Please select your home edition
Edition
McDYachts_Pyewacket-for-Sale_1456x180 TOP

Will NZ's most successful Olympic Sailing event cop the Selection axe?

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 2 May 2016
Natalia Kosinska (NZL) RSX - Sailing World Cup Hyeres Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy / World Sailing
New Zealand qualified in all ten of the 2016 Olympic events at the first round of Qualifying in Santander Spain in September 2014.

In two of those the RS:X Windsurfing event, New Zealand is unlikely to be represented in the Men's event, and in the Women's event, Natalia Kosinska would appear to be a borderline selection.

That is in an event that has delivered three Gold medals, one Silver and three Bronze over eight Olympic regattas since 1984. All but one of those medal winners are now coaching for other countries at the 2016 Olympics.

As has been noted previously New Zealand has an abundance of top Windsurfing coaches, but a paucity of talent.

With the acceptance of a coaching contract with the Brazilian team, lead Mens contender and 7th placegetter at the 2012 Olympics, JP Tobin is out of the selection. Under the reallocation of places process, the New ZealandMens RS:X Olympic spot earned in Santander will be offered to a 22yr old Belarussian sailor who finished in 63rd place overall at the 2016 World Championships.


Last chance for New Zealand's Natalia Kosinska was the just concluded Sailing World Cup Hyeres, which attracted a top women's fleet in the RS:X.

Those who have followed the racing will be aware that the venue, at that time of year, in the European Spring is very fickle. Epitomised by the Men's Medal Race in the Laser class which started in 25kts of breeze and ended in a drifter.

Reports from other competitors received by Sail-World indicated that picking the correct side of the course was essential as the wind oscillated in a random pattern


Kosinka's report from the final day of fleet racing is perhaps typical.

'Yesterday we had three races, 'she told Sail-World. 'There was no wind in the morning, so we were postponed till around 2 pm. We had SW wind pretty shifty and light for the first two races (6-11 kts for the first, a bit lighter for the second race and the wind increased for the third race to 11-14knts).

'I had better races than in previous days but still struggle to get my head around the wind at Hyeres.

'In the first race it was very patchy with pressure and the wind was oscillating. While for the second and third race it paid just to go hard to the side of the course.

'It's been difficult few days for me. In a long time, I haven't had regatta outside top 16 it's a good reminder of how competitive the fleet is everyone is gearing up for the Games.'

The former ISAF World Youth Windsurfer champion's results are not as stunning as some the other New Zealand sailors who have already been nominated in the doubled-handed classes.

Kosinska placed 13th in the 2013 World Championships, 21st in the 2014 Worlds - also the Olympic Qualifier, 18th in the 2015 Worlds and 16th in the 2016 World in Israel.

None of those places meet the Yachting NZ published criteria of a Top 12 place in a Worlds to make the NZL Sailing Team, and be put on the funding platform that those team members receive.

A look back at the 2012 Olympic results compared with the 2012 RS:X Worlds which were contested in March 2012, the Gold medal winner, Marina Alabau (ESP) finished in 10th place overall in the Worlds. The Olympic Silver medalist Tuuli Petaja (FIN) finished the 2012 Worlds in 14th place - just one ahead of Natalia Kosinska, who was not deemed by Yachting NZ not to be of sufficient standard to be even nominated for the NZ Olympic team to sail in Weymouth.


But with many countries running full multiple sailors with a full coaching program in selected events the standard is exceptionally high and deep. The Kiwi windsurfer contestants have run largely self-funded campaigns, with Tobin earning through coaching others and the Polish-born Kosinska through her day-job as a Sports Massage therapist at an Auckland sports clinic.

Viewed in the light of Olympic criteria - i.e., selection on a one competitor per country basis, Kosinska's results look a lot better

In the 2013 Worlds she placed 11th country, in 2014 she was 12th country, she was again 12th country and 2016 she was 10th country.

In many other New Zealand Olympic sports that last ranking, of making a world top ten in the year of the Olympics, would be sufficient to book a ticket to Rio.

Over the past six ISAF Youth World Championships, New Zealand does not have a good record. In fact, NZ had no representatives in the 2012 and 2013 Youth Worlds in Dublin and Cyprus, and the other eight events, New Zealand Youth sailors have managed just two places in the top ten (a 10th and a 9th in the Girls event in 2010 and 2011).


To some extent the placing at a Youth Worlds doesn't matter - epitomised by Molly Meech, who finished in 24th place in the Girls Laser Radial in 2010 and backed that up with a 12th the following year. A year later she sailed in the 49erFx class and will be on the plane to Rio 2016. Just getting the big competition experience at a Youth Worlds is important.

Against that Youth Worlds backdrop, it is maybe small wonder that there is not a lot of talent coming through to replace Tobin and Kosinska who have several Olympic campaigns to their names.

And what on paper would appear to be a tight selection decision for a regatta just under 100 days away, it could also be the coup de grâce for New Zealand's best medal earning Olympic sailing event.



Allen Dynamic 40 FooterMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMSwitch One Design

Related Articles

2025 Rolex Middle Sea Race - The Maltese spirit
There are 13 Maltese teams. The Rolex Middle Sea Race lies at the heart of Malta's maritime heritage—a 606-nautical-mile challenge that continues to capture the imagination of sailors from around the world.
Posted today at 11:48 am
2025 World Sailing Awards finalists revealed
Voting opens today, including Rolex World Sailor of the Year World Sailing is very proud to announce the finalists for this year's male and female Rolex World Sailor of the Year, male and female Kuehne+Nagel Young World Sailor of the Year, 11th Hour Racing Impact Award, and Team of the Year.
Posted today at 10:27 am
2025 Aloha Classic Grand Final day 3
The biggest masters field in windsurfing history and junior champions crowned Day 3 of the Aloha Classic Grand Final delivered a spectacular showcase of windsurfing talent across generations, from the rising stars of the Junior and Pro Junior divisions to the legendary Masters.
Posted today at 9:39 am
DF95 US National Championship preview
Small boats driven by big talent 59 top sailors will race in this weekend's DF95 National Championship at the Sail Newport public sailing center. Racing starts tomorrow and continues through Sunday. It's the premier national event for the radio-controlled sailboat class.
Posted today at 9:23 am
The Crazy Week of the Globe40
After two weeks at sea since the start from Cape Verde This has been a week we won't soon forget in the story of this second edition of the GLOBE40. After two weeks at sea since the start from Cape Verde in this high-coefficient (3) leg 2, the competitors continued their descent of the South Atlantic.
Posted today at 7:13 am
America's Cup: Big day for 38th Cup
ETNZ announce new team members; Dalton and Ainslie expand on the ACP; Kiwis have their first sail. Friday October 17, was a big day for the America's Cup - when the Defender went sailing for the first time in the new Cup cycle; the Kiwis announced four new team members; Grant Dalton and Ben Ainslie explained more on the new America's Cup Partnership.
Posted today at 3:55 am
Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race Day 7
Two more finish as Lucky declared overall winner Frantic and Antipodes have finished the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A), as RPAYC declared Bryon Ehrhart's Lucky the overall winner of the 1250 nautical mile race, adding to her line honours and race record victories - a triple crown for the US entry.
Posted today at 1:22 am
Emirates Team NZ rounds out sailing team
Emirates Team NZ team are back out sailing with their AC40 from their home base in Auckland. Almost a year to the day since Emirates Team New Zealand won the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup the team are back out sailing with their AC40 from their home base in Auckland.
Posted today at 1:02 am
Transat Café L'or fleet has mustered in Le Havre
148 skippers, 74 boats, 4 classes At nine days before the start of the 17th edition of the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandie, all the skippers have now arrived in Le Havre, marking the start of the festivities.
Posted on 16 Oct
IFCA Fin & Foil Slalom Europeans day 1
Two perfect opening days Johan Søe leads the Men's Foil ranking, while Justine Lemeteyer dominates among the women, topping both the Foil and Fin divisions. In the Men's Fin fleet, Jordy Vonk is in the lead, followed by Nicolas Prien and Malte Reuscher.
Posted on 16 Oct