New Zealander wins Optimist World Champs

Kiwi wins Optimist World Championships
Date Released: 2 August 2007
From: Jodie Bakewell-White

New Zealander wins Optimist World Champs

New Zealander Chris Steele has just won the Optimist World Championships in Sardinia, Italy. Team-mate Alexandra Maloney has won bronze and was the top female finisher in the thirteen race series, which concluded overnight.

It is the first ever Optimist world title for New Zealand and betters the 2004 result which was the best on record for a kiwi Opti team.

The new world champion, Steele is from Wakatere Boating Club in Auckland, the same yacht club as 2004 silver medallist Paul Snow-Hansen who has gone on to recently win a silver medal at this years ISAF Youth World Championships in the 29er class. Steele was consistent throughout the regatta with six top three finishes over the thirteen races sailed. He finished with 62 points, five points ahead of Benjamin Grez of Chile.

Alexandra Maloney, who represents the Murrays Bay Sailing Club, was 23 points behind Grez to win the bronze medal. She was also consistent throughout and finished well ahead of her nearest female rival back in 10th place overall.

Sailed in a range of conditions competitors were tested in light, moderate and strong winds over six days and thirteen races. On the sixth and final day of the championship the race committee managed two races in relatively light 8-12 knots, to wrap up the regatta.

The top kiwis came through the ranks as the regatta progressed to finish strongly, claim the title and an impressive overall team performance. Three of the five person team finished within the top ten in the enormous fleet of 250 sailors.

Winner of this year's New Zealand Optimist National Championships, Logan Dunning-Beck also of Wakatere Boating Club, finished in ninth place overall.

IODA World Sailing Championship 2007
New Zealand's Final Results

1st - Chris Steele (Wakatere Boating Club)
3rd - Alexandra Maloney (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) - top female prize
9th - Logan Dunning-Beck (Wakatere Boating Club)
34th - James Turner (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
83rd - Sam Mackay (Napier Sailing Club)

Full results and news are available on the regatta website through the link below.

[ Regatta Website ]

ENDS

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