as a test crew, were competing against a fleet of seven other boats, including Australian Olympic Silver medalist in the Womens Match Racing, Olivia Price who was sailing with a male crew, and inelegible to sail in the Medal Race.
Both Maloney and Meech have represented New Zealand at the ISAF Youth World Championships, with Maloney winning a silver medal in 2010 sailing the 29er. Meech represented New Zealand in the Laser Radial, before switching to the 49erFX. The pair travelled to Santander, Spain in March this year to take part in trials to determine which boat would be selected for the Olympic event.
Maloney and Meech's victory in Melbourne this week has been convincing – they concluded the twelve race series with an eight point margin over nearest rivals Tessa Parkinson and Kate Lathouras of Australia. Maloney and Meech only finished outside the top three in one race and rounded out the regatta in style with win in the Medal race, sailed on Saturday.
In the Kiteboard, being sailed for the first time in an ISAF World Cup event, New Zealand's Torrin Bright finished second in a large fleet. The Windsurfer could only muster three entries in the Mens event, and no Womens event was held due to a lack of competitor interest.
Sail Melbourne was also the first time that a Mixed Multihull, another new Olympic Event, has been sailed. New Zealand's Gemma Jones and Luke Stevenson competed in the Viper - which finished second in the Trials to the Nacra 17 whch was chosen as the Olympic catamaran. The event was won convincingly by Darren Bundock and Carolijn Brouwer (BEL).
2012 ISAF Sailing World Cup / Melbourne (Sail Melbourne) - New Zealand Results
49er FX Open 1st Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech
470 Men 7th James Turner and Carl Evans
Laser Radial 7th Susannah Pyatt 14th Laura Lowther
Laser
6th Thomas Saunders 14th Andrew McKenzie 15th Michael Cate 21st George Lane 23rd Sam McKenzie 24th Jack Collinson
Kite Men
2nd Torrin Bright 17th Craig Roberts 28th Brad Walker
Finn
5th Rob Coutts
Viper
4th Gemma Jones and Luke Stevenson 7th Miranda Powrie and Mark Stichbury-Cooper
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