Aleh dominating

Sail Auckland is due to come to a close tomorrow

Aleh still dominates the Laser Radial while Slingsby is hot on the tail of Murdoch in the Laser going into the final day of Sail Auckland Regatta 2006. Sailors and race organizers were pleased to see a 20 knot south westerly wind on the inner Waitemata today after the light shifty conditions of Friday and Saturday.

Tobin holds the lead in the men’s board sailing while McIntosh and Kendall slip to second in the Tornado.

Jo Aleh has established a substantial lead over the Laser Radial fleet now 13 points clear of second place. Her results from today would have read first, second, and first if she hadn’t slipped up and crossed the start line early in race seven of the regatta. Despite the OCS she is extremely well placed to take out the Laser Radial division with just three races left to sail tomorrow.

Her coach Ian Neely is delighted.

“Jo Aleh sailed really well again today. It was a strong windy day and she really showed off the improvements that she has made in the last year,” says Neely.

Second place in the Open Radial fleet is held by Sara Winther moving back up the ranks today with a win, a second and a fourth.

Andrew Murdoch holds his lead in the Laser fleet even though Australian Tom Slingsby won two races today. With only three points between the two, the final day of racing will be interesting to watch.

“Tom Slinsby sailed really well today, very smart racing from him,” commented Neely. “Murdoch sailed pretty well too, but he can definitely do better.”

JP Tobin holds onto his lead in the men’s RS:X board sailing with a four point lead on 2004 Olympian Tom Ashley. The board sailors were pleased to finally race in a reasonable breeze and Danish sailor Jesper Vesterstrom enjoyed the stronger winds clocking up two race wins today. Tobin and Ashley have a solid leap on the remainder of the fleet at this stage in the regatta and racing tomorrow will be intense.

Nikola Girke of Canada has exerted her force over the New Zealand women’s board sailors with a brilliant winning streak today. Girke now has seven race wins on the board from nine races, giving her a 12 point margin over Hayley Thom and Moana Delle (GER) on equal points in second and third. The reshuffle today saw yesterday’s leader Anna Eason slip to fourth, however points are tight between second and fourth.

Carolijn Brouwer and Sebastien Godefroid have been having a close tussle with Yachting New Zealand Olympic Squad members Aaron McIntosh and Bruce Kendall in the Tornado. However today they stepped into the lead winning their races and now two points clear of the kiwi pair.

Dan Slater continued his dominance over the small four boat Finn fleet today, while similarly in the 470 class Stephen and Philip Keen have eight wins on the board. In the 420 Carl Evans and Peter Burling have an incredible 22 point lead over their nearest rivals.

Racing resumes tomorrow at 11am and concludes tomorrow afternoon followed by the official prize-giving. Full Results are available on the Sail Auckland website through the link below.

Results:

Laser

1 NZL Andrew Murdoch (Kerikeri CC) 15 points
2 AUS Tom Slingsby (Gosford YC) 18 points
3 NZL Michael Bullot (Murrays Bay SC) 39 points
4 NZL Matt Blakey (Tamaki YC) 48 points
5 GBR Mark Howard (Portsmouth FC) 49 points
6 NZL Blair McLay (Torbay SC) 51 points
7 NZL David Weaver (TBBC) 60 points
8 NZL Jason Geale (Pupuke SC) 67 points
9 NZL Blair Lindsay (Youth) (Murrays Bay SC) 70 points
10 NZL Matt Coutts (Youth) (Murrays Bay SC) 84 points

Laser Radial

1 NZL Jo Aleh (Kohimarama YC) 19 points
2 NZL Sara Winther (Takapuna BC) 32 points
3 FRA Malo Leseigneur, Youth (SRC Noumea) 35 points
4 NZL James Sandall, Youth (Napier SC) 48 points
5 FRA Matthias Houvenagel, Youth (SR Caledonienne) 62 points
6 NZL Miranda Powrie (Tamaki YC) 64 points
7 NZL Blair Tuke, Youth (Kerikeri CC) 66 points
8 NZL Ersin Buckley, Youth (TSPYC) 67 points
9 NZL Jim Maloney (Kerikeri CC) 73 points
10 NZL Olivia Powrie (Tamaki YC) 77 points

RS:X Men

1 NZL J P Tobin (Takapuna BC) 12 points
2 NZL Tom Ashley (Takapuna BC) 16 points
3 POL Przemek Miarczynski (SKZ Hestia Sopot) 27 points
4 NZL David Robertson (Royal Akarana YC) 34 points
5 DEN Jesper Vesterstrom (Foresobad YC) 36 points
6 POL Piotr Myszka Azsanfis (Gdansk) 43 points
7 NZL James Wells (BBYC) 55 points
8 TUR Ertugrul Icingir (Fenerbahce) 59 points
9 NZL Michael Lichtwark (Takapuna BC) 62 points
10 KOR Duck-pil Ok (Busan YC) 64 points

RS:X Women

1 CAN Nikola Girke (Royal Vancouver YC) 12 points
2 NZL Hayley Thom (Takapuna BC) 24 points
3 GER Moana Delle, Youth (SKBUE) 24 points
4 NZL Anna Eason (BBYC) 25 points
5 NZL Steffanie Williams, Youth (Takapuna BC) 34 points

Tornado

1 NED/BEL Carolijn Brouwer Sebastien Godefroid (ORSC Oostende) 10 points
2 NZL Aaron McIntosh Bruce Kendall (RAYC) 12 points
3 NZL Brett Sellers Nigel Williams (Takapuna BC) 19 points
4 NZL Paul Francis Aaron Duncan 31 points
5 NZL Thomas Block Sally Tait (Opua CC) 32 points
6 NZL Scott Kennedy Rohan Lord (Kohimarama YC) 45 points

Finn

1 NZL Jim Turner (Murrays Bay SC) 11 points
2 NZL Hans Scheltus (Lake Taupo) 15 points
3 NZL Dan Slater (Murrays Bay SC) 21 points
4 NZL Christine Headley (Thames SC) 26 points

470

1 NZL Stephen Keen Philip Keen (Naval Point YC) 8 points
2 NZL Geoff Woolley Mark Overington (KYC/MBSC) 15 points
3 NZL Andrew Brown Scott Illingworth (RAYC/KYC) 28 points

420

1 NZL Carl Evans Peter Burling, Youth (KYC/TYPBC) 10 points
2 NZL Georgina Hill Michelle Kennedy (Kohimarama YC) 33 points
3 NZL Mike Snow-Hansen Josh McCormack (Wakatere BC/MBSC)
36 points
4 NZL Jason Saunders Bruce Kennedy, Youth (Tauranga YPBC) 42 points
5 NZL Phil Williams Rob Bryant (Worser Bay BC) 43 points
6 NZL Shelley Hesson Bianca Barbarich-Bacher (Murrays Bay SC) 49 points
7 NZL Michael Langley Riley Dean (Howick YC/Naval Pt) 69 points
8 NZL Sarah Bilkey Rosie Sargisson (Kohimarama YC) 70 points
9 NZL Paul Snow-Hansen Sam Marshall, Youth (Wakatere BC/Howick YC) 72 points
10 NZL Rowan Swanson Benjamin Hanns, Youth (Worser Bay BC) 82 points