 Krystal Weir after winning in Holland
Craig Heydon, Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Australian sailors win full house of medal at Sailing World Cup
Released: Sunday, 27 May 2012
Australian sailors have won three medals on the final day of racing at round five of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Medemblik, Holland.
Krystal Weir won gold in the Laser Radial class, with Jessica Crisp claiming the RS:X women’s silver and bronze in the Sonar class going to Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris.
Weir had been at the front of the fleet all regatta and took a 17 point gap over Croatia’s Tina Mihelic into the final 10-boat medal race.
In light conditions Weir finished third in the medal race to win her first ever ISAF Sailing World Cup round by 15 points.
“I’m really happy to have won this one,” said Weir. “The week worked out really well for me, my consistency paid off with some of the girls having up and down results.
“Taking the 17 points into the medal race made it a lot easier, the pressure was already partly off,” she said. “The only thing that could have stopped me winning was if the Croatian won the medal race and I was last, with the results from the week taking the pressure off and putting me in that position.”
Weir was in the top four in every race in Medemblik, including two wins and five second place finishes on her way to the overall win.
Heading into the RS:X women’s medal race it was tight at the top with just 10 points separating first and Australia’s Jessica Crisp in fourth.
Held early in the day the RS:X raced in 15 knots of breeze, with Crisp coming back from sixth position at the top mark to eventually finish third, just behind race winner Flavia Tartaglini of Italy.
The result saw Tartaglini and Crisp take first and second overall with Hong Kong’s Hei Man Chan and Norway’s Jannicke Stalstrom having a tough medal race to slip to third and fourth respectively.
Crisp’s attention now shifts to Weymouth and the final run up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. The windsurfer will compete at next week’s Sail for Gold regatta the final hit out at the venue before she competes in her fourth straight Olympic Games.
Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris claimed Australia’s final medal for the event, with bronze in the Sonar class.
The trio was competing in just their second international regatta together, picking up three race wins on their way to the bronze medal.
Harrison and crew went into the final race second overall but an eighth place finish saw them drop one spot to claim their first medal together.
In the 2.4mR class Matt Bugg ended the regatta in eighth after crossing the line eighth in the final race.
Matthew and Robert Crawford were seventh in the combined 470 fleet with the brothers finishing second in the medal race.
Joanna Sterling was 14th in the RS:X women’s with fellow Queenslander Luke Baillie 24th in the RS:X men.
Alexandra South finished up 17th in the Laser Radial class while Jake Lilley was 25th and Ki-Raphael Sulkowski was 39th in the Laser class.
Full results can be found at http://results.deltalloydregatta.org/.
For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam.
Weir hits the Laser Radial lead at Sailing World Cup
Released: Saturday, May 26, 2012
Australian sailor Krystal Weir has taken the Laser Radial class lead on the penultimate day of racing at round five of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Medemblik, Holland.
Weir went into Friday’s four races a point behind overnight leader Tina Mihelic of Croatia with the Australian having a great day on the water with two wins and two seconds.
The results have given Weir a 10 point lead with just one fleet race and the final 10 boat medal race remaining.
"I had a really consistent day today which was important as it was very shifty on the course," said Weir.
The Delta Lloyd Holland Regatta is trialing a new format for a number of classes at the event with more races a day, held over a shorter length, closer to shore.
"I’m really enjoying this format of racing with 45min races and four of them per day,” said Weir. “It could be the way of the future for our class, more like the 49er's format of racing."
In the Sonar class Australians Colin Harrision, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris continue to hold down second position with just one race remaining.
The Australian trio is four points behind the leading French crew following a first and a fifth from Friday’s two races.
“After a good start and some hard sailing in today’s first race we managed to pull off another bullet,” said Harrison. “Race nine was more challenging with a high risk separation from the fleet leaving us exposed at the first top mark rounding.
“This left us fighting our way back through the fleet to finish fifth,” he said. “It was a painful lesson learnt in risk management but we’re still second overall heading into the last race.”
Jessica Crisp remains fourth overall in the RS:X women’s class heading into the final double-points medal race.
The RS:X women’s fleet completed a further two races on Friday with Crisp finishing third and eighth to be 10 points off the leading Norwegian sailor heading into the final race.
With 20 points up for grabs in the medal race and just 10 separating the top four there will be plenty of action on the racecourse on Saturday.
Fellow Australian Joanna Sterling is 14th overall while in the RS:X men’s Luke Baillie is 24th.
Matt Bugg continues to work his way up the score board in the 2.4mR class with the Tasmanian now seventh overall following a pair of seventh place finishes.
“Today was a great day to be yacht racing with plenty of wind, big waves and once again warmth and sunshine,” said Bugg. “I was happy with two sevenths, managing to climb another place on the leader board, my decision making today was good and I also really improved my starting from the last few days,” he said.
In the 470 class brothers Matthew and Robert Crawford are eighth overall following a further four races.
The Crawfords finished the day with a seventh, fifth, ninth and an eighth.
Jake Lilley is 26th in the Laser class with fellow Australian Ki-Raphael Sulkowski 38th.
Full results can be found at http://results.deltalloydregatta.org/.
For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam.
Long wait for breeze on day three of Sailing World Cup in Holland
Released: Friday, May 25, 2012
Light winds have challenged crews on day three of the ISAF Sailing World Cup round in Medemblik, Holland.
But the lack of breeze couldn’t slow down Australia’s Paralympic Games bound Sonar crew with Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris continuing their march up the leader board, moving to second overall.
Harrison and crew sit five points off the leading French crew following a fourth and a first on Thursday.
“Today brought warm weather and very light winds,” said Harrison. “After a poor start in race six, we fought our way back to finish a respectable fourth. The next race had the fleet changing places each leg as the wind shifted until we headed out to the left on the last windward leg chasing some pressure that our 'Wind Seeker’ Stephen picked.
“This left us in first place for the final leg, which was extremely tense as we tried to move one ton of boat in two to three knots of breeze,” he said. “There was a great sense of relief crossing the line in first place and we’ve moved up the leader board into second place behind the French with three races remaining.”
The Laser Radials hit the water for the first time with four races scheduled to kick off their regatta.
After a number of delays due to the light conditions racing finally got underway late in the day with racing stretching well into the evening with the crews not returning to shore until 8.30pm.
Australia’s Krystal Weir got her event off to a good start, ending the day one point behind leader Tina Mihelic of Croatia.
In the four short races Weir finished with two seconds and two fourths with fellow Australian Alexandra South sitting 14th overall.
In the RS:X women’s class Jessica Crisp continues to hold down fourth overall after a further two races in Medemblik.
Crisp finished with a third and a second and is now just three points off the podium and a further five off the lead.
Queensland windsurfer Joanna Sterling is 14th after a 12th and a 13th from Thursday’s two races.
Matt Bugg has moved up a position to eighth in the 2.4mR class following an eighth and a seventh on day three.
“Well today was an improvement for me, which is really what I wanted for my first regatta back for a while,” said Bugg. “It was a warm, sunny, summer’s day again which was lovely but it did mean getting sent in early to await the breeze which finally filled in later in the day.
“We managed to get two races in with the wind ranging from two to eight knots,” he said. “I started badly again in both races especially the first one in which I thought I was over the line early and returned to start 20 seconds late.
“Apart from my starting I was happy with my decision making and speed around the course and ended up finishing eighth and seventh,” he said. “This has brought me back up to eighth position and a couple of good races out of the top five. I'm finally back into the regatta state of mind and can't wait to get out there and race again tomorrow.”
In the Laser class Jake Lilley is 26th with Ki-Raphael Sulkowski 40th, while in the RS:X men’s Luke Baillie is 24th.
The 470 class is racing as a combined men’s and women’s fleet this week with Matthew and Robert Crawford sitting in eighth after the opening four races.
Full results can be found at http://results.deltalloydregatta.org/.
Australian Sonar and RSX crews move up the leader boat at Sailing World Cup
Released: Thursday, 24 May 2012
Two Australian crews have moved their way up the leader board on day two of racing at the ISAF Sailing World Cup round in Medemblik, Holland.
The Sonar crew of Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris have moved into third overall while in the RS:X women’s class Jessica Crisp is now fourth overall.
Harrison and crew had a great day on the water with a second and a first leaving them tied on points with the second placed Norwegian crew and just four points off the lead.
“Today's racing was one of the most satisfying days of International competition I’ve had with results of a second and a first,” said Harrison. “A light to moderate breeze and some changes to our boat tuning allowed us a small improvement in boat speed which helped us gain that small advantage over the race course and some great results.
“Again we had very close racing but we’ve climbed up to third place overall and are equal on points with the Norwegian,” he said.
Crew member Harris was also impressed with how the trio are sailing in Holland.
“It's a very close fleet which makes it even more important to get the good results,” said Harris. “In the last two days of sailing we’ve shown that we can equal or beat any of the top teams from around the world in most conditions. The event is proving very valuable in our lead up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games."
In the RS:X women’s class Jessica Crisp also picked up a race win on day two in Medemblik.
The triple-Olympian had a consistent day on the water, also finishing up with a third and a fourth in the light to moderate conditions.
Crisp, who is preparing to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games, now sits nine points off the lead after the opening six races.
Fellow Australian Joanna Sterling is 15th overall following a 13th, 15th and a 14th.
In the 2.4mR class Tasmanian Matt Bugg has dropped one position to be ninth following a pair of ninth place finishes on Wednesday.
“Today was a bit disappointing to be honest,” said Bugg. “Once again the sun was out so I can't complain too much and any day I don't have to don my drysuit is a good one for me.
“The wind was light and the water quite bumpy so it took a bit to make the boat go fast and keep it going fast,” he said. “I was really happy with my setup and boatspeed up and down-wind but once again it was my decision making and lack of starting practice that resulted in my two ninth places. Tomorrow's another day and I'm looking forward to a bit more wind and some more great racing.”
In the RS:X men’s class Queenslander Luke Baillie sits in 24th position after a 25th, a 23rd and a 20th.
Jake Lilley is the leading Australian in the Laser fleet in 29th overall, with Ki-Raphael Sulkowski 37th.
Day three in Medemblik is set to be a busy one with the Laser Radial, 470 and Finn classes to begin racing.
Full results can be found at http://results.deltalloydregatta.org/.
For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam.
Round five of ISAF Sailing World Cup kicks off in Holland
Released: Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Racing is underway at the fifth round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Medemblik, Holland, with a number of Australian sailors getting their regattas off to a positive start.
The impending London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have reduced numbers at the event for 2012 but seven Australian crews were in action on the first day of racing.
The Sonar crew of Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris are the best placed Australians after day one, sitting fourth overall.
The trio, competing in just their second international regatta together, will represent Australia at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and finished the first three races in Holland with two fifths and a second.
“Today we faced warmer temperatures and an eight to 12 knot northerly breeze, great conditions to start the event,” said Harrison. “Conservative starts for the first two races left us in the middle of the fleet, placing fifth in both.
“Thanks to our coach’s prompts, our last race today saw a more aggressive start from the pin end and we led the fleet out to the left,” he said. “Some very congested top mark roundings left us fighting all the way to the finish line to be second, with all the boats finishing within a minute of each other.”
Coach Grant Alderson is impressed with the close nature of racing in the Sonar class.
“The racing in the Sonar fleet is some of the closest I have ever seen with positions constantly changing as the fleet stays tight until the finish,” said Alderson. “Colin, Jonathan and Stephen finished a solid day to be sitting fourth overall. Warmer weather is forecast for the next few days which will result in lighter and trickier winds so some great tactical racing lies ahead.”
In the 2.4mR class Australian Matt Bugg ended the day eighth overall, following an eighth, a fourth and a 12th from the opening three races as he continues his preparations for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
“Today was glamour sailing conditions, 10 knots of wind and sunshine, in Holland!” said Bugg “Today was my first day of international racing since Miami back in January and the first in my new boat so I was pretty happy with how today went for the most part.
“I was happy with my decision making and apart from missing a left hand shift and being a bit slow to change up a gear in the last race I was happy with how I started this tour,” he said. “I'm looking forward to racing tomorrow morning and hopefully climbing up the leader board tomorrow night.”
In the RS:X women’s class Jessica Crisp is sixth overall, finishing with a seventh and two sixths on Tuesday.
Crisp is 11 points off the podium after day one, in her first day of racing since the 2012 RS:X World Championship back in March.
Fellow Australian Joanna Sterling is currently 14th overall with Luke Baillie 22nd in the RS:X men’s fleet.
In the Laser class Jake Lilley is currently 27th overall, just ahead of Ki-Raphael Sulkowski in 30th.
Racing continues in Medemblik on Wednesday and goes through until Saturday 26 May.
Full results can be found at http://results.deltalloydregatta.org/.
For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam.
Full results can be found at http://results.deltalloydregatta.org/.
Day three in Medemblik is set to be a busy one with the Laser Radial, 470 and Finn classes to begin racing.
Jake Lilley is the leading Australian in the Laser fleet in 29th overall, with Ki-Raphael Sulkowski 37th.
In the RS:X men’s class Queenslander Luke Baillie sits in 24th position after a 25th, a 23rd and a 20th.
“Today was a bit disappointing to be honest,” said Bugg. “Once again the sun was out so I can't complain too much and any day I don't have to don my drysuit is a good one for me.
Crisp, who is preparing to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games, now sits nine points off the lead after the opening six races.
The triple-Olympian had a consistent day on the water, also finishing up with a third and a fourth in the light to moderate conditions.
“Today's racing was one of the most satisfying days of International competition I’ve had with results of a second and a first,” said Harrison. “A light to moderate breeze and some changes to our boat tuning allowed us a small improvement in boat speed which helped us gain that small advantage over the race course and some great results.
The Sonar crew of Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris have moved into third overall while in the RS:X women’s class Jessica Crisp is now fourth overall.
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