Issue date
Burling and Tuke rise to the top at the 49er Europeans
New Zealand’s Olympic silver medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have taken the overall lead at the end of day four at the 2013 SAP 49er European Championships on in Arhus, Denmark. Alex Maloney and Molly Meech retain 3rd in the Women’s 49erFX fleet racing at the same venue.
Video
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke interview after day four racing
Day four video highlights
Lying 9th going into day four Burling and Tuke appear to have found their groove today with four consistent single digit races including a race win while many of their rivals in the Olympic skiff class struggled for consistency posting mixed results from today.
The NZL Sailing Team pair was 2nd, 3rd 1st and 7th on the water today which earns them the dramatic elevation in the ranks to top the leader-board with two days of racing yet to come. However previous leaders Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign from Great Britain are just one point back in 2nd place.
“We had a really good day, super shifty conditions so to get four small numbers on the scorecard was pretty satisfying,” says Blair Tuke after racing.
Burling continues; “We sailed pretty well in our first three races getting top three in all of those and then the last one we had a pretty bad first beat and the shifts didn’t really go our way and we managed to come back through and finish inside the top ten so we were really happy with the comeback in the last one. We needed this day to get back up the standings a bit. It’s a different day tomorrow there’s a lot of points on the last days and this just puts us back in the mix.”
The other kiwi 49er crew of Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski have slipped to 7th overall after a 19, 2, 17, 19 scorecard from today where the NZL Sailing Team crews are racing in the gold fleet featuring the top 32 boats.
For the Women’s 49erFX fleet today marked the transition from qualifying to finals racing and the kiwi pair of Alex Maloney and Molly Meech are now racing with the top 16 placed crews, sailing four races today.
Maloney and Meech retain 3rd overall with a solid performance including a 7th, a 4th and two 10ths in today’s races. Now on 78 points they have two local Danish crews in their sights above them on the leader-board with Jena Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen just two points away on 76.
Ida Nielsen and Marie Olsen continue to lead the regatta on 62 points after another good day.
2013 SAP 49er European Championships
New Zealand’s standings after day four
3rd Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech (10, 9, 6, 2, 10, 3, 7, 17, 7, 4, 10, 10)
(Women’s fleet full results)
1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (18, 9, 1, 9, DSQ, 1, 18, 3, 2, 1, 3, 7)
7th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (4, 22, 2, 1, 1, 2, 17, 10, 19, 2, 17, 19)
19th in Silver Fleet Ben Goodwin and Sam Bullock
(Men’s fleet full results)
Konsinska takes the lead at the RS:X Women’s European Champs
New Zealand board sailor Natalia Kosinska has taken the lead at the RS:X Women’s Open European Championships being raced at Brest, France.
Video: Natalia Kosinska after day four
It was a long day for all with the gold fleets not hitting the water until 7pm when the offshore breeze finally built enough for racing. “I had a good day, it was a long day, and we waited from 11 o’clock in the morning until 7pm.”
“In the end we had 9-11 knots which is quite nice conditions, I liked it, and a little bit less for the second race. In the first race I finished 5th and the second race I won, so I’m really, really happy with that,” says Kosinska after racing.
Kosinska showed great speed in the light conditions showing tactical strength to be the most consistent of the top three placed women for today and she is rewarded with an eight point overall lead. Maya Dziarnowska of Poland is her closest rival in 2nd with Maayan Davidovich of Israel in 3rd place.
At this key regatta Kosinska is working with her international training partners and is being supported by the group’s French coach.
Just one race was possible in the youth divisions the girl’s sailing one race including kiwi Xanthe Bowater who recorded her best result yet with a 10th.
Racing resumes tomorrow for what will be the penultimate day with a more promising weather forecast.
Both regattas run over six days with final results set to be decided on Sunday 7th July.
2013 RS:X European Championships
New Zealand’s standings after day four
1st Natalia Kosinska (Women) (3, 5, 7, 6, 4, 4, 5, 1)
27th Xanthe Bowater (Women Youth)
42nd Alexander Hart (Men Youth)
(Full results from France)
Links:
Yachting New Zealand website
NZL Sailing Team on Facebook
NZL Sailing Team sailor profiles
About the NZL Sailing Team
NZL Sailing Team includes New Zealand’s top Olympic campaigners who share the ultimate goal to win Olympic medals for New Zealand at the Rio Games in 2016.
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.
For more information contact
Jodie Bakewell-White
Communications Manager, Yachting New Zealand
E. jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz
M. 021 709 065
