NZL Sailing Team Update: Now leading in 49er and W470

Yachting New Zealand

MEDIA RELEASE

8 AUG 2014

NZL Sailing Team Update: Now leading in 49er and W470

New Zealand now leads in the Women’s 470 and 49er events, and is 2nd in the 49erFX as the Olympic Sailing Test Event (Aquece Rio – International Sailing Regatta 2014) rolls towards its conclusion in Rio, Brazil.

On a day where light and fickle winds challenged sailors and race organisers the NZL Sailing Team have managed to continue on their course for a multiple podium result at this regatta being staged at the 2016 Olympic sailing venue.

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie hold onto their lead in the Women’s 470 sailing just one race today, on the outer course to finish 2nd. However they were beaten on the water today by their closest rivals Anne Haeger and Bri Provancha (USA) who have edged to within one point of the kiwis on the leader board.

Jo Aleh says, “We were out in the ocean again, when we got out there the wind completely died, so we drifted around in the swell for about an hour. The wind eventually came in, then built just after we started, so the course was rather short, with the whole fleet rounding the first mark within about twenty seconds.”

“Needless to say, the downwind was all on, we had a few near misses but managed to sneak around the next bottom mark in about 5th, then made it back to 2nd by the finish. It was a rather tricky race, so happy to have another keeper of a result.”

Aleh and Powrie have another day of racing before the Women’s 470 top ten sail the medal race.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke now have a share of overall lead in the 49er skiff taking the gun in the only race of the day in their event they draw equal with the overnight leaders setting the stage for tomorrow’sskiff finale. Tomorrow, three single point theatre style races will decide the medals.

Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski are lying 8th.

In the women’s skiff no racing took place in today’s challenging conditions and kiwis Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech progress to the final day lying 2nd overall, five points behind the leaders. Like the men they will sail three short theatre-style races each counting for single points. Maloney and Meech are seven points clear of 3rd place.

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders are preparing for the final day of competition in the Nacra 17 event where they retain 4th overall after no racing took place on their course today.

Tomorrow will also feature the Finn medal race in which both kiwis Andrew Murdoch and Josh Junior(who took a race win today) have earned a spot. Murdoch is in 5th and Junior in 6th at the end of the penultimate day.

Racing resumes tomorrow with the medal races for the 49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17 and Finn classes and the penultimate day of the regatta for the 470s, Lasers and Radials.

Aqueece Rio – International Sailing Regatta 2014, 2-9 August 2014
New Zealand’s current standings Full results here

1st Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (Women’s 470) - 8 points (7, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2)
6th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox (Men’s 470) - 34 points (8, 9, 7, 1, 9, 13)

2nd Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech (49erFX) - 15 points (1, 1, 7, 4, 2, 5, 2)

1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (49er) - 19 points (9, 2, 2, 14, 3, 2, 1)
8th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (49er) - 42 points (11, 3, 11, 12, 4, 1, 16)

5th Andrew Murdoch (Finn) - 55 points (10, 12, 8, 4, 3, 3, 1, 10, 4, 14)
6th Josh Junior (Finn) - 62 points (5, 16, 18, 3, 1, 6, 7, 16, 7, 1)

4th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (Nacra 17) – 31 points (3, 5, 6, 2, 5, 7, 5, 5)

9th Sam Meech (Laser) – 40 points (3, 12, 8, 10, 7, 26)
14th Andy Maloney (Laser) – 57 points (9, 13, 12, 8, 15, 18)
14th Sara Winther (Laser Radial) – 61 points (12, 14, 14, 8, 13, 14)

9th Natalia Kosinska (Women’s RS:X)

Support and coaching: Jez Fanstone, Mark Howard, Nathan Handley, Simon Briscoe and Hamish Willcox, Craig Panther, David Slyfield, Louise Johnson, Christel Dunshea- Mooij

Links

Regatta website
NZL Sailing Team Sailor profiles
NZL Sailing Team on Facebook

About the NZL Sailing Team

The NZL Sailing Team includes New Zealand’s top Olympic campaigners who have made the top 20% in their most recent (respective) class World Championships or pinnacle event and have shown consistency of performance over the year including other significant Championships.

Yachting New Zealand’s High Performance Programme is focussed on winning medals at the Olympics in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

NZL Sailing Team sailors all started out at grass roots yacht clubs around the country and with commitment, dedication and drive have risen to be world class athletes; they work hard in the gym, train long hours on the water and are supported by great coaches.

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