Silver Medal For New Zealand Youth Sailor
Kiwi Youth sailor, Jo Aleh has won a silver medal at the ISAF World Youth Championships in Poland, where racing
concluded overnight.
I'm stoked! It was a hard regatta with such different conditions; It's been tricky sailing all week. It was pretty cool
to finish the regatta with silver,_ says Aleh.
Aleh finished 6th in last years World Youth Champs, and she has sailed consistently well to pull through into the medal
count overnight. Yachting New Zealand's National Programmes Coordinator Julie Worth comments, _Jo has a great mental
toughness. She won the P Class Tanner Cup in 2002 and she has proven once again she can perform at major events. Coming
from a non-sailing family, this result is even more fantastic._
Laser sailor Blair McLay finished the regatta on a high note winning the last race to finish 8th overall. At only 17
years of age, McLay has yet another opportunity to try and represent New Zealand at this event. He will certainly be
building on what he has learnt at this event to get into the medal count next year.
Boardsailor Hayley Thom sailed a consistent regatta. Competing against an Olympic representative (Polish sailor Zofia
Klepacka) at a youth level is always a tough challenge. Thom now returns to New Zealand for a few weeks before heading
to Athens, after winning a scholarship to attend an International Olympic Youth Camp, held in Athens at the same time as
the Olympics.
Final Results
Laser Radial - Jo Aleh (Kohimarama Yacht Club) - 2nd
Laser - Blair McLay (Torbay Sailing Club) - 8th
Mistral Girls - Hayley Thom (Kohimarama Yacht Club) - 7th
Mistral Boys - Antonio Cozzolino (Mistral Owners Association) - 19th
Hobie 16 Open - Michael Thorpe / Rosie Sargisson - 8th
420 Girls - Olivia Powrie / Sarah Bilkey (Kohimarama Yacht Club) - 12th
420 Boys - Alastair Thompson / Scott Illingworth - 15th
The Yachting New Zealand Youth Sailing Team is proudly sponsored by:
New Zealand Academy of Sport, New Zealand International Yachting Trust, ASB Bank, New Zealand Community Trust, Line 7
and adidas Eyewear
Did you know: More than 2/3rds of New Zealander's say they are interested in yachting (source: NBR Compaq poll)
Yachting New Zealand is the National body for competitive and recreational sailing in New Zealand. We represent the
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