ISAF Youth Worlds- Breeze arrives on penultimate day in Zadar

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 15 Jul 2011
Just one day, and one race remains in each class at the 41st Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2011 as the penultimate days wraps up and the regatta draws to a close in Zadar, Croatia.

'We had 12 to 16 knots of wind which died off throughout the day,' reports Team Manager, Ian Neely. 'Southerly again, that was a bit gusty and shifty.'

New Zealand’s medal hopes remain with Tomer Simhony and Ellie Copeland in the SL16 multihull, however now lying fourth overall the pair need things to go their way in that final race.

Having stumbled with a 15th in last night’s first race the pair then came back with a seventh in the second which sees them slip one spot in the overall standings, and now facing a three point gap to close for a podium finish.

The Brazilians who couldn’t put a foot wrong until now returned their worst day yet with two eighths, yet they still look strong for the gold. Currently Denmark is in second and it’s Great Britain who has overtaken the kiwis for third place.

Three more kiwi representatives are lying in the top ten of their respective fleets and will be looking for a top result from tonight’s final race to round out the regatta. They include Georgia Schofield in the girl’s RS:X, Jack Simpson and Logan Dunning-Beck in the 29er and Michael Cate in the boy’s Laser Radial.

Skiff sailors Simpson and Dunning-Beck are lying sixth after a ninth and a 17th from racing overnight.

Girl’s board sailor Schofield remains in seventh on the leader-board going into the final day of competition having placed twelfth and seventh last night.

And Michael Cate, single-handed Radial sailor, has found form over the second half of the regatta adding a third and a second last night – his best day yet. Last night’s results see him move from 14th overall up into seventh place in the 49-strong fleet.

The final race for each will be staged in Zadar tonight (NZ time) followed by the closing ceremony with teams packing up and departing Croatia the next day.

This prestigious youth regatta has attracted a total of 349 sailors from 52 countries to the city of Zadar, in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea.

2011 Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships, Zadar, Croatia
NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team standings after Day 6

4th Tomer Simhony and Ellie Copeland (Open Multihull – 14 entries)
7th Georgia Schofield (Female RS:X Wind surfing – 20 entries)
13th Sven Pedersen (Male RS:X Wind surfing – 34 entries)
25th Verity Judge and Gemma Jones (Female 420 – 31 entries)
22nd Alexander Munro and Brad Moss (Male 420 – 34 entries)
6th Jack Simpson and Logan Dunning-Beck (29er – 23 entries)
7th Michael Cate (Male Laser Radial – 50 entries)
13th Molly Meech (Female Laser Radial – 41 entries)

Team Manager: Ian Neely
Coaches: Shelley Hesson and Jim Maloney

Links:
http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/editions/2011/index.php!Regatta_website
http://www.facebook.com/NZLYouthTeam!Facebook_link for NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team