Image copyright Paul Wyeth/RYA.
New Zealand continues to feature strongly among the leaders at the 2010 Laser World Championship on now at Hayling Island, Great Britain
by Jodie Bakewell-White
The NZL Sailing Team impressively hold four of the top eight places – Josh Junior is in second, Mike Bullot in fourth, Andy Maloney climbs to seventh and Andrew Murdoch is eighth after the third day of the series.
Six races have been staged over three days with another four days remaining at this important Olympic class regatta.
Australia’s Tom Slingsby has taken the lead spot after a perfect day on the water with two bullets – on 14 points he is sitting four points clear of Josh Junior and Paul Goodison (GBR) who share second place with 18 points.
Junior, just 20 years old from the Worser Bay Boating Club in Wellington was 7th and 5th in last night’s two races, just enough to see him retain second equal. Junior’s previous best at a Laser World Championships was in 2009 when he placed 11th, and in 2007 he won a silver medal at the prestigious ISAF Youth World Champs.
Mike Bullot, from Auckland’s North Shore is just two points behind Junior and Goodison on 20 after he placed 9th and 3rd overnight.
Andy Maloney continues his climb through the standings breaking into the top ten after the third day of competition to sit in seventh overall. In his first race last night he came home in 2nd, and followed it up with an 11th.
Olympian Andrew Murdoch rounds out the kiwi contingent featuring in the top ten. Despite scoring his poorest race overnight with a 22nd he doesn’t take a tumble down the ladder due to consistency over the initial days. He improves from ninth up to eighth after day three.
Four days of competition remain to complete the Championship with another eight races possible if the weather continues to co-operate. The titles will be decided on September 5th.
The NZL Sailing Team Laser sailors are supported by coaches Mark Howard and Jez Fanstone.
In Kerteminde, Denmark the RS:X sailors contesting their World Championships have enjoyed a rest day and therefore overall standings for the NZL Sailing Team remain unchanged. Racing resumes tonight.
Day three of the 2010 Finn Gold Cup is underway in San Francisco at the time of writing. The day’s results will be posted on the regatta website as they come to hand.
2010 Laser World Championships, 30th August – 5th September
New Zealand’s provisional standings after day three (Total feet: 159)
2nd Josh Junior (3, 22, 1, 2, 7, 5)
4th Mike Bullot (1, 2, 5, 13, 9, 3)
7th Andy Maloney (2, 22, 4, 10, 2, 11)
8th Andrew Murdoch (6, 4, 11, 2, 8, 22)
19th Sam Meech (10, 46, 5, 14, 7, 13)
43rd Max Andrews (12, 41, 19, 7, 26, 8)
52nd James Sandall (42, 7, 6, 14, 14, RAF55)
2010 RS:X World Championships, 29th August – 4th September
New Zealand’s provisional standings after day three
Men’s Championship (111 sailors)
2nd =Tom Ashley (1, 5, 3, 5, 18, 2)
4th Jon-Paul Tobin (6, 6, 1, 2, 2, 17)
73rd Antonio Cozzolino (41, 39, 21, 24, 41, 58)
Women’s Championship (66 sailors)
New Zealand’s provisional standings after day two
36th Kate Ellingham (11, 14, 16, 18, 20)
37th Stefanie Williams (14, 13, 14, 29, 18)
43rd Natalia Kosinska (28, 22, 27, 15, 9)
48th Alice Monk (18, 20, 22, 26, 25)
2010 Finn Gold Cup, San Francisco, USA
Dates: 30th August – 4th September
New Zealand’s provisional standings after four races (Total fleet: 87)
21st Dan Slater (32, 17, 28, 11)
30th Nik Burfoot (24, 33, 42, 30)
31st Matt Coutts (37, 48, 26, 20)
62nd Rob Coutts (63, 57, 72, 62)
68th Bradley Douglas (62, 88/DNF, 52, 61)
71st Ray Hall (61, 68, 65, 81DNF)
Yachting New Zealand
