Singapore Airlines Sail Auckland concludes

by Sarah Dunn and Jodie Bakewell-White on 19 Feb 2008
Singapore Airlines Sail Auckland concluded today with the international sailors coming home with gold in the hotly contested Women’s Laser Radial, Tornado, Women’s and Men’s RS:X classes.

Light shifty winds on all the courses challenged sailors this morning, while a ENE breeze filled in mid afternoon reaching up to 15 knots at times.

Sari Multala of Finland took out the Women’s Laser Radial class after dominating for the duration of the four day regatta. While not her best day on the water today, coming home 20th in the first race of the day and then crossing in 4th in the medal race, Multala had done enough to win comfortably. She finished up 22 points clear of second placed sailor Lijia Xu of China.

Multala, who won silver at the 2007 World Championships in Portugal has demonstrated here that she’s in hot form in the lead-up to the 2008 Women’s Laser Radial World Champs which are now less than one month away to be sailed off Takapuna Beach.

Lijia Xu also had a poor first race today finishing in 37th place, however this became her discard and after coring the line in 5th in the medal race she secured the silver here today. Anna Tunnicliffe, USA was strong on the water today winning race eleven this morning and then coming home 2nd in the medal race to take the bronze medal.

Local sailor and New Zealand’s Olympic representative, Jo Aleh started the day with a shot at a podium finish but that slipped away after a 29th in the first race of the day. She ended up in 6th place overall with fellow kiwi Sarah Winther sailing a strong regatta to finish in 8th place.

Predictably Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby of Australia today won gold in the Tornado fleet after being stand-out leaders throughout the four day regatta. A win in the medal race today put the icing on the cake for the Aussies who look formidable ahead of the World Champs starting next week off Takapuna.

Roland Gaebler and Gunnar Struckmann of Germany have brought in one of their best results of the season winning the silver medal in Auckland today, particularly given the strength of the fleet. They finished up 17 points behind Bundock and Ashby but also had a comfortable 13 point margin over bronze medal winners Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz of Spain.

Top finishers for New Zealand were Aaron McIntosh and Mark Kennedy who concluded the regatta in 12th place. The kiwis were one place ahead of reigning Olympic Champs and recent winners of the New Zealand National Champs Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher of Austria who finished 13th.

Overnight leaders in the Women’s and Men’s RS:X windsurfing were both able to secure gold on the final day today. Marina Alabau ESP, who won bronze at the recent 2008 World Champs topped the Women’s fleet here at Singapore Airlines Sail Auckland winning gold today in Auckland.

Barbara Kendall managed to finish strongly and pick up the silver medal after starting the day laying 3rd overall. She won the final double-points medal race today after a tight battle with Alabau on the water. Romy Kinzl of Germany had to settle for the bronze.

Over in the Men’s RS:X it was Nikos Kaklamanakis of Greece who won gold in style today by crossing first in the final double-points medal race.

Just one point separated silver and bronze with local windsurfer Jon-Paul Tobin getting the better of Joao Rodrigues on the final day. Tobin was 3rd in the medal race, while Rodrigues was 5th, no close enough to take the silver who went to Tobin.

Prize giving will take place later this-evening. The Tornado sailors now have a short rest before the Tornado World Championships kick off with a practice race next Sunday and racing proper on Monday.


Final Results
See www.sailauckland.org.nz for full results

Laser Radial Women

1st FIN Sari Multala 33 points
2nd CHN Lijia Xu 55 points
3rd USA Anna Tunnicliffe 63 points
4th AUS Sarah Blanck 76 points
5th GBR Charlotte Dobson 80 points
6th NZL Jo Aleh 92 points

Tornado

1st AUS Daren Bundock and Glenn Ashby 37 points
2nd GER Roland Gaebler and Gunnar Struckmann 54 points
3rd ESP Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz 67 points
4th GBR Leigh McMillan and Will Howden 75 points
5th NED Mitch Booth and Pim Nieuwenhuis 79 points

RS:X Men

1st GRE Nikos Kaklamanakis 39 points
2nd NZL JP Tobin 42 points
3rd POR Joao Rodrigues 43 points
4th CAN Zachary Plavsic 71 points
5th UKR Maxim Oberemko 73 points

RS:X Women

1st ESP Marina Alabau 27 points
2nd NZL Barbara Kendall 34 points
3rd GER Romy Kinzl 39 points
4th UKR Olga Maslivets 51 points
5th GBR Bryony Shaw 54 points

470

1st NZL Carl Evans and Peter Burling 24 points
2nd NZL Geoffrey Woolley and Mark Overington 26 points
3rd NZL Dan Wilcox and Chris Dawson 35 points

Laser Radial Men

1st NZL Blair McLay 34 points
2nd NZL James Sandall 39 points
3rd NZL Jason Geale 47 points

Laser Standard

1st NZL Josh Junior 13 points
2nd NZL Mathew Steven 27 points
3rd NZL In-sup Kim 40 points

420

1st NZL Marcus Hansen and Finn Drummond 28 points
2nd NZL Wade Tresadern and Ben Goodwin 37 points
3rd NZL Sarah Berry and Emma Berry 38 points

2.4 mR Final Results

1st NZL Andrew May 8 points
2nd NZL Josh McKenzie-Brown 16 points
3rd NZL Louise Brown 32 points



Further information is available from:

Singapore Airlines Sail Auckland website: www.sailauckland.org.nz