Burling and Tuke finish with a win

NZL Sailing Team at ISAF Worlds: Burling and Tuke finish with a win

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke ended the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander, Spain by winning the medal race in front of a massive crowd returning ashore to be presented their 49er crown which was in the bag before today’s race.

Bringing this pinnacle regatta to its conclusion today New Zealand comes away with the 49er gold, women’s 470 silver for Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, and a further four top ten finishes.

Significantly, the NZL Sailing Team has also qualified New Zealand for the 2016 Rio Olympics in all ten Olympic sailing events as a result of their performance at this event – an excellent position to be in two years out from the next Olympics.

49er

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have successful defended their World Championship crown after a dominant display throughout this six day regatta in which a wide range of conditions challenged the world’s best in the men’s Olympic skiff class.

Adding yet another race win in today’s medal race the kiwi duo amassed six wins across the 13 race series only finishing outside the top six in race 11 which was interrupted for them in an accidental collision.

“We wanted to come out and put on a good show today and give the fans back home something to cheer about as well, and we came out firing and sailed a really good race. We really enjoyed that last one,” says Burling immediately after the medal race.

Asked what makes the difference for them Tuke adds, “We’ve really nailed it this week, and it’s taken a heck of a lot of hard work. We’ve sailed really well all year, but to perform at the event that you want to is really pleasing. It’s not just one thing, but we’re executing a lot of things well, and its pleasing to put it on at the World Championships.”

Commenting on their partnership Burling says, “We’ve been sailing together for a while now and we’re really good friends. I think that the longer you sail together and the more things you do together the stronger that partnership and communication grows. We’re really enjoying it and we feel like we’re getting better all the time and we just want to keep improving.”

When asked what is special about this pair and what this victory means Coach Hamish Willcox comments; “It means a huge amount. They’ve been working really for a long, long time to get on top of this class, so it means a massive amount. And I think in one word, it’s their composure”

Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski have finished the series in 16th place after placing 17th in today’s race and outside the top ten medal race cut off. Logan Dunning-Beck and Jack Simpson have ended in 25th.

Finn

New Zealand has taken 5th and 6th in the Finn class demonstrating a return to form in the men’s heavy-weight dinghy event and a healthy rivalry between this nation’s top two in the class.

Josh Junior, from the Worser Bay Boating Club, sailed a brilliant medal race today crossing in 2nd which sees him end the regatta in 5th overall after lying 8th going into today.

Andrew Murdoch, from Kerikeri, came home in 6th in today’s double points medal race and ends the regatta in 6th overall.

Both the kiwis have switched to the Finn from the Laser class, and for each this is their best result at a Finn World Championship regatta – Junior placed 9th in 2013, Murdoch was 29th.

Nacra multihull

New Zealand’s Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders were 4th in their medal race earning themselves a top five finish to the 2014 Nacra 17 World Championship – another personal best achievement for a New Zealand crew here in Santander.

Jones and Saunders paired up to campaign this new Olympic class in 2013, and are up against some experienced and accomplished sailors from around the world. They will be delighted with the top five finish at this pinnacle regatta.

49erFX

In the women’s skiff class Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech have finished outside the 49erFX top ten and were disappointed to miss out, by just two points, on their medal race.

The 2013 World Champions suffered in the standings from mixed results through the qualifying and finals series, but their performance wasn’t without highlights. They took a 3rd in race one, and a 2nd in race five, and the young kiwis will no doubt take the lessons from this event to build on.

Read ISAF’s Qualification System for Rio 2016 for details on national qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships, Santander, Spain
New Zealand’s Final Results
Full results here

49er Skiff
1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke
16th Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski
25th Logan Dunning-Beck and Jack Simpson

Women’s 470 (double-handed dinghy)
2nd Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie

Nacra 17 (mixed multihull)
5th Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders

Finn (men’s heavy-weight dinghy)
5th Josh Junior
6th Andrew Murdoch

49erFX Skiff
12th Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech
34th Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland

Men’s 470 (double-handed dinghy)
12th Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox

Men’s RS:X Windsurfing / 100 sailors
16th Jon-Paul Tobin

Women’s RS:X Windsurfing / 62 sailors
21st Natalia Kosinska

Laser Final Results (Men’s single-handed dinghy / 150 boats)
9th Sam Meech
14th Andy Maloney
20th Thomas Saunders
31st Mike Bullot

Laser Radial Final Results (Women’s single-handed dinghy / 120 boats)
11th Sara Winther
51st Susannah Pyatt
108th Ali Nightingale

Support and Coaching:
Jez Fanstone , Nathan Handley, Mark Howard, Dave Robertson, Ian Neely , John Cutler, Hamish Willcox, Will Howden, Peter Evans, Grant Beck, Louise Johnson, Rebecca van Weerd

Links

Regatta website
ISAF website
Yachting New Zealand website
NZL Sailing Team sailor profiles
NZL Sailing Team Facebook page

Media information

• Footage for TV: Sunset+Vine/APP are the host broadcaster in Santander to capture the action. Contact Sabina Mollart Rogerson on SMollartRogerson@sunsetvineapp.com
•
• Photography: Professional high resolution images of the NZL Sailing Team in action in Spain will be available and free for editorial use. Please contact Jodie Bakewell-White with your image requests.
•
For more information contact:
Jodie Bakewell-White, YNZ Communications Manager
Tel. 021 709 065
Email. jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz

About the NZL Sailing Team

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.

Yachting New Zealand’s High Performance Programme is focussed on winning medals at the Olympics in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

NZL Sailing Team sailors all started out at grass roots yacht clubs around the country and with commitment, dedication and drive have risen to be world class athletes; they work hard in the gym, train long hours on the water and are supported by great coaches.

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