49er and 49erFX Nationals- World Champion Kiwis lead both after Day 1

by Event Media on 12 Jan 2014
Racing has concluded after the first day of the New Zealand National Championships for the two Olympic skiff classes – the 49er (Mens) and 49erFX (Womens).

Both events are led by the current World Champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (49er) and Molly Meech and Alex Maloney (49erFX).

The Silver medalists from the 2013 49er Worlds Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (all NZL) are competing and lie in second place overall. A Japanese crew is also competing in the 49erFX event.

The regatta is NZ selection for the ISAF World Sailing Championships to be held in Santander later this year – which is the first opportunity for qualification for the 2016 Olympic regatta.

Organised by the Royal Akarana yacht Club, racing is taking place on the inner Waitemata Harbour, on Mechanics Bay with the top mark only 75m from Tamaki Drive.

For the first day of racing conditions were a shifty offshore breeze of 6-18kts anywhere from South to West – with courses being set for races of 12 minutes duration consisting of two windward leeward laps.

Race officer Ian Clouston had his work cut out to get the eight races away in this very challenging venue and conditions.

Four .races were staged in the morning and three in the afternoon, with the eighth and final race of the day being a harbour race to Rough Rock and back. Both fleets raced as one, with the 49erFX world champions sailing a regular 49er hull, but with a slightly smaller rig regularly mixing it with the Mens crews – and providing both with a greater depth of competition.

Racing concludes on Sunday with another eight races on the program.


49erFX 2013 Nationals Provisional results

Team                                                   1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    TOT

1    Alex Maloney & Molly Meech       [1]    1    1    1    1    1    1    1    7
2    Erica Dawson & Ellie Copeland    [3]    3    2    2    2    2    2    3    16
3    Hatae Chika & Noriko Okuma      2    2    [3]    3    3    3    3    2    18

NZ 49er Nats 2013 provisional results day 1

Team                                                               1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    TOT

1    Peter Burling & Blair Tuke                       [4]    2    1    2    1    1    1    1    9
2    Marcus Hansen & Josh Poerbski             1    [3]    2    1    2    2    3    2    13
3    Logan Dunning-Beck & Jack Simpson    3    [4]    4    3    3    3    2    4    22
4    Ben Goodwin & Sam Bullock                   2    1    3    4    4    [DNF]    DNS    3    24
5    David Higgins & Chris Burgess           [DNF]    DNS    DNS    DNS    DNS    DNS    DNS    DNS    49
6    Chris Scott & Tim Smith                      [DNS]    DNF    DNF    DNS    DNS    DNS    DNS    DNS    49