2015 Rio Test Event: Gold, Bronze for Team Jolly

2015 Rio Test Event: Gold, Bronze for Team Jolly and five top fives

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie have won bronze in the Women’s 470 at 2015 Rio Test Event today adding another medal to the gold secured by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in the 49er class yesterday.

Another two top five finishes were added to the New Zealand results today with Josh Junior in the Finn class, and Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders in the Nacra 17 both finishing 5th overall.

Women’s 470

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie concede that an average first half to 2015 Rio Test Event put them in catch up mode and they were pleased to turn things around at the mid-way mark and secure a podium finish today.

“We’re actually pretty happy with it. I think we sailed well for the last half of the event but we had such a shocker in the first half that I think this was about as good as we could come back with so we’re happy to pull it together at the end,” says Jo Aleh.

Lying 3rd going into the medal race today in Rio silver or gold were a hard ask for the kiwis after mixed results over the opening days of the regatta and with more than one crew within reaching distance on points, Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie had a job on their hands to defend the bronze medal position today.

Polly Powrie explains, “We were in and out of the bronze medal on the first upwind beat and the first downwind, and then we managed to solidify 2nd place in the race which gave us the bronze medal. So we’re pretty happy to pull that one off.”

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) were well placed for the gold medal today but it slipped from their grasp when they finished last in the medal race and USA’s Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha stole the overall victory.

During 2015 Aleh and Powrie, known as Team Jolly, have now stockpiled seven podium finishes at the major international regattas in the Women’s 470 class including victories at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Princess Sofia Regatta and the y claimed the Women’s 470 European Championship title.

The Men’s and Women’s 470 World Championships are on in October in Haifa, Israel.

Finn

Josh Junior romped away for a medal race win in Rio today in the Finn finale.

Lying 5th going into today the win wasn’t enough to alter his overall position and he wraps up the regatta with that as his final result.

“I had a great medal race,” says Junior. “I ended up winning the last race of the regatta and you know it’s a great way to finish the event, so really, really happy.”

“It is a good result, but I always wanted more. Hopefully next year can be better, but fifth is okay and I will just keep moving forward.”

“I was reasonably resilient throughout the week and you know, I kept chipping away. Things weren’t really going my way, so I felt like a hung pretty tough, dug deep and got a good result at the end of it.”

Like the rest of the team Junior says familiarity with Brazil is critical. “Just getting used to the environment - living here, eating here, sailing here - all of that stuff is really important and we’ve been here two of three times already. It’s about building up our knowledge of the place.”

25 year old Josh Junior, who hails from the Worser Bay Boating Club in Wellington has had an impressive run in the Finn class this year so far, with consistent top ten finishes at the major regattas around the world.

He was on the podium at the Finn European Championship, with silver and at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth with silver again.

Later this year Junior, along with NZL Sailing Team-mate Andrew Murdoch and other kiwi Finn sailors will have the opportunity to contest their 2015 World crown in front of a home crowd when Takapuna Boating Club hosts the prestigious Finn Gold cup this November.

Junior is excited; “It’s going to be awesome. We’re going to have eighty of the world’s best Finns in New Zealand, and it’s going to be a good world champs and it will be good to try and medal there – go a bit better and win a medal at home – it would be really cool.”

Nacra 17

Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders went into the final double-points race in 6th overall, and a decent final race sees them lift their placing to record a top five finish at 2015 Rio Test Event.

The Nacra 17 medal race was bumped from yesterday’s schedule and they were first to hit the medal race course today in Rio to do battle for the podium.

With the crews behind them in the standings unable to catch up on points Jones and Saunders had nothing to lose, and the kiwis put it all on the line for the best outcome possible. Unfortunately they pushed the limit a little far and concerned they’d hit the start too early they went back for a penalty turn, before charging back through the fleet to cross the line in 4th and end the regatta in 5th overall.

Saunders describes today’s medal race, “It was definitely eventful. We started and we thought we were over the start line, so we went back and we were pretty much on the back foot from there, but we fought really well in the race and actually got into 2nd at the last top mark, unfortunately we couldn’t quite hold it in the last downwind. But it was a good race from us all in all.”

Jones adds, “It’s a bit frustrating since we were so close.”

On their overall performance during the week she explains, “The races that have gone well they’ve gone really well and we’ve got a lot of top three’s in our placings over the week, but it’s just getting rid of the bad races and we’ll be right up there I think.”

Saunders commented on what they will take away from the week of racing at the Olympic venue, “I think we’ve learned more about the Rio conditions, you know we really feel like Rio can throw anything at you so you’ve got to be a pretty complete sailor and have a good set of skills for different conditions. We really like sailing here so we’re in a positive mid set going forward for next year.”

Jones (21 years) and Saunders (24 years) paired up to sail in the mixed multihull class back in 2013 when it was announced as the multihull event for the 2016 Rio Olympics. This year they finished 4th at the Nacra 17 world Championships sailed in Arhus, Denmark in July.

49er

Yesterday Peter Burling and Blair Tuke took 49er gold in front of a beach crowd at the Olympic sailing venue on Guanabara Bay. In their medal race they played a conservative game plan covering the only crew with the potential to steal the overall win from them.

Burling and Tuke have totally dominated the Olympic 49er class over the past twelve months, and indeed the past three years, with an unprecedented string of consecutive victories. Burling and Tuke have now won 20 major events in succession. No other 49er sailor has ever been unbeaten for 12 months, let alone three years.

Here in Rio they’ve stamped it home once again. Significantly this victory is on the Olympic Games race track and they remain the crew to beat at the one year to go mark.

49erFX

Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech have wrapped up the regatta in 4th overall. The kiwi skiff women sailed a strong medal race yesterday to take 3rd place on the water, but it wasn’t enough for them to grab a place on the podium.

“A challenging week in Rio,” report Maloney and Meech. “We lacked consistency in our racing having some glamours, as well as a few too many shockers leading us to finish fourth overall.”

“This position isn't too much fun, so with a year to go we will make sure to make it count! Time to learn and grow!”

Maloney, 23 years and Meech, 22 haven’t finished outside the top ten at all the major international regattas this year with a silver medal at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth in June. Later this year they head to Buenos Aires, Argentina for the 49erFX World Championships in November.

Laser

Yesterday was a day of mixed fortunes for Andy Maloney in the Laser fleet posting a 2nd to start the day strongly. Unfortunately the 25 year old from Murrays Bay Sailing Club wasn’t able to replicate that in the second race of the day and he was edged out into 11th and didn’t sail today’s Laser medal race.

“A solid 2nd in race one yesterday was completely undone with a shocker in the final race. Very disappointed to end the event with my worst race and drop out of contention,” reflects Maloney.

“On the positive side, I am beginning to feel really comfortable in the Rio sailing conditions after this stint, which gives me some good confidence moving forwards at this awesome venue. Time to learn from it all, and make gains.”

Men’s 470

Men’s 470 pair Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox were back on the water today sailing one race in which they placed 13th. Their week was interrupted when Willcox had to sit out on a day of racing on the doctor’s recommendation and they conclude the regatta in 20th overall.

2015 Rio Test Event, Rio de Janeiro
The NZL Sailing Team final results

1stPeter Burling and Blair Tuke - 49er
3rdJo Aleh and Polly Powrie - Women’s 470
4thAlexandra Maloney and Molly Meech - 49erFX
5thGemma Jones and Jason Saunders - Nacra 17
5thJosh Junior - Finn
11thAndy Maloney – Laser
20thPaul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox - Men’s 470

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