HRH Princess Sofia Regatta 2007 Report

HRH Princess Sofia Regatta 2007 - 2 April 2007
Date Released: Monday 2 April 2007 NZT
From: Zoe Hawkins

Light winds give difficult conditions for New Zealand Team at Princess Sofia Regatta

Racing in the HRH Princess Sofia Regatta 2007 got under way overnight (NZ time) with sailors facing changeable winds. Only seven out of the eleven classes represented managed to race in the light conditions.

The Princess Sofia Regatta is held on the island of Mallorca in the Bay of Palma, with racing from April 1 to April 6. A team of 28 sailors represent New Zealand, including six members of the 2007 Yachting New Zealand Squad.

Hamish Pepper, a member of the 2007 Yachting New Zealand Olympic Squad, is the best of the New Zealand team after day one, lying second in the Star Class with a win and a fifth place. Pepper said the day began perfectly with a win in race one.

"It was great to win the first race in the Beijing type conditions of light winds and sloppy seas. We didn't have a great start but had a good first beat and led comfortably for the rest of the race."

Fellow Olympic Squad members Andrew Murdoch and Jo Aleh are also placed in the top ten after day one. Andrew Murdoch is 7th equal in the Laser Class and Jo Aleh is 9th equal in the Laser Radial.

The other classes that sailed today only managed one race and as only one of the three 470 Men's groups managed to complete a race there are no overall results for the class. Due to the conditions the Finns, 470 Women's and Neil Pryde RS:X Men's and Woman's could not sail on day one of the Regatta.

HRH Princess Sofia Regatta 2007 - New Zealand's Results after Day One

Star
Hamish Pepper & David Giles - 2nd overall, 1st in race one, 5th in race 2

Laser
Andrew Murdoch (YNZ Olympic Squad) - Laser (7th equal overall, 4 points)
Blair McLay - 49th equal overall, 25 points
David Weaver - 67th equal overall, 34 points

Laser Radial
Jo Aleh (YNZ Olympic Squad) - 9th equal, 5 points
Miranda Powrie - 17th equal, 9 points
Sara Winter - 27th equal, 14 points

Yngling
Sharon Ferris, Raynor Smeal & Shandy Buckley - 26th overall, 26 points

Tornado
Bruce Kendall & Brett Sellers - 38th overall, 38 points
David Shaw & Susan Shaw - 48th overall, 48 points

New Zealand is represented by 19 entries at the HRH Princess Sofia Regatta 2007 which started on March 31 and concludes on April 6. 28 sailors make up the New Zealand team including six members of the elite 2007 Yachting New Zealand Olympic Squad.

ENDS

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