2014 NZL Sailing Team Launched

2014 NZL Sailing Team Launched

The 2014 NZL Sailing Team was launched by Yachting New Zealand today at a function in Auckland attended by team supporters and media.

The NZL Sailing Team includes New Zealand’s top Olympic campaigners who have made the top 20% in their most recent (respective) class World Championships or pinnacle event and have shown consistency of performance over the year including other significant Championships.

After the successes of 2013 a total of 18 sailors were named in the 2014 NZL Sailing Team with 12 campaigns ranging across eight of the 2016 Olympic sailing events including the two sailing disciplines making an Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

Yachting New Zealand’s High Performance Programme Director Jez Fanstone says it’s nice to reflect on a stellar year for New Zealand’s Olympic class sailors, but knows that a long road to Rio lies ahead; “New Zealand is 2013’s top performing nation in terms of Olympic class world championships. It’s a nice place to be, and this team is undeniably young and talented.”

“Our ultimate goal is Olympic medals and it’s important that we remain focussed on achieving that as we look ahead into 2014. The competition will tighten up; our rivals will get better – we need to stay on the top of our game.”

“I am very excited about this group of sailors and I know their coaches and support staff are too.”

Included are New Zealand’s 2012 Olympic medalists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (Women’s 470), and Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (49er) – both pairs choosing to campaign again and opening their 2016 crusades in fine form each claiming their respective 2013 World Championship crowns.

Securing the 49erFX World Championship sees the young pairing of Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech launched into the spotlight and they are named on the NZL Sailing Team for the first time.

2014 NZL Sailing Team

See sailor profiles here

49er (Men’s skiff) – Peter Burling & Blair Tuke

49er (Men’s skiff) – Marcus Hansen & Josh Porebski

49erFX (Women’s skiff) – Alexandra Maloney & Molly Meech

Women’s 470 (double-handed dinghy) – Jo Aleh & Polly Powrie

Men’s 470 (double-handed dinghy) - Paul Snow-Hansen & Daniel Willcox

Finn (Heavy-weight men’s dinghy) – Andrew Murdoch

Finn (Heavy-weight men’s dinghy) – Josh Junior

Laser (Men’s dinghy) – Andy Maloney

Laser (Men’s dinghy) – Sam Meech

Laser (Men’s dinghy) – Thomas Saunders

Women’s RS:X (Windsurfer) – Natalia Kosinska

Nacra 17 (Mixed multihull) – Gemma Jones & Jason Saunders

Key events in 2014

Details on-line here

• 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland, 1-4 February 2014

• 2014 ISAF World Championship in Santander, Spain, 8 - 20 September 2014

• ISAF Sailing World Cup 2013/14 Regattas in Miami (USA), Mallorca (Spain) and Hyeres (France)

• EUROSAF Champions Sailing Cup 2014 Regattas in Lake Garda (Italy), Medemblik (the Netherlands), Weymouth (UK), Kiel (Germany) and La Rochelle (France)

ENDS

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