One Week until 2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland
One week from today the new look Murrays Bay Sailing Club will come alive with the opening day of racing at 2016
Oceanbridge Sail Auckland Regatta.
The North Shore club, which officially opened its new club house in September last year, is playing host to New
Zealand’s premier Olympic and Invited classes regatta. Racing runs over four days from Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th
February.
The entry list features some of the NZL Sailing Team’s rock stars such as Gemma Jones, who represents the hosting
Murrays Bay Sailing Club, and her Nacra 17 multihull sailing partner Jason Saunders from the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club fresh from World Champs competition in Clearwater, Florida. They will sail against Aon Fast Track Squad
pair Olivia Mackay (Napier Sailing Club) and Micah Wilkinson (Ngaroto Sailing Club) who were the top under-23 crew in
Clearwater.
At January’s Sailing World Cup Miami there were four kiwi sailors in the Laser medal race making it difficult for live
commentators to discern which New Zealander they were watching in a race where no other nation had more than one sailor.
Two of those top NZL Sailing Team’s Laser campaigners - Andy Maloney and Sam Meech - are set to go head to head at 2016
Oceanbridge Sail Auckland, with plenty more New Zealand Laser sailors taking this opportunity to compete against their
elite compatriots.
The Laser fleet at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland regularly attracts international sailors and this year is no exception with
entrants from Korea, China, Australia, Finland, Singapore and the Cook Islands in town and about to get a taste of the
kiwi competition and the Hauraki Gulf race track.
With New Zealand skiff sailing riding a wave of success right now it’s no surprise that there is strength in the 49er
and 49erFX fleets that promises tough fought, fast paced racing at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland next week.
While Peter Burling and Blair Tuke fulfil commitments with Emirates Team New Zealand, their absence leaves the door open
for some new faces to top the podium this year and members of the Aon Fast Track Squad Logan Dunning Beck and Jack
Simpson, and Isaac McHardie and Trent Rippey must be considered top contenders. Don’t discount Nick Egnot Johnson and
Jack Rogers though!
Two top women’s 49erFX crews are competing too. NZL Sailing Team’s Alex Maloney (a Murray’s Bay local) and Molly Meech
took out 2016 Sailing World Cup Miami less than one month ago, and they placed 8th last week at the 49erFX World
Championships. But with nothing to lose and everything to gain Murrays Bay’s Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland, members of
Yachting New Zealand’s Aon Fast Track Squad, will be throwing everything they’ve got onto the race track next week.
Featuring in the Laser Radial class, the Olympic single-handed women’s event, are 2012 Olympians Sara Winther (Takapuna
Boating Club/Royal Akarana Yacht Club) and Susannah Pyatt (Murrays Bay Sailing Club) going up against 2015 NZL Yachting
Trust Youth representative Ali Nightingale (Charteris Bay Boating Club). George Gautrey, silver medallist at the recent
Youth World Sailing Championships sailed in Malaysia at New Year will be the man to beat in the youth Laser Radial
division.
One of the largest fleets to sail this year at 2016 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland is the OK Dinghy class in which big names
with plenty of life experience to their name, like Olympic silver medallist Rod Davis and former OK World Champion Peter
Lester will be on the start line. However they will face tough competition from defending Oceanbridge Sail Auckland
Champion Luke O’Connell from Worser Bay Boating Club.
Competition also promises to be tough in the 29er skiff and 420 events, where the future stars of New Zealand sailing
are in the making including the likes of Murrays Bay’s Jackson Keon, also a silver medallist at the Youth Sailing World
Championships in 29er sailing with Tom Fyfe.
Oceanbridge Sail Auckland is their opportunity to go up against their New Zealand rivals and make their mark on the
national stage.
The 2.4mR, Sonar and Hansa Liberty and Flying 15 classes will be based at Fairway Bay, Gulf Harbour, Whangaparaoa with
racing Friday to Sunday.
ENDS