Representing the RNZYS and the Royal Freshwater Yacht Club respectively, Scott Barnes and Sam Gilmour share the lead with six wins out of seven races on day one of the Harken Youth International Match Racing Championships.
Barnes, a skipper in the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme, lost his lead of six wins out of six races at the 11th hour - 7.12pm – during Flight 9 of the day’s racing to fellow Kiwi Adam Middleton from the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.
First equal Gilmour is ranked 101 in the world, and the highest ranked competitor in the event. His only loss of the day was to Barnes who beat him by 28 seconds on Flight 8 this evening.
Middleton and Claudia Pierce with her all-female crew are next overall with five wins each out of seven races. Middleton’s score includes an impressive win over Barnes in the final flight of the day by 16 seconds.
Pierce lost her first match of the day to the other all-female crew helmed by Hannah Osbourne by a 3 second margin, but was strong enough to bounce back and claim 5 wins for the day and Osbourne 3.
Next overall with 4 wins is Charlie Lalumiere from Portland Yacht Club and Malcolm Parker from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. Two of Parker’s convincing wins were over two higher ranked skippers in Middleton and Pierce.
The next three spots go to three skippers on three wins and three losses; Osbourne, Will Holz from Chicago Yacht Club and George Anyon from Bucklands Beach Yacht Club.
Only the young Canadian team skippered by Richard Minielly was unable to post a win on the board today, however his results prove the gap is narrowing between him and his competitors. In the final flight of the day Minielly lost to Nick Howe of Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron by a mere 4 seconds.
The racing has been tight and intense; the finishing time difference in the majority of races being less than 30 seconds. After racing being delayed in the morning due to a lack of wind, followed by shifty conditions, the breeze filled in to a perfect 10-15 knots and summer sunshine on Auckland Harbour.
Light airs are expected tomorrow PRO Megan Kensington expects delays so was pleased to complete 9 flights by 7.30pm this evening.
Flight Four Doyle beat Howe 7s Pierce beat Minielly by 33s Barnes beat Appelgren by 3s Middleton beat Osborne by 1m32s Anyon beat Holz by 11s
Flight Five Lalumiere beat Killian by 24s Barnes beat Osborne by 2m15s Holz beat Appelgren by 13s Anyon beat Howe by 27s Parker beat Pierce by 41s
Flight Six Lalumiere beat Doyle by 44s Gilmour beat killian by 22s Middleton beat Minielly by 17s Pierce beat Howe by 8s Barnes beat Anyon by 19s
Flight Seven Killian beat Holz 11s Parker beat Lalumiere by 15s Doyle beat Minielly by 9s Middleton beat Appelgren by 18s Gilmour beat Osborne by 9s
Flight Eight Pierce beat Appelgren by 15s Middleton beat Doyle by 1m 43s Parker beat Killian by 1m 51s Barnes beat Gilmour by 28s Osborne beat Holz by 14s
Flight Nine Howe beat Minielly by 4s Lalumiere beat Anyon by 3s Middleton beat Barnes by 16s Pierce beat Doyle by 1m 8s Gilmour beat Appelgren by 50s by Amber Roberts
Photographs are copyright by law. If you wish to use or buy a photograph you must contact the photographer directly (there is a hyperlink in most cases to their website, or do a Google search.) with your request.
Please do not contact
Sail-World.com
as we cannot give permission for use of other photographer’s images.
Customised news feeds -Marine Industry companies, Clubs and Associations have their own customised version of our news feed on their website. Look_here_to_see_examples