NZL Sailing Team- Double Gold at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami

by Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting on 1 Feb 2015 New Zealand has won double gold at 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami after Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, and Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech won the 470 and 49erFX events.

A further three of the NZL Sailing Team also come away from Miami with a top five finish in what has been a successful regatta for the kiwi contingent.

Andy Maloney was fourth in the Laser and fifths went to Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders in the Nacra, and to Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox in the Men’s 470. Sara Winther finished ninth in the Laser Radial.

49erFX Gold

Sailing a total of 15 races across the opening five days of the regatta Maloney (22 years old) and Meech (21 years old) proved the most consistent of the 40 strong fleet coping best with the variable and tricky conditions that Miami produced this week and opening up a massive 50 point gap earning them the gold medal before the start of today’s medal race.

Assured of the gold medal already the kiwi pair came home in ninth in today’s medal race and conclude the regatta 53 points ahead of second place.

Maloney says, 'Definitely, the whole fleet had its moments. It was all about being consistent this week and no one quite found that consistency. It’s good to start the year with win and it’s great to secure our spot for the Abu Dhabi finals.'

'Winning the first race on the opening day whilst many of the others failed to finish definitely helped. It gave us a bit of a points buffer but anything could have still happened. It definitely wasn’t over, until it was over.'

Taking victory at this ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta is significant for Maloney and Meech who have made regular podium appearances through 2013 and 2014, highlighted with the 49erFX World Championship crown in 2013. It secures them a spot in the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi in October which, after format changes from ISAF, is limited to only 20 boats in each class.

Not only that it demonstrates to their rivals, including the formidable Brazilian pairing of Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, that they’re on top form coming out of a short break from international competition over the New Zealand summer.

The 49erFX skiff is a debut class at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 and Alexandra Maloney (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) and Molly Meech (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club) got into the boat together as soon as the new equipment was revealed in early 2013.

Women’s 470 Gold

The story of Jo Aleh (28 years) and Polly Powrie’s (27 years) victory here at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami is similar to their NZL Sailing team-mates. They too sailed so well through days one to five that they were well ahead of the rest of pack going into today’s double-points finale, with a 19 point gap.

However if Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) could force the kiwis into making an error today a disqualification would leave the Brits in with a chance to overthrow what looked like certain victory for Aleh and Powrie. But the kiwis showed their class to take second place in today’s medal race to secure the gold medal, while the British finished sixth and have to settle for silver.

The Women’s 470 fleet in Miami of 30 boats, includes the world’s top sailors in the class and Aleh and Powrie will be delighted to open the year with victory over both Mills and Clark (GBR), who were Olympic silver medallists in London 2012, as well as reigning world champions Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar of Austria.

Laser, Laser Radial, Men’s 470 and Nacra

Andy Maloney has finished well in the 100 plus Laser fleet improving his position during gold fleet racing to end the regatta in fourth overall. The Murrays Bay Sailing Club representative, who recently defended his New Zealand National Championship title, was third in today’s medal race edging him up one position on the final day. Sam Meech ends the regatta in 13th, and Mike Bullot in 23rd.

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders will be disappointed to let the bronze medal slip from their grasp in today’s Nacra mixed multihull medal race. Lying third going into today’s top ten finale the kiwi pair placed sixth and end the regatta in fifth overall. The top five result in this Olympic class featuring a mass of sailing talent, is still an impressive result for Jones and Saunders who opened the series with a string of top three results showing they can foot it with best.

Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox come away from ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami with a fifth place finish after they finished today’s medal race in 10th place.

Sara Winther has also earned a top ten finish for New Zealand with ninth overall in the Women’s Laser Radial class. The Takapuna Boating Club single-handed sailor, who represented New Zealand in the class at the London 2012 Olympic Games, finished today’s medal race in fourth.

Winther reports; 'Solid medal race, but still ninth overall. Good week of learning and lots to improve on. Bring on 2015!'

ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami attracted 856 sailors from 63 nations to compete across the ten Olympic and three Paralympic events. It is the second regatta in the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Series which includes events in Melbourne (AUS), Miami (USA), Hyeres (FRA), Weymouth (GBR), Qingdao (CHN) and Abu Dhabi (UAE).


ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami: New Zealand’s final Full results click here

1st Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie - Women’s 470
1st Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech – 49erFX
4th Andy Maloney – Laser
5th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox – Men’s 470
5th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders – Nacra 17
9th Sara Winther – Laser Radial
13th Sam Meech – Laser
23rd Mike Bullot – Laser
26th Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland – Regatta website