ISAF World Cup- NZ leads in Mens 470 on Day 3 at 2012 Olympic venue

by Sail-World on 7 Jun 2012
New Zealand’s 2012 Olympic representatives in the Mens Two-Hander (470), Paul Snow Hansen and Jason Saunders, are leading the sixth event of the ISAF World Cup, the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta being sailed at the 2012 Olympic venue at Weymouth.

They won both their races again on Day 3 and lead the event, with current world champions Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page (AUS) in second, on equal points.

In the Womens Two-Hander (470) 2012 Olympic representatives, Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie won one race, moving them up to second overall, behind a French crew. Aleh and improved their overall standing from fourth to second with an eighth and first place finish in today’s two races.

Saunders and Snow-Hansen have won four of the six races at this event so far, sailing in a mixed bag of weather conditions which is testing their all around ability.

Results have been shuffled in most fleets now that six races have been completed and competitors were able to drop their worst score.

For the remaining two days of series racing, competitors will be grouped into gold or silver fleets based on their rankings in the event so far.

The final double point medal races for the top ten competitors will take place on Saturday night (NZT).

In the Mens Singlehander (Laser) Andy Maloney also picked up a few places on the points table, with two more fourth place finishes. He sits in ninth overall. Andrew Murdoch, 2012 Olympic representative is 12th overall with Sam Meech in 19th.

Both New Zealand crews are outside the top ten in the Mens Skiff (49er) 2012 Olympic Representatives Peter Burling and Blair Tuke lie in 12th and Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski in 13th. Regatta leaders, and current world champions, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen are 30 points ahead of the NZ boats, but with six more series races left for this fleet, there is still plenty opportunity to get near the front of the pack.

Some of the other Olympic representatives are also on track to make their medal races.

In the Mens Windsurfer (RS:X), JP Tobin sits in ninth overall. Hamish Pepper with Jim Turner are 11th in the Mens Keelboat (Star).

Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen and Susannah Pyatt have turned around their slow start to the regatta, in the Womens Match Racing (Elliott 6’s), wrapping up the first round robin with three more wins, and they are now in the repechage round for competitors placed seventh-13th and have won three of their four races. Two more races remain for them in this round before the quarter finals.

In the Mens Heavyweight Singlehander (Finn), Josh Junior, sailing in his first regatta is the top performed NZer lying in 17th overall, ahead of Matt and Rob Coutts. 2012 Olympic representative Dan Slater is not competing

Sara Winther has improved in the Womens Singlehander (Laser Radial). The 2012 Olympic representative has been able to drop her worst place and additionally had her two best races so far – 10th and 12th to now lie in 41st position overall.

Natalia Kosinska slipped back in the overall standings in the Womens Windsurfer (RS:X) and now lies in 15th place overall. Steff Williams holds onto 26th overall. New Zealand has yet to make a 2012 Olympic selection, if indeed one will be made at all, in this event.

In the Paralympic classes, Paul Francis and Brett Willcock are placed 11th and 12th respectively in the Singlehander (2.4mtr), while Tim Dempsey and Jan Apel in the Two-hander (Skud 18) have improved their overall score up to sixth overall with two fourth place race finishes. ??

The weather forecast tomorrow is for winds up to and over 20kn in the afternoon, and it is looking to continue as a very windy regatta for the remaining days. Racing will start early tomorrow to facilitate more racing before the wind picks up too much.

Sail For Gold June 7th Standings

2.4m R?11th Paul Francis(15, 5,17,10, 12, 13)?12th Brett Willcock (8, 6, 18, 17, 10 15)

470 (men’s)?1st Paul Snow Hansen and Jason Saunders (9, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1)

470 (women’s)?2nd Jo Aleh and Olivia (Polly) Powrie (5,15, 3, 8,8,1)

49er? 12th Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (3, 10, 14, 10, 7, 8, 2, 7, 4)?13th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (7, 6, 1, 7, 9, 10, 8, 10, 6)

Finn 17th Josh Junior (10,19, 11, 23, 23, 16)?29th Matt Coutts (11,34, 32, 31, 18, 34)?39th Rob Coutts (19, 40, 39, 38, 39,40)

Laser 9th Andy Maloney (15, 8, 17, 4, 4, 4)?12th Andrew Murdoch (15, 2, 10, 5, 20, 8)?19th Sam Meech (11, 17, 20, 8, 7,12)

Laser Radial 41st Sara Winther (19, 26, BFD, 19, 10, 12)??

RS:X (men’s) 9th JP Tobin (19, 6,14, 9, 9, 3)??

RS:X (women’s) 15th Natalia Kosinska (9, 10, 14, 17, 25, 44)?26th Steffanie Williams (25, 31, 21, 16)??

Skud 18 sixth Tim Dempsey and Jan Apel (13, 7, 6, 10, 4, 4)??

Star 11th Hamish Pepper and Jim Turner (8, 7,12, 11, 11, 8)??

Women’s Match Racing Repechage round, 3 Win 1 Loss. ?Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen, Susannah Pyatt?