Masters Games - Slater off to a flying start on Day 1

by Yachting NZ on 23 Apr 2017 Dan Slater, who competed in three Olympic Games, had a perfect start to the 2017 Masters Games with two first-placed finishes in today’s two races in the Laser fleet.

It has been more than four years since Slater finished top-level racing following the London Olympics and it’s fair to say he let standards slip.

“I was in pretty bad nick,” he admitted. “When I stopped Finn sailing I was still eating like a Finn sailor but doing no exercise. I hated the gym after London. Hated it. I had done 20-odd years and I just didn’t want to go. I have stepped foot in one twice. [The World Masters Games] was a good excuse to get back out there.

“I put in a pretty big effort to diet down and lost the best part of 7kg for the event but I’m still too big for a Laser by about 3-4kg. Today was fine but if we get light winds, I’m too heavy.

A variety of conditions are expected for the week’s racing and today saw a building 12-14 knot south-easterly and a fair bit of chop off Torbay in Auckland.

A combination of former Olympians, America’s Cup and round-the-world sailors, world champions and sailing enthusiasts are among the 237 competitors across the three classes: Weta, Laser and Laser Radial.

Multiple world champion Scott Leith also had a perfect day in the Laser Radial, picking up two wins to lead the men's masters category, as did Australian Mark Kennedy in the men's grand master fleet. Brent Gribble and Sarinan Gribble also claimed three wins and a second placing to lead the double-handed Weta class and Jon Bilger leads the single-handed Weta fleet after three wins and a 32nd UFD, which is presently his discard. Two-time Olympic medallist Rex Sellers was sitting in fifth overall.

Slater admits the competitive instincts are still as strong as ever.

“I'm racing guys who I fought it out for Olympic spots,” he said. “It’s still there. Well, it is in my mind. Your brain is telling you to do things you did in your 20s and 30s and the body doesn’t quite bend the same way and the quick reaction times aren’t quite the same.

“It’s a good excuse to get back in some reasonable shape and go sailing. In our fleet, everyone has been a national champion and world top 20 in their day so everyone knows how to sail a Laser pretty fast.

“I enjoy racing and enjoy racing against guys who are really good because that’s what I have done all my life. It’s also good for my business because I am the Laser dealer and I should go out and support the class I live off.”

A win this week would probably help business even more.

Provisional results after Day 1 of the sailing at the World Masters Games, Torbay, Auckland

Laser AM M Fleet: (category, results, total points)

1st - Dan Slater (NZL) Laser Men Apprentice Master 35-44 1.0 1.0 2.0
2nd - Matthew Blakey (NZL) Laser Men Apprentice Master 35-44 3.0 2.0 5.0
3rd - Rohan Lord (NZL) Laser Men Master 45- 54 2.0 4.0 6.0
4th - Anthony Merrington (AUS) Laser Men Apprentice Master 35-44 4.0 3.0 7.0
5th - Andrew Dellabarca (NZL) Laser Men Master 45- 54 5.0 7.0 12.0

Laser GM GGM GGGM Fleet:

1st - Tim Law (GBR) Laser Men Grand Master 55-64 1.0 2.0 3.0
2nd - Murray Thom (NZL) Laser Men Grand Master 55-64 8.0 1.0 9.0
3rd - Mark Oliver (NZL) Laser Men Grand Master 55-64 6.0 4.0 10.0
4th - Luke Carter (NZL) Laser Men Grand Master 55-64 4.0 6.0 10.0
5th - Nick Page (NZL) Laser Men Grand Master 55-64 7.0 5.0 12.0

Laser Radial AM M Fleet:

1st - Scott Leith (NZL) Laser Radial Men Master - 45-54 1.0 1.0 2.0
2nd - Phil Wild (NZL) Laser Radial Men App Master 35-44 2.0 4.0 6.0
3rd Adam Beashel (AUS) Laser Radial Men Master - 45-54 3.0 3.0 6.0
4th - Mark Orams (NZL) Laser Radial Men Master - 45-54 8.0 2.0 10.0
5th - Edmund Tam (NZL) Laser Radial Men Master - 45-54 4.0 6.0 10.0

Laser Radial GM GGM GGGM Fleet:

1st - Mark Kennedy (AUS) Laser Radial Men Grand Master 55-64 1.0 1.0 2.0
2nd - Rick Longbottom (AUS) Laser Radial Men Grand Master 55-64 5.0 3.0 8.0
3rd - Werner Hennig (NZL) Laser Radial Men Grand Master 55-64 4.0 5.0 9.0
4th - Terry Scutcher (GBR) Laser Radial Men Grand Master 55-64 10.0 2.0 12.0
5th - Robert Lowndes (AUS) Laser Radial Men Gt Gr Master 65-74 2.0 10.0 12.0

Weta Double Handed Fleet:

1st - Brent Gribble and Sarinan Gribble (NZL) Weta Dbl Mixed Master 45-54 ­(2.0) 1.0 1.0 1.0 3.0
2nd - Tony Sadler and Beryl Morris (AUS) Weta Dbl Mixed Gt Gr Master ­65­-74 1.0 2.0 2.0 (3.0) 5.0
3rd - Terry McDell and Kim McDell (NZL) Weta Dbl Mens Gt Gr Master ­65-­74 (3.0) 3.0 3.0 2.0 8.0
4th - Michael Lanigan and Sheryl Lanigan (NZL) Weta Dbl Mixed Gt Gr Master ­65­-74 4.0 (7.0) 5.0 4.0 13.0
5th - Simon Boys and Marjorie Boys (NZL) Weta Dbl Mixed Grand Master ­55­-64 (7.0) 6.0 4.0 5.0 15.0

Weta Single Handed Fleet:

1st - Jon Bilger (NZL) Weta Sgl Men Master ­45­-54 1.0 1.0 (32.0 UFD) 1.0 3.0
2nd - Martin Cross (AUS) Weta Sgl Men Grand Master ­55-­64 (3.0) 2.0 1.0 3.0 6.0
3rd - Roderick Waterhouse (AUS) Weta Sgl Men Grand Master ­55-­64 (7.0) 6.0 2.0 2.0 10.0
4th David Kennett (NZL) Weta Sgl Men Master ­45-­54 2.0 (7.0) 4.0 4.0 10.0
5th Rex Sellers (NZL) Weta Sgl Men Gt Gr Master ­65-­74 5.0 3.0 3.0 (9.0) 11.0