9er Nationals - Olympic medallist starts to dominate Australian 49erFX
by Jane Moffat on 31 Dec 2012
Tessa Parkinson & Kate Lathouras setting the pace in the 49erFX - ZHIK 9er Nationals Rhenny Fermor
2008 Olympic Gold medalist Tessa Parkinson and crew Kaye Lathouras (Aus 2) are inching closer towards capturing the Australian 49erFX crown after collecting six bullets from 10 races for 12 points in the Australian 9er Nationals.
As the regatta progresses towards the pointy end the ability of the women to master the new 49erFX in a variety of conditions is beginning to show. 2008 Olympic Gold medallist Tessa Parkinson and crew Kate Lathouras AUS 2 are first overall on 12 points having racked up six bullets from 10 races.
The battle for second place is between 2012 Olympic Silver medallist Olivia Price and crew Alana Clancy AUS 1 and Haylee Outteridge and Alison Dale AUS 4. Price and Clancy had the more consistent score line in today’s light and shifty conditions. Outterridge and Dale moving from bottom of the fleet in the first two races towards top of the fleet for the last two.
The conditions affected the score line for the leaders of the Australian 49er fleet with today being the first day Will Phillips and Iain Jensen AUS1261 didn’t score a bullet. However they are sitting on 15 points with Jasper Warren and Luke Parkinson AUS111 in second on 28 points. Steven Thomas and Rhys Mara AUS1194 dominated today with three bullets from four races and with the one drop now coming into play they are just three points behind Thomas and Mara. The two 49er fleets appear to be mirroring each other.
The lead in the 29er fleet has changed with Charlie Wyatt and Lewis Brake AUS20 taking a one point lead over Tom Siganto and Joel Turner AUS1929. The lighter conditions suited Wyatt and Brake as they hit three bullets from four races leaving them on 31 points.
After an incident yesterday where Nina Long ended up in the water after crew Nathan Edwards accidently elbowed her in the head Long is currently the leading female skipper in 13th place on 115.5 points. Just behind is Tess Lloyd and Eliza Solly AUS 23 on 120 points. With both crews discarding the 23.5 in race nine when multiple boats crossed the line at the same time, leaving race officials unable to separate them, they will be looking to perform well tomorrow to move up the score board.
Conditions are forecast to be similar on Monday, 49er warning signal will be at 10am with 29ers not before 11:30am
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/105172
