Close racing in the NZ Womens Match Racing Championships. Image copyright Ivor Wilkins.
by Barry Davies
A frustrating first day of the 2009 New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championships, run by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland.
The fleet of 10 teams was towed out into the racing area twice during the day, only to be sent back inshore because what wind there was just died away.
It was third time lucky, however, and at 3.30 pm racing finally got under way when a gentle south west breeze of 4 – 6 knots slowly developed. Racing was halted shortly afterwards because of the fickle conditions and the Race Committee then went chasing the breeze to the west of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. They found better conditions, but only enough to complete one flight of the first round robin.
The forecast for Saturday doesn’t look much better with similar conditions predicted.
Amanda Scrivenor (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) celebrated her 21st birthday with a first-up win over Kim Stuart from Santa Monica, California. Other winners were Jess Smyth (NZL), Jan Dawson (NZL), Katie Spithill (Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club) and Miranda Powrie (NZL).
The New Zealand Womens Match Racing Championships have been held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron since 2000 when Amy Waring, representing the RNZYS, was the first winner and received the Leith Mossman Memorial.
10 teams of four have entered
(Skippers Name - Yacht Club)
Jessica Smyth - RNZYS
Samantha Osborne - RNZYS
Jan Dawson - RNZYS
Annemarie Waugh - RNZYS
Miranda Powrie - RNZYS
Hannah Morris - RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme
Stephanie Hazard - RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme
Katie Spithill - Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club
Amanda Scrivenor - Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
Kim Stuart - Santa Monica Yacht Club
Results - Flight One
Scrivenor b Stuart
Smyth b Morris
Dawson b Osborne
Spithill b Waugh
Powrie b Hazard
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
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