Day Five Yachting Olympic Trials

Day Five Yachting Olympic Trials
Date: 23 January 2004
Issued By: Louise Andrews

Yachting New Zealand 2004 Olympic Nomination Trials
16 - 26 January 2004
Torbay Sailing Club, Auckland.

Mistral and 470 Results Remain Close - No Racing for Europe and Lasers

Racing resumed today, as scheduled in the Yachting New Zealand 2004 Olympic Nomination Trials. With winds gusting well over the 15 knot limit the selectors have set for starting races, much of the day was spent monitoring the wind speed in an effort to get racing in all four classes underway.

After an initial postponement the men’s Mistral and the 470 class were the first to be sent out to the course area as they had experienced the lightest conditions of the four classes to date. Racing got underway in a south to south-westerly breeze gusting from 12-16 knots. Tom Ashley had a successful day with a first and second in race seven and eight of the series, he now tops the leader board with a two point head start on James Wells and a four point lead on Jon-Paul Tobin. Ashley is now playing a tactical game, he can finish second behind Tobin in the three remaining races and still maintain his overall lead but he must continue to beat Wells his closest rival. Ashley comments, “I was kind of following James around the course a bit and watching him a lot more than I was watching Jon-Paul so Jon-Paul got a bit of a jump on me in the second race but that’s okay I still have a couple of points on him”.

In the 470 class, Andrew Brown and Jamie Hunt from Naval Point Club secured their fourth win in a row, which sees them extend their overall lead on the rest of the fleet. The pair are now three points ahead of Stephen and Philip Keen who finished third in the one and only race of the day and five points ahead of former World Champion skipper Simon Cooke now paired with Alastair Gair. The two women’s crews are combined with the men for this regatta, Shelley Hesson and Linda Dickson finished seventh in today’s race, which sees them in fif place overall ahead of the other women’s crew of Melinda Henshaw and Jan Shearer who are in seventh place overall.

The Europe and Laser classes were held ashore, waiting for the wind to consistently remain under 15 knots, however, this was not to be and at 3.00pm the flag was hoisted signaling the postponement of racing for the remainder of the day.

If all goes according to plan, tomorrow could be the final day of racing for Europe sailor Sarah Macky, who only needs two more wins to establish an insurmountable lead on the rest of the fleet.

Racing is scheduled to begin at 10.00am for the 470 and Mistral classes with the Laser and Europe’s due to get underway at 11.00am. Monday at 3.00pm is the deadline for the start of the remaining races.

Full results are available from our website: www.yachtingnz.org.nz (under “Results”)

ENDS

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