Kosinska wins silver at EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 15 Oct 2013
The sole New Zealand representative to compete at 2013 Semaine Olympique Franciase Regatta for Olympic class sailors in La Rochelle, France has won a silver medal.

Kiwi RS:X windsurfer Natalia Kosinska won today’s medal race to pass France’s Eugenie Ricard and stand on the second step of the podium at the final 2013 EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup regatta which has just wrapped up at La Rochelle.

Poland’s Sofia Klepacka, who had an almost unassailable lead going into today, has secured the gold medal in the women’s RS:X fleet which featured 26 international Olympic campaigners.

Racing took place over six days in La Rochelle, Kosinska (32 years) from the Takapuna Boating Club on Auckland’s North Shore, winning three of eleven races sailed including today’s top ten medal race. She only finished outside the top ten in two races.

Kosinska earned a place on Yachting New Zealand’s NZL Sailing Team after placing fifth overall at the 2013 RS:X European Championships, also sailed in France, in July – a pinnacle regatta for the RS:X windsurfer. As the only female windsurfer in the NZL Sailing Team she is currently New Zealand’s top campaigner in the Olympic class.

A number of the NZL Sailing Team are in Qingdao, China for the opening regatta of the 2013-14 ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta about to get underway. Racing in Qingdao runs from October 14th – 19th. Among the eight strong kiwi contingent are NZL Sailing Team sailors Andy Maloney (Laser), Sam Meech (Laser), Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (Women’s 470) and Dan Willcox and Paul Snow-Hansen (Men’s 470).