LIVESPORT TELECOM Women's New Zealand Match Racing Championships

Katie Pellew (AUS) vs. Stephanie Hazard (NZL). Image copyright RNZYS.

by Sara Roberts

Proving just how close the racing is, Australians Nicky Souter and Katie Pellew (nee Spithill) plus Kiwi Stephanie Hazard are locked together at the end of Round Robin One on eight wins. The trio are so evenly matched that their eight point scores are unable to be broken, meaning they each beat all of the remaining teams.

The Race Committee had a flawless day on the water completing the five remaining flights of Round Robin One in the morning and two flights of Round Robin Two this afternoon. It was a fantastic day on the Waitemata Harbour with 6 – 12 knot southerly all day.

At the end of the days racing the two Australian skippers were able to break away by just one point over Hazard due to her loss to Pellew in Flight Two.

Next overall on 8 points is Samantha Osborne who again had a good day on the water, only losing to the top three skippers.

Finish sailor Silja Lehtinen is in fifth place overall with six wins followed closely by Kiwi’s Sara Winther and Danielle Bowater on four wins each.

Winther had a much better day winning four out of her first five matches this morning, which greatly improved her overall score of zero wins on day one.

Racing is scheduled to begin at 9.30am Saturday, with Flight Three of Round Robin Two.


Stephanie Hazard on Day One, with Susannah Pyatt on bow. Image copyright RNZYS.

Friday’s Results

Round Robin One
Flight Five
Pellew beat Osborne by 14s
Winther beat de Lange by 1s
Hazard beat Trudgen by 33s
Lehtinen beat Bowater by 6s
Souter beat Stuart by 1m52s

Flight Six
Winther beat Trudgen by 36s
Hazard beat Bowater by 11s
Lehtinen beat Stuart by 1m15s
Souter beat Osborne by 1m05s
Pellew beat de Lange by 58s

Flight Seven
Souter beat Lehtinen by 1m25s
Pellew beat Trudgen by 1m04s
Bowater beat de Lange by 10s
Winther beat Stuart by 33s
Hazard beat Osborne by 30s

Flight Eight
Bowater beat Trudgen by 16s
De Lange beat Stuart by 6s
Osborne beat Winther by 55s
Pellew beat Lehtinen by 1m
Hazard beat Souter by 29s

Flight Nine
Trudgen beat de Lange by 3m134s
Winther beat Bowater by 2m05s
Hazard beat Stuart by 1m52s
Osborne beat Lehtinen by 35s
Souter beat Pellew by 4s

Round Robin Two
Flight One
Osborne beat de Lange by 1m42s
Pellew beat Bowater by 22s
Hazard beat Lehtinen by 28s
Souter beat Winther by 2m17s

Flight Two
Pellew beat Hazard by 11s
Lehtinen beat Winther by 19s
Souter beat de Lange by 10s
Osborne beat Trudgen by 16s
Bowater beat Stuart by 50s

Points Table
Nicky Souter (AUS) 10 wins
Katie Pellew (AUS) 10
Stephanie Hazard (NZL) 9
Sam Osborne (NZL) 8
Silja Lehtinen (FIN) 6
Sara Winther (NZL) 4
Danielle Bowater (NZL) 4
Anita Trudgen (NZL) 3
Katie de Lange (NZL) 1
Kim Stuart (USA) 0

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron