NZL Sailing Team takes the lead at 49er Euros; Kiwi holds 2nd at RS-X

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 4 Jul 2013
What a difference a day can make – at the end of day two New Zealand now leads the 2013 SAP 49er European Championships with a further two kiwi crews placed in the top five across the Men’s and Women’s racing.

Meanwhile Natalia Kosinska holds second place at the 2013 RS:X Women’s European Championships running consecutively in Brest, France.

Better breeze and more races meant for big changes in the men’s standings at the Olympic class regatta on now in Arhus, Denmark. Another four days of competition remain.

All three men’s fleets sailed four races in solid conditions today, the kiwis Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski looking dominant with two wins and two seconds on their course to completely turn the tables and take the overall lead with a six point margin.

'Today was great we had four races and nice breeze and waves so it was good racing and good fun,' says Josh Porebski after racing. 'It was a really competitive day. The kiwi teams won every race in our fleet so we were battling with them and in a couple of races we were battling with lots of people so it was really good racing and heaps of fun.'

With another four days to be sailed in a new and experimental format the challenge is on for the kiwis to stay at the top. When asked what it will take, skipper Marcus Hansen responds, 'To be consistent. It’s a long regatta, so just keep getting good results on the board and keep doing what we’re doing.'

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke also found form on day two scoring race wins, in races three and six of the series, and adding single digit results in the other two from today to see them fly into fifth position after lying 35th at the day’s outset.

This is the first major international regatta back in the boat for New Zealand’s Olympic silver medallists and they will be aiming to continue with today’s excellent form through the remaining four days.

On the Women’s skiff course the 49erFX fleet got in three races today Alex Maloney and Molly Meech coming away with 2, 10, 3 and now lying fifth overall on equal points to the Brazilian crew in fourth. At the end of day two the local Danish crew of Nielsen and Olsen have opened up a twelve point lead on the fleet sailing away with two wins and a second in today’s races.

In France the 2013 RS:X European Championships rolled on with New Zealand’s Natalia Kosinska holding second overall in the open Women’s fleet where 42 board sailors are racing.

With a sixth and two fourths in racing today Kosinska is demonstrating her ability to foot it with the world’s best and she will be aiming to continue on this track as the regatta heads into the business end over coming days.

Both regattas run over six days with final results set to be decided on Sunday 7th July.

2013 SAP 49er European Championships

New Zealand’s standings after day two

5th Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech (10, 9, 6, 2, 10, 3)
(Women’s fleet full results)

1st Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (4, 22, 2, 1, 1, 2)
5th Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (18, 9, 1, 9, 6, 1)
51st Ben Goodwin and Sam Bullock (6, 8, 15, 22, 25, 20)
(Men’s fleet full results)


2013 RS:X European Championships
2nd Natalia Kosinska (Women) (2, 5, 7, 6, 4, 4)
30th Xanthe Bowater (Women Youth)
42nd Alexander Hart (Men Youth)