NZL Sailing Team- Sam Meech wins Laser at 2014 Delta Lloyd Regatta

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 25 May 2014 Sam Meech has won Gold in the Laser class after a stunning final day performance in Medemblik at the 2014 Delta Lloyd Regatta. Making a return to Laser campaigning after a break Mike Bullot made it a double-podium for New Zealand winning the bronze medal.

View a post-race interview with Sam Meech here.

The regatta is an annual event on the Olympic class sailing calendar attracting some of the world’s best campaigners.

The gold medal result is 23 year-old Meech’s best so far in 2014. Meech represents both the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club and Murrays Bay Sailing Club.

Lying second overall going into the final medal race he had a seven point gap to close on Netherlands sailor Nicholas Heiner who led the class throughout the regatta only to stumble at the final hurdle.


Meech commented, 'I knew it was going to be a really tough ask, given how well Nick was sailing all week, so I hoped I'd get an opportunity. There were a lot of really good guys quite close behind me as well, so I knew I had to keep a gap on them as well. I hoped I'd have the chance to send Nick the wrong way and I took it.'

'My experience here this year was a lot better than last year. The regatta is fantastically run. And the race management is awesome, so I'm really happy with my Delta Lloyd experience.'

Fellow kiwi Mike Bullot grabbed his podium spot on the final day after lying fifth overall going into today. New Zealand featured strongly in the Laser class securing four of the top six placings in the fleet which included 43 sailors; Meech and Bullot securing the gold and bronze, while Thomas Saunders finished fifth and Andy Maloney sixth.

The NZL Sailing Team single-handed sailors will now turn their focus to the up-coming 2014 Laser European Championships in Croatia in mid June.

Jon-Paul Tobin placed eighth overall in the Men’s RS:X in which 30 windsurfers were competing and Sara Winther was 11th in the 26-strong Laser Radial class. 35 boats competed in Medemblik in the Nacra 17 multihull, New Zealand’s Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders wrapping up the regatta in 12th place.

2014 Delta Lloyd Regatta New Zealand’s Final Results

Laser:
Sam Meech – Gold
Mike Bullot – Bronze
Thomas Saunders – fifth
Andy Maloney – sixth

Nacra 17:
Gemma Jones & Jason Saunders– 12th

Mens’s RS:X
JP Tobin, RS:X – eighth

Laser Radial:
Sara Winther -11th

49er:
Ben Goodwin & Sam Bullock, 49er – 22nd

Full results and more on the official website