by Jodie Bakewell-White
With the penultimate day of the series done, four NZL Sailing Team crews have made the medal race cut at 2013 Delta Lloyd Regatta, round two of the EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup series being sailed in Medemblik, the Netherlands.
Two 470 crews including Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie in the Women’s division and Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willox in the Men’s event, as well as both of New Zealand’s Laser representatives at this regatta – Andy Maloney and Sam Meech – will all race for medals tomorrow.
Only the top six in each class will sail the all important last race of the regatta, where each boat carries forward only their position in the fleet and any leading margins built over four days of racing are wiped.
“Pretty much it all starts again tomorrow with what is essentially a winner takes all final race,” explains Jo Aleh.
“It was another blustery Medemblik day, with some lovely rain squalls to top it off,” she continues. “The last three races went okay, we were up there in the first race of the day but missed the huge left shift on the final beat and ended up with a 6th - our drop of the event.”
“So we thought we better do a little better in the next two, which we did, with a 1, 1 to finish off with. We had some great battles with the British, and now we go into the 'final race' carrying a 1, with them in 2nd.”
In the Laser class the medal race will feature two kiwis, two Aussies and two local Dutch sailors.
Andy Maloney holds onto 2nd place after placing 8th, 1st and 4th in today’s races off Medemblik, while Sam Meech earned a medal race start after going into the day placed 9th overall he finished the day in 5th place. His results today included an 11th, 5th and a race win and he joins the top six on the course tomorrow carrying forward five points.
In the Men’s 470 Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox advance to the medal race carrying four points after finishing the penultimate day in 4th place overall. Their results today were mixed with two 14ths and a 4th.
Natalia Kosinska has finished 2013 Delta Lloyd Regatta just outside the medal race cut in 7th overall, while James Turner and Carl Evans have finished 10th in the Men’s 470. Both results are impressive and promising from these sailors.
EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup: Delta Lloyd Regatta
NZL Sailing Team standings after day four
1st Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, 470W (3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 6, 1, 1)
2nd Andy Maloney, Laser (9, 12, 1, 1, 3, 2, 1, 17, 8, 1, 4)
4th Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox, 470M (3, 5, 2, 3, 3, 5, 3, 14, 14, 4)
5th Sam Meech, Laser (10, 15, 3, 7, 1, 11, 3, 24, 11, 5, 1)
Aspiring NZL Sailing Team…
10th James Turner and Carl Evans 470M
7th Natalia Kosinska RS:XW
Delta Lloyd Regatta
