Things Hotting up in Takapuna

27 December, 2006 NEWS RELEASE

Things Hotting up in Takapuna

Sailors hit the water tomorrow off Takapuna in the lead-up to the 420 World Championships 2007. The Pre-Worlds Regatta starts tomorrow and lasts three days with the first World Championships racing set for 3 January 2007.

For many New Zealand entries this is their last shot at qualification into the Worlds with seven spots up for grabs in both the Open and the Women's divisions. Top qualifiers have already earned their place at the selection trials first series in mid December, but for the remainder the Pre-Worlds is their last chance.

62 entries are competing in the Open division with 47 international crews who have arrived early to prepare and become familiar with the venue. The Women's Pre-Worlds fleet has 46 entries with 30 international boats.

The forecast for Day 1 of the regatta is Northwest 10 knot winds with the outlook over the remaining days being Southwest 20 knots easing to 10 knots.

Results of racing will be posted on the regatta website as soon as possible after each race. To follow is further background information and a schedule for both the 420 Pre-Worlds and 420 World Championships.

Media Reports will be issued daily during the 420 World Championships 2007 at the conclusion of racing each day and also posted on the regatta website [www.420worlds.org.nz]. To subscribe on-line for media reports, click here and check the 420 World Champs 2007 box.

Background Information 420 World Championships 2007

The 420 World Championships 2007 are at Takapuna Boating Club, North Shore City starting 3 January 2007; sailing will take place in the waters off Takapuna Beach in Auckland. The regatta incorporates both the Open 420 World Championship 2007 and the Women's 420 World Championship 2007.

Around 120 boats, including 29 from New Zealand are expected to compete in the regatta, which takes place over seven days. This means around 240 sailors will be in Takapuna for the event. Racing starts on 3 January with registration prior to that.

A warm-up event precedes the World Championship regatta; known as the Pre-Worlds, racing will take place from 28 December until 30 December. While the Pre-Worlds Regatta forms the final part of the selection process for the New Zealand representatives, international sailors are welcome to take part in this warm-up event.

The 420 is a two handed sailing dinghy with a strong and highly competitive fleet that has emerged in New Zealand over recent years. There are 56,000 worldwide and the 420 is sailed at school, club, open, national and international levels.

420 Dinghy Specifications Length 4.2 m Beam 1.63 m Mast 6.26 m Sails Main 10.25m2, Jib 2.8 m2, Spinnaker 9 m2. Bare hull weight 80 kg min Sailing weight 100 kg min The ideal competitive combined crew weight is 17 to 23 stone (110-145Kg).

Schedule of Events

420 Pre-Worlds Regatta
Incorporating the New Zealand Selection Trials - Series 2

26 December 2006 Registration 27 December 2006 Registration, Briefing and Practice Race 28 December 2006 Pre-Worlds Racing 29 December 2006 Pre-Worlds Racing 30 December 2006 Pre-Worlds Racing

Open 420 World Championship & Women's 420 World Championship 2007

31 December 2006 Registration and Measurement 9am - 5pm Opening Ceremony including Maori Powhiri 5pm 1 January 2007 Registration and Measurement 10am - 5pm 2 January Registration and Measurement 9am - 5pm Practice Race 2pm 3 January Open Event Qualifying Series - Midday start Women's Event Racing - Midday start 4 January Open Event Qualifying Series - Midday start Women's Event Racing - Midday start 5 January Lay Day 6 January Open Event Final Series - Midday start Women's Event Racing - Midday start 7 January Open Event Final Series - Midday start Women's Event Racing - Midday Start 8 January Open Event Final Series - Midday start Women's Event Racing - Midday Start 9 January Open Event Final Series - Midday start Women's Event Racing - Midday Start Prize-giving at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna The Competitors

Sailors from New Zealand, America, Australia, Great Britain and Europe are on the entry list for the 420 World Championships 2007. A full entry list is available on the 420 World Championships website.

Current Open World Champions Carl Evans, from Auckland and Peter Burling from Tauranga will be defending the title they won just over six months ago in the Canary Islands, Spain.
Nation Number of Entries Total Entries
420 Open World Championship 420 Women's World Championship
New Zealand 15 14 29
Australia 7 7 14
Germany 7 7 14
Great Britain 7 6 13
Italy 7 6 13
France 7 3 10
Brazil 3 1 4
Singapore 2 1 3
Spain 2 - 2
Argentina 1 - 1
Austria 1 - 1
Hungary 1 - 1
Netherlands 1 - 1
Sweden 1 - 1
USA - 1 1

Totals 62 46 108
Automatic Entry

Carl Evans (Kohimarama Yacht Club) & Peter Burling (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club) - Evans and Burling have been sailing together for a little over a year and convincingly won the Open 420 World Championships 2006 sailed in Spain's Canary Islands in August. With seven out of twelve race wins and a 25 point margin over second they had clinched the title without having to sail the final race. The result was a first for New Zealand and they became the youngest ever 420 World Champions. Before t

New Zealand's Top Qualifiers: Open Division…

Simon Cooke & Scott Illingworth (Kohimarama Yacht Club) - Silver Medallists behind Evans and Burling at the 420 World Champs 2006, Cooke and Illingworth have experience on their side. Cooke won the 470 World title in 2002 and earned himself the Yachting New Zealand Sailor of the Year title together with Peter Nicholas. Illingworth has also represented New Zealand, as part of the Yachting New Zealand Youth Team in 2004.

Rowan Swanson & Bruce Kennedy (Evans Bay Yacht & Motorboat Club/Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club) Wellington sailor, Rowan Swanson has joined with Tauranga's Bruce Kennedy in the 420, and were third overall at the New Zealand selection trials series one. Kennedy has represented New Zealand at you

Paul Snow-Hansen & Chris Dawson (Wakatere Boating Club/Murrays Bay Sailing Cub) - Snow-Hansen was New Zealand's Young Sailor of the Year in 2005 when he became the first person ever to take out the triple crown of the Optimist nationals, the P class Tanner Cup and the P class Tauranga Cup. He has since moved into the 420 and will compete at the World Championships 2007 together with Chris Dawson.

New Zealand's Top Qualifiers: Women's Division…

Jo Aleh & Olivia Powrie (Takapuna Boating Club/Kohimarama Sailing Club) - Laser Radial sailor, and member of the Yachting New Zealand Olympic Squad, Jo Aleh is trying her hand at double-handed sailing to take part in this international regatta in home waters. Aleh is sailing with Olivia Powrie, also a Radial sailor, but a former New Zealand youth representative in the 420.

"After sailing the Radial for so long is great to sail something different, the 420 is a fun boat, and with such big fleets in NZ the racing is great," says Jo Aleh. "I am really enjoying the 420, and it's even better as I am sailing with another Radial sailor, so we tend to think more alike and are not afraid of working hard. After the Radial, the 420 is more of a thinking boat and is a bit less physical."

Sarah Bilkey & Rosie Sargisson (Kohimarama Yacht Club) - Both Bilkey and Sargisson have represented New Zealand at past ISAF Youth World Championships. Bilkey was 420 crew for Olivia Powrie in Portugal 2003, and then in Poland 2004. Sargisson also sailed in Poland 2004 with Michael Thorpe in the Hobie 16.

Shelley Hesson & Bianca Barbarich-Bacher (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) - Best placed women's crew from New Zealand at the World's in Spain just six months ago was former Olympian Shelley Hesson sailing with 13 year old Bianca Barbarich-Bacher. They finished 9th overall. Hesson sailed in Athens 2004 in the 470 with Linda Dickson as crew. Internationals

Daniel Willcox & Matthew Jones, Spain Willcox and Jones finished fourth at the New Zealand selection trials series where they won three races sailing against the World's current top two crews. Eligible to sail for both New Zealand and Spain, the pair has chosen to represent Spain, where they have both been living due to their parents' involvement with Americas Cup sailing.

Sebastian Peribrusa & Santiago Masseroni, Argentina While they only Argentinean entry, this pair will be one to watch. They won the 420 Boy's at the ISAF Youth World Championships sailed in Weymouth, England in July this year.

Sam Kivell & Max Taylor, Australia
Australian representatives in the 420 at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships 2006, Kivell and Taylor are noted as the stand-out entry in the team from across the Tasman. They narrowly missed winning at the Youth Worlds finishing on equal points with the Argentinean pair, but dropping to second on count back.

Lucinda Whitty & Kimberly Wilmot, Australia This combination from Australia is fresh from a win in the 420 at the Sydney International Regatta which finished on 19 December 2006.

420 World Championship 2007 is supported by BMW - TV3 - Lion Foundation - North Shore City Council - SPARC 2001 Wetsuits - Altura Coffee - Benefitz - Hirequip - NZI Marine - Orb - The Spencer on Byron Hotel Trillian Trust - U Water - West Marine - Quantum Sails Yachting New Zealand - ISAF - International 420 Association

ENDS

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