Silver Times Two for NZL in Germany

Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk gained silver in the Star class in Kieler Woche. Supplied image.

by Jodie Bakewell-White

New Zealand sailors have won two silver medals at the 2009 Kieler Woche Regatta just concluded in Germany. The medals came for Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk in the Star class and for Michael Bullot in the Laser.

The regatta is the event six of seven in the ISAF Sailing World Cup and conditions were reported to be perfect for last night’s medal races with 10 to 15 knots of breeze and sunshine.

A win in last night’s medal race secured the Star silver medal for Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk who Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk were lying in 3rd at the outset of the final day.

Pepper was New Zealand’s representative in the Star in Qingdao 2008 where he finished 9th. In 2009 he has former Olympic bronze medallist in Finn for New Zealand Craig Monk in the boat with him, and this is only the second international regatta for this combination. Pepper and Monk sailed in last month’s Delta Lloyd Regatta in the Netherlands where they finished 9th.

Kieler Woche attracted a strong fleet of Stars with a total of 43 boats. USA’s Mark Meddelblatt and Mark Strube secured the Gold medal, while overall leaders going into the medal race, Ian Percy and Andrew Simpson (GBR) took a slide to finish with bronze. The Brits final points total was equal to that of the kiwis but Pepper and Monk get the silver after winning the medal race.

Michael Bullot has continued to demonstrate excellent form this season by adding a second ISAF World Sailing Cup silver medal to his tally here at Kieler Woche. Bullot from Auckland’s North Shore was lying in 2nd place going into the final race behind the seemingly unstoppable Paul Goodison of Great Britain.

Bullot was 4th across the finish in the medal race just enough to retain his second place and give him the silver medal ahead of bronze winner, Croatian, Daniel Mihelic. Goodison rounded out a perfect regatta by winning the medal race last night after winning every race in his qualifying rounds also.

Dan Slater was the only other kiwi on the water in last night’s medal races in the Finn class. He finished in 4th place overall just two points adrift of 3rd place.

New Zealand's Final Results
Visit the regatta website for full results

Laser (153 boats)
2nd Michael Bullot (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
71st Matt Coutts (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)

Star (43 boats)
2nd Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron)

Finn (63 boats)
4th Dan Slater (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)

49er (50 boats)
11th David McDiarmid and Andrew Archibald (Mangonui Cruising Club)
16th Peter Burling (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club) and Blair Tuke (Kerikeri Cruising Club)
36th Peter Graham and Iain Begg (Ravensbourne Boating Club)

Kieler Woche 2009