Laser Worlds 2010: Bullot leads takes the early lead

by Jodie Bakewell-White

Mike Bullot mastered Hayling Island’s tidal current and light breeze with ease on the opening day of the 2010 Laser World Championship. Kicking off the regatta with a bullet the kiwi followed it up with a 2nd place and tops the leader board after day one.

Compatriot Andrew Murdoch made a decent start too, with a 6th and a 4th in racing on day one he is in ninth place overall in the total fleet of 159 sailors.

26 year old Mike Bullot, who represents the Murrays Bay Sailing Club and the Richmond Yacht Club, recorded a personal best World Championship result in 2009 when he won the silver medal in Halifax, Nova Scotia. While his day one form bodes well for a top result in 2010 there is plenty of racing yet to come with another three days of qualifying before finals racing with the world title set to be decided on September 5th.

Defending World Champion and reigning Olympic champion Paul Goodison, Estonia’s Karl-Martin Rammo and Luka Radelic of Croatia all started the series well and share second place just one point behindNew Zealand’s Bullot.

With Bullot and Murdoch leading the kiwi charge, a couple of young guns are lying in the twenties having recorded one excellent race and one not so flash race on day one. Andy Maloney is in 22nd overall with a 2nd and a 22nd to his name, while Josh Junior is just behind in 24th on the board having placed 3rd then 22nd.

“It was pretty shifty. I got a good start at the pin and then got a nice left shift and so managed to cross the fleet and from there it was just about sailing on the lifted tack and staying in the pressure on the downwind legs. It sounds easy but it wasn’t!,” commented Andy Maloney after racing.

“The start and the first beat were vital and when you were out in front it got easier.”

Racing is now underway in San Francisco for the 2010 Finn Gold Cup where 87 of the world’s best in this Olympic class are competing including six kiwis. NZL Sailing Team’s Dan Slater recorded a 32nd and a 17th on the first day to hold 23rd place.

2010 Laser World Championships, 30th August – 5th September
New Zealand’s provisional standings after day one (Total feet: 159)
1st Mike Bullot (1, 2)
9th Andrew Murdoch (6, 4)
22nd Andy Maloney (2, 22)
24th Josh Junior (3, 22)
72nd James Sandall (42, 7)
78th Max Andrews (12, 41)
81st Sam Meech (10, 46)

2010 Finn Gold Cup, 30th August – 4th September
New Zealand’s provisional standings after day one (Total fleet: 87)
23rd Dan Slater (32, 17)
29th Nik Burfoot (24, 33)
43rd Matt Coutts (37, 48)
61st Rob Coutts (63, 57)
66th Ray Hall (61, 68)
76th Bradley Douglas (62, 88/DNF)

Yachting New Zealand