Cracking start to 49er European Champs for New Zealand

Yachting New Zealand

MEDIA RELEASE

12 APR 2016

Cracking start to 49er European Champs for New Zealand

The 49er and 49erFX European Championships kicked off in Barcelona, Spain today where Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have the early lead, and Alex Maloney and Molly Meech hold 5th.

The New Zealand 49er pair of Burling and Tuke, who are current (and four-time) World Champions in the Olympic skiff class had an excellent opening day with a pair of race wins and a 2nd place.

After today’s three races they have 4 points while Nico delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch of Austria have 10 points in 2nd place. Australia’s Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen are in 3rd with 12 points.

More than 70 boats are competing for the 49er European title to be contested over six days. The regatta provides another marker point for those on the road to Rio with the 2016 Olympic Games now just four months away.

This is Burling and Tuke’s first European event for 2016, and their first event since being officially selected to represent New Zealand at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and followers are wondering if the kiwis can extend their unprecedented string of regatta victories.

Alex Maloney and Molly Meech have also been named as part of the New Zealand Olympic Team for Rio 2016 and they have made a solid start in the 49erFX fleet to hold 5th overall.

Sailing four races on the opening day of competition Maloney and Meech took a race win to start and followed that with two 4th placings and a 5th.

Annemiek Bekkering and Annette Duetz of the Netherlands were the standout pair today in the women’s skiff securing a clean-sweep of race wins to hold the top spot.

Two more New Zealand crews are competing in Barcelona, both promising young Aon Fast Track Squad members. Logan Dunning-Beck and Jack Simpson are lying 18th in the 49er fleet after day one, and Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland are also lying 18th, in the 49erFX.

Regatta organisers promise that the forecast for the week in Barcelona is excellent, setting the scene for more great racing to unfold.

2016 49er and 49erFX European Championships, Barcelona, Spain
New Zealand’s current standings

49er
1st Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (1, 1, 2)
18th Logan Dunning-Beck and Jack Simpson (9, 11, 17)

49erFX
5th Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (1, 4, 4, 5)
18th Erica Dawson and Ellie Copeland (10, 9, 9, 7)

Regatta website: http://49er.org/2016-european-championship/

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