NZL 49erFX still lead after day four 2016 Sailing World Cup Miami

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 29 Jan 2016 Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech have retained their overall lead at 2016 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami after day four of the regatta which brought heavy rain, cooler temperatires and postponements.

“Sailors were made to wait for racing on Thursday as torrential downpours killed off the breeze and produced large quantities of surface water. When the breeze materialised it enabled the sailors to commence racing at 15:20 local time in building conditions that ranged from 12-17 knots from the south east,” describes today’s official report.

The 49erFX fleet managed one race in the rugged conditions, the kiwi crew of Maloney and Meech sailing a solid race to record a fifth and hold onto their leading position.

The Danish pairing of Jena Mai Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen closed the gap slightly on the New Zealanders, after they placed second in today’s race. They now lie seven points adrift of Maloney and Meech going into day five on which the final rounds of fleet racing are scheduled.

New Zealand’s Andy Maloney (pictured above © Sailing Energy) has stormed up the Laser leader board today into fourth overall but placed at the top of a very tight bunch in terms of points differential. Maloney won the only race completed in the Laser class today and holds 40 points.

Fellow kiwi Sam Meech is also in that bunch and now lying sixth overall on 41 points also having an excellent race in today’s breeze – he was third across the line.

Thomas Saunders is also within the top ten on 51 points and lying 10th overall going into the penultimate day of competition in Miami.

Over in the Nacra 17 multihull racing Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders are in 14th overall after placing seventh and ninth in their two races sailed today.

Competitors in the Olympic and Paralympic classes have five days of fleet racing from Monday, January 25 to Friday, January 29. Medal Races across the 10 Olympic classes will bring the regatta to a close on Saturday, January 30 where medals will be awarded to the top three boats.

2016 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami
New Zealand’s current standings

49erFX Skiff
1st Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL Sailing Team) (4, 24, 1, 12, 7, 7, 6, 2, 2, 5)
20th Ellie Copeland and Erica Dawson (Aon Fast Track Squad) (23, 4, 14, 13, 23, 17, 24, 24, 16, OCS)

Laser
4th Andy Maloney (NZL Sailing Team) (1, 10, 3, 18, 12, 13, 1)
6th Sam Meech (NZL Sailing Team) (7, 10, 23, 4, 7, 10, 3)
10th Thomas Saunders (14, 11, 12, 1, 8, 5, 18)
14th Mike Bullot (12, 6, 14, 14, 16, 4, 28)

49er Skiff
26th Logan Dunning Beck and Jack Simpson (Aon Fast Track Squad) (18, 32BFD, 20, 13, 9, 20, 16, 9, 5, 14)
30th Markus Somerville and Josh Porebski (8, 32BFD, 4, 28, 15, 4, 1, 12, 32DNF, 30)
41st Isaac McHardie and Trent Rippey (Aon Fast Track Squad) (16, 8, 28, 29, 23, 10, 17, 19, 10, 14)

Laser Radial
33rd Sara Winther (28, 21, 17, 11, 12, 25)

Nacra 17
14th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (NZL Sailing Team) (BFD, 28, 41, 1, 6, 19, 1, 7, 18, 7, 9)
25th Olivia Mackay and Micah Wilkinson (Aon Fast Track Squad) (14, 12, 38, 12, 20, 43, 28, 6, 9, 33, 39

Links

Regatta website: http://miami.ussailing.org/
World Sailing website: http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/home.php