Champagne sailing for day three 2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland

Day three at 2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland brought champagne sailing conditions across the Hauraki Gulf as all the Paralympic, Olympic and Invited classes took to the water and enjoyed some great racing.

Jack Simpson and Logan Dunning Beck (pictured above) look set to secure the 49er victory. After winning all their races in today’s breezy conditions they’re now nine points clear of second placed Ryo (Leonard) Takahashi and Ibuki Koizumi who are representing Japan, with Isaac McHardie and Trent Rippey just one point further back in 3^rd.

After racing Takahashi described the day; “There was a lot more breeze today, it picked up in the afternoon, it was good racing out there.”  

On their performance today he said; “We got a 3^rd and three 2nds so that’s pretty good. Our goal is just to go out there and do the best that we can and I think we did that today, so happy with that.”

When asked what the most difficult thing about today was, Takahashi said, “The 49er is pretty hard to handle in the breeze so I think we just try and keep our boat going fast and make no mistakes.”

He is looking forward to more good racing to wrap up the regatta; “I think tomorrow is going to be more breeze, so I think we’ll take the same approach as today. Just come down, go out and do the best that we can.”

“Sailing off Murrays Bay Sailing Club is pretty awesome as well, and conditions have turned it on, so I’m just enjoying sailing out there with everyone else. It’s what it’s all about!”

Sam Meech still leads the Laser fleet, with NZL Sailing team-mate Andy Maloney climbing up to 2^nd overall after today’s racing. Singapore’s Colin Cheng holds 3^rd overall with one day remaining.

NZL Sailing Team’s Alex Maloney and Molly Meech are well out in front in the 49erFX, but they didn’t have it all their own way today with Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland, from Yachting New Zealand’s Aon Fast Track Squad, finishing ahead of their senior counterparts in the final race of the day.  

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders lead from Olivia Mackay and Micah Wilkinson in the Nacra multihull racing.

Speaking after racing today Saunders says they enjoyed more close racing; “It was a good day, we had some good racing with the young guys again, in the first race they beat us and we had some good close racing and the breeze built nicely in the afternoon so I think we got some good sailing in. We’re pretty happy with how it’s going.”

Both Jones and Saunders, and Mackay and Wilkinson have only just returned to New Zealand after the 2016 Nacra 17 World Championships in Miami.

Saunders explains what he likes most about Oceanbridge Sail Auckland, “Seeing all the younger kids sailing, all the youths, they’ve got some great fleets here in the 49er and the 420 and it’s pretty cool to watch them out there racing, and also to hopefully show them what the Nacra is like.  They don’t get many opportunities to see a Nacra and we really want people to sail the Nacra in the future. It’s a good stepping stone for them first to see us out there and from there hopefully actually get into it themselves.”

In the 29er racing Jackson Keon and Tom Fyffe, from the Murrays Bay Sailing Club, clearly enjoyed the breezy conditions and showed they know this race track well. They extended their lead on the fleet, and are 14 points ahead of Lewis Anderson and Pat Morgan (Kohimarama Yacht Club) who have climbed up to 2^nd overall after today.

Crystal Sun and Zelda Ladefoged, also from Kohimarama Yacht Club are the top placed girls in the 29er, lying 7^th overall.

Only one point separates the top three in the Laser Radial and still features one men’s, one women’s and one youth representative showing just how close the racing among the fleet. Scott Leith has surpassed Susannah Pyatt after today’s racing, but both Pyatt and George Gautrey are just one point adrift. It’s all on for tomorrow!

Meanwhile, in provisional results from the 420 class, Josh Berry and Henry Haslett still have the lead, and Xanthe Copeland and Kerensa Jennings, lying 3^rd overall, are the top girls crew.

Rick Dodson, Andrew May and Chris Sharp continued their clean track record winning all three races against John Weston today and extending their lead in the Sonar class. The Paralympic campaigners now have nine wins from nine races.

Also racing form Fairway Bay on the Whangaparoa Peninsula the nine-boat Hansa Liberty fleet enjoyed another three races today. There is no change to the top three with Sarah Dunckley retaining her lead with a couple of race wins and a 2^nd place today.

The OK Dinghy fleet kicked off at 2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland today featuring a strong showing of the Wakatere Boating Club fleet that enjoys regular racing a little further down the east coast bays.

Ben Morrison was dominant today taking three wins from three races sailed out performing the rest of the fleet on day one. Olympic medallist for New Zealand Rod Davis lies 2^nd, and Russell Wood is 3^rd.

The Flying 15 fleet also got underway today and Adrienne Rekke and Craig Coulam from RAYC took three wins from three races to lead going into day two.

2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland wraps up tomorrow on Sunday 28^th February.

2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland
Provisional standings – top three
Full results here

49er

1^st Jack Simpson and Logan Dunning Beck (NZL) – 16 points
2^nd Ryo Takahashi and Ibuki Koizumi (JPN) – 25 points
3^rd Isaac McHardie and Trent Rippey (NZL) – 26 points

49erFX

1^st Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) – 11 points
2^nd Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland (NZL) – 21 points

Laser Standard
1^st Sam Meech (NZL) – 13 points
2^nd Andy Maloney (NZL) – 22 points
3^rd Colin Cheng (Singapore) – 25 points

Laser Radial – Overall
1^st Scott Leith (NZL/Men) – 18 points
2^nd Susannah Pyatt (NZL/Womens) – 19 points
3^rd George Gautrey (NZL/Youth) – 19 points
(See here for full results listing in the Laser Radial results including Women, Men and Youth)

Nacra 17
1^st Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders (NZL) – 15 points
2^nd Olivia Mackay and Micah Wilkinson (NZL) - 17 points
3^rd Vicky Francis and crew (NZL) – 39 points

Sonar

1^st Rick Dodson, Andrew May and Chris Sharp (NZL) – 8 points
2^nd John Weston and crew (NZL) – 16 points

Hansa Liberty

1^st Sarah Dunckley (NZL) – 5 points
2^nd Robert Coulter (NZL) – 13 points
3^rd Tim Demspey (NZL) – 14 points

420

1^st Josh Berry and Henry Haslett (NZL/Male) – 11 points
2^nd Jonathon Weston and Taylor Balogh (NZL/Male) - 15 points
3^rd Xanthe Copeland and Karensa Jennings (NZL/Female) – 27 points
(See here for full results listing in the 420 results including Female and Male)

29er

1^st Jackson Keon and Tom Fyffe (NZL) – 26 points
2^nd Lewis Anderson and Pat Morgan (NZL) – 40 points
3^rd Sebastian Lardies and Scott McKenzie (NZL) – 42 points
(See here for full results listing in the 29er results including Female and Male)

OK Dinghy

1^st Ben Morrison (WBC) – 3 points
2^nd Rod Davis (WBC) – 10 points
3^rd Russell Wood (WBC) – 11 points

Flying 15

1^st Adrienne Rekke and Craig Coulam (RAYC) – 3 points
2^nd Bruce Yovich and crew (Onerahi YC) – 6 points
3^rd Sally Garrett and Neil Easton (RAYC) – 11 points

To see the full results and follow the action head to sailauckland.org.nz

Media Opportunities

Media are invited to attend and cover 2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland with shared media boat space available. Booking is required by email to Jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz or phone Jodie on 021 709 065.

To check on results and follow the action

Regatta website 
Sail Auckland Youtube channel             
Facebook                 
Twitter@SailAKL

Images and Video

2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland will be covered by official event photographer Will Calver with high resolution images available free for editorial use on request. Email Jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz

A daily video highlights clip covering action from across the course areas will be produced by Tomo of Argentine Media and shared on the regatta website, youtube channel and facebook page. 

About 2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland

Oceanbridge Sail Auckland 2016 will take place at the Murrays Bay Sailing Club between 24-28 February.

The NZL Sailing Team are anticipated to feature strongly in what is the biggest Olympic and Paralympic class regatta in New Zealand, and alongside them will be New Zealand’s top developing youth sailors and keen competitors in a range of invited classes such as the OK Dinghy

Olympic and Paralympic class boats taking part include: Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, 470, 49er, 49er FX, RS:X 9.5, Nacra 17 and Sonar.

Other invited classes racing in 2016 include: OK Dinghy, 29er, 420, Liberty and Flying Fifteen.

Over four days of racing 11-15 races will take place for all fleets, except for the OK Dinghy, Sonar and Flying Fifteens that will sail for two days on Saturday 27^th and Sunday 28^th only.  The format for all classes will be fleet racing with no medal race.

Oceanbridge Sail Auckland is made possible only thanks to the contributions from principle sponsor Oceanbridge, and supporters: Sport New Zealand, Yachting New Zealand and Murrays Bay Sailing Club.

Equally important is a team of more than 80 volunteers that are behind the success of this regatta every year.  

Media enquiries:

Jodie Bakewell-White
Jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz
021 709 065