Sam Osborne leads on Day One of the New Zealand Women's Match Racing

by Amber Roberts on 1 Mar 2013
Representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Samantha Osborne leads on Day One of the New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championships 2013.

Samantha Osborne, the second highest ranked skipper in the event with an ISAF Ranking of 95, enjoyed six wins in all of her six races, including a nail biting 1 second win over second place holder Hannah Osborne (no connection).

Hannah Osborne on 4 wins, representing the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme, only suffered one other loss of the day by 10 seconds to Melinda Henshaw, also representing the RNZYS. Hannah commented, 'The team worked well today, crew work was good and it was good to have a nice breeze.'

Also on four wins and in third place Claudia Pierce, representing the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme, lost her second place on count back due to her narrow loss to Hannah by 36 seconds in Flight Five. Pierce commented 'The mistakes we made today cost us, but you learn from them; it’s all about the end result.'

Both Hannah and Pierce have come off the back of competing in last week’s RNZYS HARKEN Youth International Match Racing Regatta, and their solid start to the regatta suggests the HARKEN was sound preparation coming into this event.

Next overall with three wins and three losses is Susannah Pyatt, also representing the RNZYS. Pyatt just steals fourth spot from Melinda Henshaw, also on 3 wins and 3 losses and also representing RNZYS, due to Pyatt’s 9 second win over Henshaw in Flight Two.

In sixth place, 17 year old Michelle Tait of Buckland’s Beach Yacht Club had a tough day in the strengthening breeze; 'We’re pretty light; when we are bearing away – all sails dumped and everyone on the rail - it’s still pretty difficult.'

Only newcomer to match racing Genevieve Kayat was unable to post a win on the board today having a tough day that included two disqualifications, in addition to a crew change due to an unwell crew member. Olivia Hamlin was replaced with Jane Hunter and resulted in Flight Four being delayed and Flight Seven held to enable Kayat to be on a bye while the Round Robin continued. Regarding her two disqualifications Kayat heaped praise on both opponents; 'In the third match of Flight One we were late and Sam Osborne pushed us out so we couldn’t enter. In the disqualification against Hannah we just didn’t keep clear.' Kayat is optimistic about a better and less hectic day on the water tomorrow.

Day One racing has been tight and intense, with the finishing time difference in the majority of races being a matter of seconds. Racing commenced this morning with a good breeze 13 knots from the sou-west which allowed the Race Committee to complete Round Robin One, before racing was completed at 3.30pm with wind gusts of 25-28 knots and shifts of 200 degrees.

A similar breeze is expected tomorrow with PRO Mike Best commenting 'Today we had 40 degree wind shifts and significant gusts which made laying the course extremely difficult.'

So after a great day one of the regatta the points table looks like this:

Samantha Osborne – Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 6/0/6
Hannah Osborne – Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 4/2/6
Claudia Pierce - RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme 4/2/6
Susannah Pyatt – Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 3/3/6
Melinda Henshaw – Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 3/3/6
Michelle Tait – Buckland’s Beach Yacht Club 1/5/6
Genevieve Kayat – New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club 0/6/6

Round Robin One:
Flight One
Tait beat Pyatt by 55s
Henshaw beat Osborne H by 10s
Osborne S beat Kayat (DSQ)
Pierce Bye
Flight Two
Pyatt beat Henshaw 9s
Pierce beat Kayat by 2m 18s
Osborne H beat Tait by 36s
Osborne S Bye
Flight Three
Osborne S beat Henshaw by 33s
Osborne H beat Kayat (DSQ)
Pierce beat Tait 1m 24s
Pyatt Bye
Flight Four
Osborne S beat Tait 1m 3s
Pierce beat Henshaw 11s
Pyatt beat Kayat 2m 40s
Osborne H Bye
Flight Five
Osborne H beat Pierce by 36s
Tait beat Kayat by 1m 57s
Osborne S beat Pyatt by 54s
Henshaw Bye
Flight Six
Osborne S beat Osborne H by 1s
Pierce beat Pyatt by 2s
Henshaw beat Kayat (DNF)
Tait Bye
Flight Seven
Osborne H beat Pyatt 18s
Henshaw beat Tait by 26s
Osborne S beat Pierce by 2 s
Kayat Bye

For results and regular updates throughout the regatta visit the Squadron homepage www.rnzys.org.nz and our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Royal_New_Zealand_Yacht_Squadron