Four top ten for kiwi Youth sailors at World Championship

Four top ten for kiwi Youth sailors as World Championship concludes
The 41st Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2011 has wrapped up in Zadar, Croatia for the twelve sailors in the 2011 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team.

Image © Sime Sokota: Tomer Simhony and Ellie Copeland

While the team missed out on the medals this year, four representatives finished top ten, and New Zealand was within the top third of finishers in six of the eight classes sailed in Zadar.

“It was a very challenging and competitive regatta,” reports Ian Neely, Team Manager from Zadar. “Conditions were predominantly light, soft winds. On the whole I think we struggled with the super tight racing in the very light winds for the first two thirds of the regatta. And I think all the tem learnt a lot about these sorts of conditions and how to race in them.”

“There are a good number of young sailors in the team and they are looking forward to moving ahead to another youth campaign next season when this regatta will be held in Ireland, and the older sailors are moving on to Olympic campaigns.”

In the SL16 multihull Tomer Simhony and Ellie Copeland topped the team’s results and finished in fifth place after a ninth place in the one race sailed on the final day.

Jack Simpson and Logan Dinning-Beck were the next best performed of the team ending the regatta in sixth place in the 29er skiff.

Michael Cate, representing New Zealand in the boy’s single-handed Laser Radial made significant gains through the standings as the regatta progressed to finish in eighth place. From here Cate travels on to the Under 21 Laser World Championships then straight to the Laser Radial Youth World Championships’ after that before returning home.

New Zealand’s windsurfers – Georgia Schofield and Sven Pedersen – finished ninth and 13th respectively. Both will return home, along with the majority of the team, and plan to move graduate to the Olympic class board.

Molly Meech, in the single-handed Laser Radial finished the regatta in twelfth place. Meech returns to New Zealand to take up crewing in the Women’s skiff, now in the schedule for the 2016 Olympic Games, with accomplished sailor Alexandra Maloney.

In the boy’s and girl’s 420 events New Zealanders Alex Munro and Brad Moss finished 23rd overall, and Verity Judge and Gemma Jones were 25th.

“Thanks to all the coaches involved both over here and back in New Zealand,” says Ian Neely.

This prestigious youth regatta has attracted a total of 349 sailors from 52 countries to the city of Zadar, in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea.

Next year’s 2012 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship, to be held from 12-21 July will be staged in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland hosted by the Royal St George, National and Royal Irish yacht clubs on Dublin Bay.

2011 Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships, Zadar, Croatia
NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team final results

5th Tomer Simhony and Ellie Copeland (Open Multihull – 14 entries)
6th Jack Simpson and Logan Dunning-Beck (29er – 23 entries)
8th Michael Cate (Male Laser Radial – 50 entries)
9th Georgia Schofield (Female RS:X Wind surfing – 20 entries)
12th Molly Meech (Female Laser Radial – 41 entries)
13th Sven Pedersen (Male RS:X Wind surfing – 34 entries)
23nd Alexander Munro and Brad Moss (Male 420 – 34 entries)
25th Verity Judge and Gemma Jones (Female 420 – 31 entries)

Team Manager: Ian Neely
Coaches: Shelley Hesson and Jim Maloney

Links
Regatta website
NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team on Facebook

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