Souter top of the pile

In an exclusive report for thedailysail Anne Hinton reports on the finale of the Matis New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Nationals

Australia’s Nicky Souter (Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club) won as helm the title she had won as crew for Katie Spithill a year earlier. In some very close racing, Souter defeated New Zealand’s Jan Dawson 2-0 in the finals.

The final day of the Matis (body well-being)-sponsored New Zealand Women’s National Match Racing Championships saw the end of the Indian summer in Auckland. The grey skies, which turned to steady rain for the finals, brought slightly more wind at times than the previous days, although nothing in excess of fifteen knots. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron race organisers took competitors above the harbour bridge on the Waitemata for the final day, as other clubs were also using the water on the Anzac holiday.

Dawson chose to sail Winther in the semi-finals, leaving Hargreaves and Souter to go up against each other. While Dawson had had easier victories over Winther than the other two in the round robins, she must have been ruing her decision after the first race. Winther held Dawson out approaching the finish and was able to bear away and gybe, crossing the line a boatlength ahead. However, after some extremely close racing, Dawson was able to take the next two races and progress to the finals, 2-1.

Souter, who will compete in the Women’s World Match Racing Championships in Annapolis later in the year, showed her class today in both the pre-starts and around the course. The more experienced Souter had the upper hand of novice match race helm Amanda Hargreaves from Wellington, who nonetheless clearly has a bright future ahead of her in match racing. Souter defeated Hargreaves 2-0 to meet Dawson in the finals.

The sail-off between Sara Roberts and Karleen Dixon resulted in a win for ‘Dixie’ who gained fifth place overall.

Winther and Hargreaves enjoyed some close racing in the petit-final. “We got a few good starts, but we couldn’t hold it. She was pretty quick up the beats”, said Hargreaves. “We’d catch up down wind, but it wasn’t enough to get her.” The finishes were down to a boatlength at most.

The finals had to be shortened to a best-of three from a best-of-five, due to time constraints. “We got a fair result”, said principal race officer Megan Kensington. “It was a little bit shifty. We had to do a change of course in the last race.”

More than twice the age of her opponent in the finals, but returning to compete in the event year after year, Dawson said “I’ll keep sailing these little boats until I can’t stand up any more. I don’t think crutches go well on these boats. They’re not a good boat for wheelchairs!”

Concerning the racing, Dawson felt that “if I’d sailed like I did yesterday things would have been better. I needed to get off the start line a bit better.” Dawson described her crew of Anna de Fluiter (bow) and Briar Macky (main) as “brilliant”.



“We worked really well as a team and had no major stuff ups or anything. It was great”, said a delighted Souter. Nevertheless the racing with Dawson was very close. Although Souter won the start of the first race, Dawson was only half a metre behind at the finish, after the two windward/leeward legs.

Dawson was ahead at the top mark in the second race of the finals. At the bottom mark she bore away on to Souter and so incurred a penalty. Result: race and championship to Souter, 2-0.

Sponsor, Matis, provided gifts for all race officials and competitors and has promised to return to support the event once again in 2005.


Results

1st Nicky Souter/Stacey Jackson/Nina Curtis
2nd Jan Dawson/Briar Macky/Anna de Fluiter
3rd Sara Winther/Raynor Smeal/Merran Walbridge
4th Amanda Hargreaves/Kim den Boon/Rebekka Heilkema
5th Karleen Dixon/Jenny Egnot/Paula Satterthwaite
6th Sara Roberts/Louise Barker/Felicity Lind-Mitchell
7th Greta Hollies/Esther Melville/Hilary Pawson