European Champs underway for kiwi skiff and board sailors

Yachting New Zealanders

Media Release

3 July 2013

European Champs underway for kiwi skiff and board sailors

New Zealand’s top Olympic skiff sailors and windsurfers are racing in their respective European Championship Regattas with competition getting underway in Arhus, Denmark and Brest, France overnight.

At this early stage the best placed of the kiwis are Natalia Kosinska lying 2nd in the Women’s RS:X European Championships in France, and Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (pictured) in 3rd overall at the end of the opening day at the 49erFX European Championships in Denmark.

Conditions were reported as challenging in Arhus for the opening day of competition and many of the top competitors posted mixed results including Olympic silver medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke for who are back amongst an international 49er fleet for the first time since London 2012. On day one they returned an 18th and a 9th in the two races sailed now tasked with improving on their overall standing of 35th in order to be placed in the top 31 by the end of day two in order to qualify for gold fleet. 

In the 37-strong 49erFX fleet Alex Maloney and Molly Meech sailed three races managing to deliver consistent results despite the conditions to hold 3rd overall (on equal points with 2nd) at the end of the opening day. They placed 10th, 9th and 6th in racing today improving as they day progressed.

Ben Goodwin and Sam Bullock are the best placed of the kiwi 49er sailors lying 13th after a 6th and an 8th – an impressive opening day for this young pair. Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski had one good race finishing 4th followed with a 22nd to lie 35th overall.
Video highlights from day one in Arhus here.

At the RS:X European Championships in Brest, France New Zealand is represented in the Women’s open fleet and both Youth fleets as well. Natalia Kosinska has started strongly and is in 2nd place at the end of the first day of racing where she placed 3rd, 5th and 7th in the three races sailed.

“It was a good day for Natalia today currently 2nd overall after three races,” reports Dave Robertson who is at the regatta in France. “Both Xanthe Bowater and Alex Hart are mid-fleet in the women’s and men’s youth fleets. We had great wind today of 15-18 knots with another three races of opening series on tomorrow.”
Both regattas run over six days with final results set to be decided on Sunday 7th July.

2013 SAP 49er European Championships
3rd Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech (10, 9, 6)
(Women’s fleet full results)
13th Ben Goodwin and Sam Bullock (6, 8)
32nd Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski (4, 22)
35th Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (18, 9)
(Men’s fleet full results)

2013 RS:X European Championships
2nd Natalia Kosinska (Women) (3, 5, 7)
24th Xanthe Bowater (Women Youth)
35th Alexander Hart (Men Youth)
(Full results from France)

Links:
Yachting New Zealand website
NZL Sailing Team on Facebook
NZL Sailing Team sailor profiles

ENDS

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