Barnes and Gilmour share lead on Day 1 of RNZYS Youth Int Match Racing

by Amber Roberts on 21 Feb 2013
Representing the RNZYS and the Royal Freshwater Yacht Club respectively, Scott Barnes and Sam Gilmour share the lead with six wins out of seven races on day one of the Harken Youth International Match Racing Championships.

Barnes, a skipper in the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme, lost his lead of six wins out of six races at the 11th hour - 7.12pm – during Flight 9 of the day’s racing to fellow Kiwi Adam Middleton from the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

First equal Gilmour is ranked 101 in the world, and the highest ranked competitor in the event. His only loss of the day was to Barnes who beat him by 28 seconds on Flight 8 this evening.

Middleton and Claudia Pierce with her all-female crew are next overall with five wins each out of seven races. Middleton’s score includes an impressive win over Barnes in the final flight of the day by 16 seconds.

Pierce lost her first match of the day to the other all-female crew helmed by Hannah Osbourne by a 3 second margin, but was strong enough to bounce back and claim 5 wins for the day and Osbourne 3.

Next overall with 4 wins is Charlie Lalumiere from Portland Yacht Club and Malcolm Parker from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. Two of Parker’s convincing wins were over two higher ranked skippers in Middleton and Pierce.

The next three spots go to three skippers on three wins and three losses; Osbourne, Will Holz from Chicago Yacht Club and George Anyon from Bucklands Beach Yacht Club.

Only the young Canadian team skippered by Richard Minielly was unable to post a win on the board today, however his results prove the gap is narrowing between him and his competitors. In the final flight of the day Minielly lost to Nick Howe of Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron by a mere 4 seconds.

The racing has been tight and intense; the finishing time difference in the majority of races being less than 30 seconds. After racing being delayed in the morning due to a lack of wind, followed by shifty conditions, the breeze filled in to a perfect 10-15 knots and summer sunshine on Auckland Harbour.

Light airs are expected tomorrow PRO Megan Kensington expects delays so was pleased to complete 9 flights by 7.30pm this evening.

After a great day one of the regatta the points table looks like this:

Scott Barnes - RNZYS 6/1/7
Sam Gilmour - RPYC 6/1/7
Claudia Pierce - KIYC 5/2/7
Adam Middleton - RPNYC 5/2/7
Charlie Lalumiere - PYC 4/2/6
Malcolm Parker - RPAYC 4/2/6
Will Holz - CYC 3/3/6
Hannah Osborne - RNZYS 3/3/6
George Anyon - BBYC 3/3/6
Stephanie Doyle - RPAYC 2/5/7
Hampus Appelgren - KSSS 2/5/7
Nick Howe - RSYS 2/4/6
Christophe Killian - BYC 1/6/7
Richard Minielly - RVYC 0/6/6

Round Robin One
Flight One
Gilmour Beat Anyon by 7s
Parker Beats Middleton -DNF
Osborne beat Pierce 3s
Holz beat Minielly 15s
Barnes beat Lalumiere 1m35s

Flight Two
Appelgren beat Doyle 57s
Howe beat Killian by 4s
Holz beat Parker by 1s
Gilmour beat Minielly by 4s
Anyon beat Middleton by 22s

Flight Three
Osborne Beat Doyle 1m6s
Pierce beat Killian 11s
Barnes beat Howe 34s
Lalumiere beat Appelgren 28s
Gilmour beat Parker 35s

Flight Four
Doyle beat Howe 7s
Pierce beat Minielly by 33s
Barnes beat Appelgren by 3s
Middleton beat Osborne by 1m32s
Anyon beat Holz by 11s

Flight Five
Lalumiere beat Killian by 24s
Barnes beat Osborne by 2m15s
Holz beat Appelgren by 13s
Anyon beat Howe by 27s
Parker beat Pierce by 41s

Flight Six
Lalumiere beat Doyle by 44s
Gilmour beat killian by 22s
Middleton beat Minielly by 17s
Pierce beat Howe by 8s
Barnes beat Anyon by 19s

Flight Seven
Killian beat Holz 11s
Parker beat Lalumiere by 15s
Doyle beat Minielly by 9s
Middleton beat Appelgren by 18s
Gilmour beat Osborne by 9s

Flight Eight
Pierce beat Appelgren by 15s
Middleton beat Doyle by 1m 43s
Parker beat Killian by 1m 51s
Barnes beat Gilmour by 28s
Osborne beat Holz by 14s

Flight Nine
Howe beat Minielly by 4s
Lalumiere beat Anyon by 3s
Middleton beat Barnes by 16s
Pierce beat Doyle by 1m 8s
Gilmour beat Appelgren by 50s