Bayleys Laser Nationals - Day 3 - Down to the wire on penultimate day

by Nick Page on 21 Jan 2017 Day 3 of the Bayleys Laser Nationals started as forecast with a light , and much warmer, northerly breeze but this quickly freshened through the day providing a challenging gusty ands shifty offshore breeze for the later races. The race committee, led by PRO Gerald Martin from Napier, again did a fantastic job in testing conditions to set fair but challenging courses.

In the Open the day belonged to NZL squad member Tom Saunders who won both Races 7 and 8 to win the day following a third in the days first race to move up to second overall. However not be outdone defending champion Andrew McKenzie was second in all 3 races to retain the overall lead by 3 points. Chinese sailor Jianan Wu was top 5 in each race but slipped to third overall ahead of the winner of today's first race, teammate Ning Zhao. NZ sailors George Gautrey and Matt Kempkers both has solid days to hold fifth and sixth overall ahead on the other Chinese team sailors.

In the Radial Youth Josh Armit stamped his authority on the regatta to lead with two wins, split by a discard ninth in the second race of the day. Tied with Josh going into the day Alastair Gifford had a solid day and is now clear second over leading Woman Susannah Pyatt, who won the second race of the day and was able to discard an OCS in the first race to have a solid 10 point lead over second women's sailor and now fourth overall Stephanie Devaux Lovell. World Masters champ Scott Leith's challenge for the Open title evaporated today with and OCS in the first race and gear breakage in the third race dropping him well down the table. Open sailor George Lane and local Youth Blake Woodfield both had consistently strong results in all 3 races to sit fifth and sixth overall.

Expat Australian Anthony Merrington (A) was the sailor of the day in the Masters, winning both races to take the overall lead by a solitary point from overnight leader Giles Grigg (A), who has a handy 6 point lead on third placed defending masters champion Andrew Dellabarca (M), who had a costly capsize at the gybe mark in the second race when leading. Former NZ open champion Mark Oliver (M) holds fourth overall ahead of leading GM Peter Kempkers who was consistent in both races. Former champion Kris Decke's OCS in the first race of the day put pay to his title challenge while Master Tony Evans lapped up the condition with a third and fourth to move to sixth overall.

In the Masters Radial leader Apprentice Phil Wild and second overall placed Richard Blakey (M) are locked in a close battle after both scoring a first and second today to be separated by a single point overall. Defending champion Ed Tam is third overall after a couple of fifth today. Leading GM Hamish Atkinson had a tough first race but did enough in the second to hold off Werner Hennig (M) and second GM, former World GM champion Mike Keeton who managed a third in one race today to be sixth overall.

So with one day to go there is still everything to sail for for the leaders in every division. Tomorrows forecast is not promising, with Taupo due to get the brunt of the low pressure system crossing the country tomorrow so if there is sailing it is again likely to be a windy couple of races to finish the series.

For full results click here