Issue date
A chance at European silverware and Olympic selection remains alive for New Zealand's two top 49er crews after the final day of qualifying racing in Vilamoura, Portugal.
Over the next few days, Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie, and Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn will battle it out with 23 other leading teams in the gold fleet at the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European championships.
Dunning Beck and Gunn had their best day of competition in the Algarve, securing their second race win of the regatta - and New Zealand's only bullet of day 3.
The pair moved up to 15th after a sluggish start saw them languish deep in the fleet after day 1.
They claimed victory in the first of three races overnight – after a tussle with teammates McHardie and McKenzie – and followed it up with scores of 14 and 8 to force their way back into contention for a spot in the double-points medal race on Monday.
Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie dropped to fourth. Photos / PROW Media
After leading the fleet for the first two days of competition, McHardie and McKenzie surrendered the yellow bibs, dropping to fourth overall with scores of 6, 6 and 17.
Austria’s Benjamin Bildstein and David Hussl are the surprise leaders, seven points ahead of the top-placed Kiwi team, with Dutch world champions Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken in eighth.
Jo Aleh and Molly Meech will compete in the silver fleet after narrowly missing out on the top 25 in the 49erFX.
Jo Aleh and Molly Meech will compete in the silver fleet. Photos / PROW Media
They started the day with sixth place before carrying a 21 in their second race to stay in 34th overall, the same position they occupied at the start of the day – some way off the top three, led by Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi of Italy.
Meanwhile, Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson strengthened their position in the front of the 38-boat Nacra 17 fleet.
The sole Kiwi crew in the mixed multihull are sixth overall, after securing a fifth top-10 result in their qualifying group.
Unlike the skiff classes, the Nacra 17 won't split into gold and silver fleets and will instead continue with qualifying before the medal race.
Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson remain on course for the medal race. Photos / PROW Media
Wilkinson and Dawson trail leaders Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei (Italy) by 36 points.
The European championships are the first of two selection trials for next year's Olympic Games after all three classes secured New Zealand a spot on the start line during August’s sailing world champs in The Hague.
Results and standings after day 3 of the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European championships in Vilamoura Portugal.
49er fleet (91 boats)
1st: Benjamin Bildstein/David Hussl (Aut) 2 6 6 1 (10) 6 7 - 28 points
2nd: Dominik Buksak/Szymon Wierzbicki (Pol) 6 5 6 5 4 (12) 3 - 29 pts
3rd: Martin Wizner/Jaime Wizner (Esp) 1 12 (20) 4 12 2 1 - 32 pts
4th: Isaac McHardie/Will McKenzie (NZ) 1 (19) 4 1 6 6 17 - 35 pts
15th: Logan Dunning Beck/Oscar Gunn (NZ) 16 9 1 (17) 1 14 8 - 49 pts
45th: Seb Menzies/George Lee Rush (NZ) 3 (23) 17 23 7 20 13 - 83 pts
54th: Sam Morgan/Pat Morgan (NZ) 9 20 22 18 13 11 (23) - 93 pts
49erFX fleet (55 boats)
1st: Jana Germani/Giorgia Bertuzzi (Ita) 1 1 (6) 4 3 3 5 2 - 19 pts
2nd: Helene Naess/Marie Ronningen (Nor) 3 4 2 5 4 (7) 7 1 - 26 pts
3rd: Támara Echegoyen/Paula Barcelo (Esp) 12 5 6 1 1 4 12 (17) - 41 pts
34th: Jo Aleh/Molly Meech (NZ) 22 (23) 10 8 9 21 6 21 - 97 pts
Nacra 17 fleet (38 boats)
1st: Gianluigi Ugolini/Maria Giubilei (Ita) 2 4 1 (7) 3 2 2 - 14 pts
2nd: John Gimson/Anna Burnet (GBR) 1 (13) 2 1 9 8 1 - 22 pts
3rd: Ruggero Tita/Caterina Banti (Ita) 6 (9) 3 6 1 1 6 - 23 pts
6th: Micah Wilkinson/Erica Dawson (NZ) 10 8 5 5 (15) 12 10 - 50 pts
Full results here.
