World Championships: Into the Business End

Racing continued overnight for the RS:X and Laser World 2010 titles where the NZL Sailing Team are battling it out with the world’s best

by Jodie Bakewell-White

Between the two regattas being staged in Denmark and Great Britain, New Zealand has six sailors placed within the top eight in their fleet all in with a shot at the podium as both regattas move into the business end of competition. Dogged international rivals are also sailing well and this means the kiwi team have the challenge to up their game from here to stand on the podium.

Laser

Currently occupying half of the top eight places at the 2010 Laser World Championships at Hayling Island, Great Britain, the kiwis are in third, fourth, sixth and eighth. Mike Bullot and Andy Maloney have ousted Josh Junior as are best placed of the team as the 159 strong fleet splits to Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets for the remaining three days.

Bullot was 3rd then 23rd last night, but wins out because his former discard race was better and he has a points total of 36. Andy Maloney has improved his standing further still, moving from seventh place up to fourth at the end of the qualifying rounds. He had his best day on the water yet returning a 3rd and a 4th. These two are now tied up for third place overall just two points behind the Beijing Gold medallist Goodison.

Tom Slingsby of Australia last night extended his leading margin on the chasing fleet and now holds a whopping 14 point lead over Paul Goodison (GBR) in second place with 34 points.

Andrew Murdoch placed 9th in last night’s first race then came rounded out the qualifiers with a win to hold sixth overall – up from eighth – and 41 points total. Josh Junior slipped from second place back to eighth suffering in the standings after a 29th in race eight of the series, which means he has to count a 22nd from day one.

The fleets now split and three more days of racing will determine the world champion. All seven of the NZL Sailing Team in attendance progress to the Gold fleet.

RS:X

At the RS:X Men’s and Women’s World Championships in Denmark sailors have returned to the water after a mid regatta rest day and sailed two races overnight. Jon-Paul Tobin and Tom Ashley have slipped to fifth and sixth respectively both returning one average race result as the finals rounds got underway.

Just one point separates the kiwis with Tobin on 36 and Ashley on 37. Both now have some ground to make up on the leaders including Dorian van Rijsseberge (NED) out in front with 23 points, Poitr Myszka (POL) on 25 points and Nimrod Mashiah (ISR) on 27 points.

With two more days of racing remaining, tonight will determine the top ten sailors to be on the starting line for the medal race on the final day of the series – September 4th.

The NZL Sailing Team Laser sailors are supported by coaches Mark Howard and Jez Fanstone, while Dave Robertson and Grant Beck are coaching support to the RS:X sailors in Denmark. John Clinton is coach at the Finn Gold Cup in San Francisco.

2010 Laser World Championships, 30th August – 5th September
New Zealand’s provisional standings (Total feet: 159)

3rd =Mike Bullot (1, 2, 5, 13, 9, 3, 3, 23)
3rd = Andy Maloney (2, 22, 4, 10, 2, 11, 3, 4)
6th Andrew Murdoch (6, 4, 11, 2, 8, 22, 9, 1)
8th Josh Junior (3, 22, 1, 2, 7, 5, 8, 29)
17th Sam Meech (10, 46, 5, 14, 7, 13, 24, 2)
38th James Sandall (42, 7, 6, 14, 14, RAF55, 12, 5)
43rd Max Andrews (12, 41, 19, 7, 26, 8, 4, 34)

2010 RS:X World Championships, 29th August – 4th September
New Zealand’s provisional standings

Men’s Championship (111 sailors)
5th Jon-Paul Tobin (6, 6, 1, 2, 2, 17, 20, 2)
6th Tom Ashley (1, 5, 3, 5, 18, 2, 27, 4)
82nd (16th in silver fleet) Antonio Cozzolino (41, 39, 21, 24, 41, 58, 21, 16)

Women’s Championship (66 sailors)
34th (1st in silver fleet) Kate Ellingham (11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 1, 3)
36th (3rd in silver fleet) Stefanie Williams (14, 13, 14, 29, 18, 11, 1)
41st (8th in silver fleet) Natalia Kosinska (28, 22, 27, 15, 9, 4, 11)
4th (16th in silver fleet) Alice Monk (18, 20, 22, 26, 25, 21, 16)

2010 Finn Gold Cup, San Francisco, USA
Dates: 30th August – 4th September.
New Zealand’s provisional standings after sixraces (Total fleet: 87)
20th Dan Slater (32, 17, 28, 11, 26, 4)
34th Nik Burfoot (24, 33, 42, 30, 34, 31)
37th Matt Coutts (37, 48, 26, 20, 32, 52)
63rd Bradley Douglas (62, 88/DNF, 52, 61, 51, 60)
66th Rob Coutts (63, 57, 72, 62, 82, 65)
67th Ray Hall (61, 68, 65, 81DNF, 68, 58)

Yachting New Zealand