Poland gets away with a port tack start - 49er - Hyundai World Championships, Oceania Championship, Day 3, November 27, , Royal Akarana Yacht Club. © Richard Gladwell / Sail-World.com
Of the three days racing, the final day was the most testing of all - with windshifts, variances in wind pressure, and an outgoing tide - giving the 400 sailors plenty to contemplate ahead of the Hyundai Worlds, starting on Tuesday.Racing was held on courses off the North Shore of Auckland - with courses located off Takapuna, Milford and out into the Hauraki Gulf on the old America's Cup course used in 2000-2003.
Next week's racing will be an Olympic Qualifier for all three classes - with 4-6 places for Tokyo 2020 on offer, plus any rejected Continental qualification places will be re-allocated on the basis of placings in the Hyundai Worlds.
Austrian crew of Bemjamin Bildstein and David Hussl in the 49er class emerged as the bolters of the series, winning the 49er title, with Diego Botin and Lago Lopez Marra (ESP) placing second overall. Neither Austria or Spain have qualified for Tokyo - and will be hoping that their run of form will extend into next week.
The 49erFX ran more to the form book with the 2016 Olympic Silver medalists, Alex Maloney and Molly Meech reversing the Rio result, heading off Martine Grael and Kahuna Kunze (BRA) with another country yet to qualify USA - Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea, placing third.
British crew of Ben Saxton and Nicol Boniface dominated with a 16pt winning margin in the Nacra 17 Mixed Multihull event, from Billy Beson and Marie Riou (FRA) second overall. France are yet to qualify in the Mixed Multihull event. Austrians Thomas Zajac and Barbara Matz placed third, just ahead of the 2016 Olympic Silver and Gold medalists.
(Apologies for not being able to identify many of the crews in the image captions, however without bow numbers this task is near impossible.)