McLay Still Holds Fourth Going into Final Day

ISAF Youth Worlds Day Five (And 4 ... see below)

Date Released: 22 July 2005
From: Jodie Perkins

McLay Still Holds Fourth Going into Final Day

Blair McLay retains 4th position going into the final day of racing at the ISAF Youth World Champs in Korea. With the bronze medal position in his sights yesterdays 2nd race was abandoned due to fog with Blair well in front, agonizingly close to another race win.

France leads the Volvo Team Trophy well ahead of Great Britain. Three titles have already been secured with one day remaining.

Yachting New Zealand 2005 Youth Team
Day Five Standings

Laser - Blair McLay - Torbay Sailing Club - 4th (43 pts)
Laser Radial - Olivia Powrie - Kohimarama Yacht Club - 10th (82 pts)
420 Boys - Peter Burling & Bruce Kennedy - Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club - 15th (97 pts)
420 Girls - Georgina Hill & Michelle Kennedy - Kohimarama Yacht Club - 18th (120 pts)
Mistral Board Boys - Antonio Cozzolino - Kohimarama Yacht Club - 17th (133 pts)
Mistral Board Girls - Steffanie Williams - Kohimarama Yacht Club - 11th (92 pts)
Hobie 16 - Rory & Kelly Godman - Burkes St Leonard Yacht Club, Dunedin - 10th (68 pts)

Racing is close in the Laser fleet and while Giles Scott (GBR) still holds the lead he is only one point ahead of Bernaz of France. Conditions provided a nice ten knot breeze and fog due to the warm winds from the south pushed north by the typhoon.

"McLay started the day with a poor first race but came out firing in the second," says his coach Ian Neely. "He comfortably lead the whole race by about 150 metres until just prior to the last downwind leg when the fog increased and the visibility was reduced to about 30 metres."

"McLay maintained the lead however in the big swells and strong current the fleet was unable to find their way to the bottom wing mark leading the race committee to abandon the race for safety reasons. McLay was absolutely gutted, but hopefully will come out firing for the last day."

Due to the race abandonment the Laser fleet will attempt to sail two races today. Despite visibility problems on the Laser course the Radials completed two races with Paige Railey (USA) maintaining the lead she has held throughout the regatta. She is five points ahead of Lujia of China. New Zealand's representative Olivia Powrie stays in 10th spot overall in the 31-strong fleet recording a 5th and a 15th.

"Powrie sailed an excellent second half of her first race of the day to move up to 5th, and then finished a difficult second race in conditions with only 200m metre visibility," says Neely.

The 420 and Hobie course was affected by the fog and only one race was completed yesterday for each fleet. Despite this the French pair of Lumeau and Bossard have done enough already to claim the Gold medal in the 420 Girls. Kiwi's Georgina Hill and Michelle Kennedy from Kohimarama Yacht Club in Auckland remain unchanged in 18th.

"The girls struggled again to get off the start line, but sailed solidly in the shifty conditions to record a good result for them, a 12th," says coach Andrew Brown.

Peter Burling and Bruce Kennedy remain just inside the top half of the fleet in 15th. Andrew Brown describes how the race went for them. "The boys started second row, but soon got clear into a nice lane to have a good first beat until they got into adverse current and rounded the mark in 20th. They pulled back three boats to finish the race 17th."

Things are close at the top of the 420 Boys' leader board with Teo and Koh of Singapore leading and Wataru and Yoshinaga of Japan four points adrift.

Both the Mistral champions have been decided after yesterdays racing. Manchon of Spain has won over half the races sailed with one race remaining she can't be beaten. Earlier this year she took out the Mistral World title. Steffanie Williams holds on to 10th position.

Grodzicki of Poland scorched through the first half of the regatta unbeaten and yesterday confirmed his title in the Mistral Boys. Antonio Cozzolino had his best day yet with an 11th and a 14th but was unable to move up the board and remains in 17th at the tail end of the fleet.

The Australians have taken the lead in the Hobie's but only one point separates the top three spots putting the pressure on for the last two races to be sailed today. Rory and Kelly Godman of Dunedin are back in 10th.

As the kiwi team begin their final day of racing the last one or two races will determine their final placings. Final results are likely to be available on the regatta website late tonight.

Principal sponsor of the team is NZL Yachting Trust. Further support from NZAOS, The Southern Trust, ASB Bank, Line 7 and Endeavour Eyewear is also greatly appreciated.

ISAF Youth Worlds Day Four

Date Released: 21 July 2005

From: Jodie Perkins

McLay Moves Back Into Fourth

Blair McLay had a solid day on the water yesterday at the ISAF Youth Worlds to move back up into 4th position overall. The kiwi Laser sailor clocked up his third race win of the regatta in striking distance of a medal with three races remaining.

The Yachting New Zealand Youth Team sailed in big swells in Busan, Korea yesterday with two-metre waves just off the course area. The remainder of the team had mixed results.

Yachting New Zealand 2005 Youth Team
Day Four Standings

Laser - Blair McLay - Torbay Sailing Club - 4th (31 pts)
Laser Radial - Olivia Powrie - Kohimarama Yacht Club - 10th (62 pts)
420 Boys - Peter Burling & Bruce Kennedy - Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club - 15th (80 pts)
420 Girls - Georgina Hill & Michelle Kennedy - Kohimarama Yacht Club - 18th (108 pts)
Mistral Board Boys - Antonio Cozzolino - Kohimarama Yacht Club - 17th (108 pts)
Mistral Board Girls - Steffanie Williams - Kohimarama Yacht Club - 11th (72 pts)
Hobie 16 - Rory & Kelly Godman - Burkes St Leonard Yacht Club, Dunedin - 10th (59 pts)

McLay from Torbay Sailing Club won race 9 yesterday at the ISAF Youth Worlds and improved his overall standing to 4th. He now sits two points behind 3rd and three points behind 2nd and will be hoping to finish the regatta with confidence. Giles Scott from Great Britain has improved as the regatta progresses and now has a handy four point leading margin on the Laser fleet.

Olivia Powrie also had a solid day of racing and after race nine is now in 10th in the 31-strong Radial fleet. Clear leader in the Radials, Paige Railey of USA was disqualified in race nine, but is able to discard the race score and still holds a six point lead over Xu Lijia of China.

420 Coach Andrew Brown reports that while he saw improvements in the performance of the kiwi 420 sailors, this was unfortunately not reflected in the results. Peter Burling and Bruce Kennedy are 15th overall, while Georgina Hill and Michelle Kennedy remain steady in 18th.

"I was happy to see some improvement in the sailors racing today, and with some more solid tactics around the course the guys and girls can finish the regatta on a high note," says Brown. "Peter and Bruce had a great catch-up in the days first race, coming back from a poor start to finish 5th."

The Mistral sailors took on huge swell resulting from the recent typhoon to strike Taiwan which was compounded on the shallow water of the inner course where Mistral racing takes place. Steffanie Williams ended the day with a good race and retains 11th spot. Antonio Cozzolino remains in 18th.

Rory and Kelly Godman claimed an 8th and 9th in the 12 boat Hobie fleet. "They showed really good speed downwind but they lost all their gain upwind, unable to sail their boat as well through the waves as the other sailors," says Paul Page.

Three races remain for all those sailing at the 2005 ISAF Youth Worlds in Korea. Two are scheduled for today while the final race and prize-giving takes place on Friday.

Principal sponsor of the team is NZL Yachting Trust. Further support from NZAOS, The Southern Trust, ASB Bank, Line 7 and Endeavour Eyewear is also greatly appreciated.

ENDS

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