NZL Sailing Team: Meech leads in Weymouth

Yachting New Zealand

Media Release

12 JUN 2013

NZL Sailing Team: Meech leads in Weymouth; Aleh and Powrie in 2nd at Europeans

Image: Sam Meech in action © PWPicture.com/RYA

NZL Sailing Team sailors are in action at two separate European regattas right now and things are going well.

After three days at the 2013Sail for Gold Regatta, the third of five EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup Regattas, 22 year old Sam Meech leads the 33 strong Laser fleet.

Opening the series with two wins on the first day the Tauranga sailor’s hot form has continued and nine races down he is 12 points clear of his closest rival. Racing at Weymouth, the scene of last year’s Olympic sailing Regatta, Meech hasn’t finished outside the top six.

Team-mate Andy Maloney had a strong day on the water today, including a race win, and has lifted his overall position to 6th place.

Over in Formia, Italy the 2013 470 European Championships, are two days into the six day schedule and our golden girls Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie are, once again on the pace. Day one saw them clock two wins and go into day two out in front on the leader-board.

After day two they are lying second behind the French pairing of Lecointre and Geron who stole the day with two wins.

“Not such a good day for us out there today, we struggled a little for pace at times, with a not so great start in the first race we were back in the pack but managed to get back to 3rd,” says Jo Aleh.

“Then missed the rather large right shift on the first leg of the last race... So we were very deep at the top mark, and with a pretty spread out fleet managed to pick off a few boats but ended up with a 6th.”

“Still, it was a beautiful day for racing, with 15-20 knots of wind, and sunshine, can’t complain too much! Another two races tomorrow, with some different wind forecast, so we just need to get back out there and give it heaps.”

Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox are in 15th in the Men’s fleet.

Racing continues tomorrow.

New Zealand’s Standings

2013 Women 470 European Championship, Formia, Italy (41 boats

2nd Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (0, 0, 3, 6)

2013 Men 470 European Championship, Formia, Italy  (69 boats

15th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox (6, 6, 7, 16, 12, 15

41st James Turner and Carl Evans (21, 11, 23, 25, 18 6)

2013 Sail for Gold Regatta, Weymouth, Englan

1st Sam Meech (1, 1, 2, 5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 1

6th Andy Maloney (7, 14, 17, 7, 10, 6, 1, 5, 7)

ENDS

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