NZL Sailing Team- NZ out of top ten after Day 3 of Laser Europeans

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 12 Jun 2014 With the breeze back in, the 2014 European Laser Standard and Laser Radial Championships rolled on in Split, Croatia today where five races have now been sailed over three days and the qualifying rounds conclude.

It was a mixed day at the office for the kiwi team with today’s race results delivering some changes in the overall standings on the leader board for the European Championship title in the men’s Olympic single-handed dinghy. Despite this all four men representing New Zealand in Croatia are within the top third of the 132 boat fleet putting them in the gold fleet from here.

Andy Maloney has slipped to 20th overall after today and Mike Bullot is now the best placed of the New Zealand sailors in 11th position. Bullot opened day three with a third place following that with a 13th which becomes his discard.

Maloney’s drop in the standings has come after two races where he finished in the teens – a 14th and a 16th.

Sam Meech is in 23rd with a seventh and 11th on the water today, while Thomas Saunders progresses from the qualifying series on a high note with a race win in today’s second race lifting him five places to 40th.

Brazilian sailing legend Robert Scheidt has taken the outright lead after day three, with local boy Tonci Stipanovic just one point behind.

In the women’s Laser Radial battle Sara Winther is lying 30th, and while disappointed with her performance on day three (14th, 43rd) the North Shore sailor has made the gold fleet. Team-mate Susannah Pyatt is lying 68th returning her best result of the regatta today with a seventh place in race five.

Winther says; 'Not my best work today, first race was going well, until I made an error which I had to do turns for which cost me five or so places. Then [the] second race was worst race of my life.'

'Time to refresh and go hard for finals!'

Racing continues in Split tomorrow and runs for another three days with the titles set to be decided and medals presented on Saturday 14th June.

2014 Laser and Laser Radial European Championships
New Zealand’s provisional standings after day three

Laser Standard (Men’s Olympic single-handed class) – 132 entries

11th Mike Bullot (5, 10, 8, 3, 13)
20thAndy Maloney, NZL Sailing Team (3, 4, 12, 14, 16)
23rdSam Meech, NZL Sailing Team (5, 12, 14, 7, 11)
40thThomas Saunders, NZL Sailing Team (12, 15, 25, 24 1)


Laser Radial (Women’s Olympic single-handed class) – 92 entries

30th Sara Winther (27, 6, 19, 14, 43)
68th Susannah Pyatt (46, 41, 23, 39, Website