New Zealand Olympic Womens Match Racing Squad changes tack

by Richard Gladwell on 16 Dec 2010
The two crews which had formed the Womens Match Racing Squad of the the NZL Sailing Team have apparently split and elected to race as separate crews rather than a squad.

Both teams have issued statements over the past ten days.

The first came on 6 December from a newly formed team - Koru Match which comprises Stephanie Hazard (Helm), Jenna Hansen (Trimmer) and Susannah Pyatt (Bow). Their statement reads:

Sailors in the New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Squad have gone their separate ways to form their own teams to focus on success at the Olympics in London during 2012.

Previous squad members, Susannah Pyatt, Jenna Hansen and Stephanie Hazard, have formed a team by the name of 'Koru Match'. The girls have put the Olympic Games in 2012 as their first priority, 'Every day is important to our build up, it is important that we spend our time preparing ourselves to be the best.'

Koru Match has recently been offshore and sailed their way to great success. All events were sailed in boats that required teams of 4 or 5 women. Jo Aleh Raynor Smeal and Nichola Trudgen bought their skills and talents to form a competitive kiwi team.

Results for the girls include:
Busan Women’s International Match Race Championships, in Korea - 3rd
Australian Open Nationals, Tasmania, Australia - 4th.
Australian Women’s Match Racing Nationals - 1st



The on 15 December a more tersely worded statement was sent by the pre-existing Silver Sails Racing Team from Sam Osborne

This is just a quick note to let you all know that I am still alive and kicking and training hard in my Olympic Campaign :-) Despite what was inferred by recent correspondence from the newly formed team Koru Match.

So to answer all those unasked questions-
YES- the NZ Womens Match Racing Squad has been disbanded
YES- Koru match has formed from 3/4 of the old squad (Steph, Suz and Jenna)
NO- I have not given up, been kicked out or stopped sailing :-)
YES- I am still part of the NZ Olympic Squad

What is going on is that Yachting NZ have chosen to disband the squad and allow us to form our own teams. Steph, Suz and Jenna have chosen to sail together under the name 'Koru Match'. I am working on putting together a new team. In February there will be a selection event in Wellington and this will decide how the World Cup events for 2011 are allocated.... So its game on.

Otherwise watch out for more news coming from Silver Sails Racing

Earlier this year, Silver Sails comprising Samantha Osborne, Raynor Smeal and Jenna Hansen competed in several events including ISAF World Cup regattas in Hyeres (France) and Miami (USA) finishing 14th and 7th respectively.

At the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in the Olympic venue of Weymouth, UK, the NZL Sailing Team crew of Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen and Suzanna Pyatt finished 13th overall in the 24 strong fleet.

In June 2010, Yachting New Zealand launched two new Elliott 6 Metre yachts to be used by the NZL sailing Team Womens Match Racing Squad.

The squad concept was used very successfully by the Dutch Womens keelboat sailing team in their buildup to the 2008 with the selected crew winning the Silver medal.