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The strength and depth of the 49er fleet in this country has been known for some time but there's a burgeoning number of 49erFX sailors and that was no better illustrated than at the recent national championships.
There were nine boats in the 49erFX fleet, made up of a mixture of female, male and mixed crews.
Markus Somerville and Sam Street, who are training partners for Alex Maloney and Molly Meech as the 2016 Rio Olympic silver medallists prepare for the Tokyo Olympics, edged Maloney and Meech to claim the national title sailed at the Torbay Sailing Club.
The two crews showed their class, winning 10 of the 12 races between them, to finish clear of Erica Dawson and Micah Wilkinson in third.
Dawson and Wilkinson normally sail a Nacra 17 and have already been selected in the New Zealand team for the Tokyo Olympics but Dawson has considerable experience in the 49erFX, having previously finished 13th at the 2017 world championships and she also finished first at the nationals in 2018 when she teamed up with Tom Saunders.
The rest of the 49erFX fleet was largely made up of young sailors who have graduated out of the youth classes, including the likes of Seb Menzies, Jack Frewin, Blake McGlashan and Andre Van Dam. The boat is seen as a good way to transition to the 49er, which has a bigger rig, and it's also a good option for those looking for race practice.
Former 29er world champions Crystal Sun and Olivia Hobbs were also well in the mix, and their five top-three results meant they finished fifth overall.
Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn have made a habit of winning the 49er nationals and collected their fourth-straight title.
They finished seven points ahead of Japan's Leonard Takahashi and Ibuki Koizumi, who are based in New Zealand, with Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie a further two points behind in third.
Results and standings from the 49er and 49erFX national championships held at the Torbay Sailing Club recently:
49er (9 boats)
1st: Logan Dunning Beck / Oscar Gunn (Wakatere Boating Club / Murrays Bay Sailing Club) 1 3 (10 OCS) 1 1 3 1 1 1 4 2 1 - 19 points
2nd: Leo Takahashi / Ibuki Koizumi (RNZYS / Japan) (6) 1 2 2 2 2 5 4 3 2 2 1 2 - 26 pts
3rd: Isaac McHardie / William McKenzie (Royal Akana Yacht Club) 4 2 1 4 4 1 2 2 4 1 3 (5) - 28 pts
49erFX (9 boats)
1st: Markus Somerville / Sam Street (WBC / New Plymouth Yacht Club / MBSC) 1 4 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 4 (10 OCS) - 20 pts
2nd: Alex Maloney / Molly Meech (RAYC / MBSC / Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club) 4 3 1 2 2 2 1 3 2 1 2 (5) - 23 pts
3rd: Erica Dawson / Micah Wilkinson (MBSC) (7) 2 4 3 4 3 4 5 7 6 3 2 - 43 pts
Full results here
- Pic: Marcus Sommerville and Sam Street finished on top in the 49erFX fleet. Photo: Bay of Islands Yacht Club.
