 Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen in the 49er medal race - Photo onEdition.jpg
Craig Heydon, Monday, 4 June 2012
Australian sailors win four gold medals on Olympic waters
Released: Sunday, 10 June 2012
Australian sailors have won four gold and a silver medal on the final day of the 2012 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, the last event in Weymouth ahead of next month’s London 2012 Olympic Games.
The final day haul included gold medals for Laser sailor Tom Slingsby, 470 pair Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, 49er crew Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, and Women’s Match Racers Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty with Tom Burton winning silver in the Laser.
The Laser class was first up on Saturday with Australia’s five-time World Champion, Tom Slingsby, five points clear of second place heading into the medal race.
Fellow Australian Tom Burton went into the double-points race fourth overall, just eight points behind second.
In a tight final Slingsby took the race win and the gold medal, his fifth straight regatta victory at the London 2012 venue. Burton crossed the line in third to jump from fourth to second overall, claiming the silver medal on a count back.
“It was good day with nice breeze, shifty conditions and I managed to sail well,” said Slingsby. “I didn’t get the best start but halfway up the first beat I got a good set of waves, took the lead and managed to hold it from there.
“At the end of the day winning all of the lead up regattas to the Games doesn’t mean anything, it’s good for the confidence but I’d give up all five wins here for one good race at the Olympics,” he said. “Having won the worlds in Germany in light air and then racing here in the big breeze and coming out on top is a good confidence boost and shows that I can win in all conditions.
“I’ve still got a lot to improve on between now and the Games but luckily I’ve got the best training partner going around with Tom Burton,” said Slingsby.
Burton was at the front of the fleet all week with seven top 10 finishes from the nine races, but a tough first day of the finals series meant he had plenty of work to do in the medal race.
“It was pretty close for the whole race,” said Burton. “I was sitting in third or fourth the whole way around and it all came down to the last run. I needed to get past Great Britain’s Paul Goodison to get on the podium and I managed to get him just on the line.
“For the whole season I’ve been up there at the front and always managed to have a few bad results so it was good to come back from a tough day on Thursday and get up there today,” he said. “The Laser fleet is incredibly close, you can see it in the fact that the silver and bronze medalists here aren’t going to the Games.
The next Australians in action in a medal race were 470 men’s pair Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page who were out to win their first regatta in Weymouth.
The pair, who have won the last three 470 World Championships, have finished second on three occasions in Weymouth but are in stellar form at the moment, winning their last seven regattas straight.
Belcher and Page sailed consistently well all week, finishing in the top four in all nine races to eventually take the win by five points.
“Going into this week we weren’t too worried about our Weymouth record,” said Page. “The last nine months have been phenomenal for us, our competition didn’t care that we hadn’t won here and to win this event wasn’t the main focus, it was all about learning the conditions and honing our racing skills, making Weymouth our home.
“The medal race went well for us, we had a three point advantage over the British and the plan was to sail with them and hope that we did better,” he said. “We thought that they know the area better than us, have sailed a lot more on the Nothe course so we’d let them show us the way. We managed to get into the lead after a good start and just went on from there.
“The last three and a half years for Mat, coach Victor and I have been all about dominating now, in the final year before the Games,” said Page. “It’s easy to say but hard to do and we couldn’t ask for better results than we’ve had so far this year.”
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen made it five wins from five 49er regattas in Weymouth, though it was an incredibly tight medal race.
The Australians, who last month won their third World Championship together, went into the final race with an eight point lead over the French crew of Emmanuel Dyen and Stephane Christidis.
Outteridge and Jensen found themselves deep in the fleet at the top mark with the pair sailing exceptionally well to work their way back through the fleet. Eventually the pair fought their way back to fourth, holding off fifth by the smallest of margins, doing enough to win the gold, just two points ahead of the French.
“It was another tight one for us but we did enough to get the win,” said Outteridge. “We got rolled off the line by the French and forced to go right when the breeze went left which cost us on the first beat. From then we just kept chipping away, a few boats each leg and worked our way up to fourth.
“It’s great to get a fifth win here, especially so close to the Games,” he said. “We came here to work through a number of things, one of those being to go undefeated here in Weymouth, now we just need to make sure that doesn’t change at the Games.”
While their fellow Australians were competing in one medal race each Women’s Match Racers Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty were in the midst of a full day of racing.
Price, Curtis and Whitty first took on Great Britain’s Lucy Macgregor in the quarter finals, progressing to the semis following a two-one victory. They came up against Russia’s Ekaterina Skudina next, with Price and crew getting past the Russians in two races, booking themselves a spot in the final against France’s Claire Leroy.
The Australians started with a win before the French bounced back, forcing a third and deciding race. Price, Curtis and Whitty came out on top, winning their first ISAF Sailing World Cup round together.
“It turned out to be a long day but totally worth it,” said Price. “At the moment I can’t even begin to describe the feeling. This event was one of those we focused on this year and to come away with the win was amazing.
“It was quite windy with flat water and we took the first race in a close finish but then got out of phase in race two and lost that one,” she said. “We gave it everything in race three, extending on the last run to win it.
“It’s always good to come away with a win but to do it at the Olympic venue, we couldn’t ask for any more than that,” said Price.
Krystal Weir finished the week eighth overall in the Laser Radial class. The Victorian went into the medal race 11 points off fourth position, with the leading sailors covered by only a handful of points.
Weir was fourth on the final downwind before a slight mistake dropped her to seventh in the race and eighth overall.
Strong winds cancel racing at Sailing World Cup
Released: Saturday, 9 June 2012
Strong winds have forced the cancelation of racing on the penultimate day of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Weymouth, England.
After conditions made the going tough for competitors on Thursday the breeze continued to build overnight, with gusts above 50 knots recorded on Weymouth Bay. At 2.30pm on Friday afternoon the conditions had still not abated, forcing organisers to cancel racing for the day.
The cancelation means that the Olympic classes will head into Saturday’s 10-boat medal races, with Australians to compete in five classes, while the regatta has come to an end for the three Paralympic classes.
Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch won Australia’s first medal of the week, continuing their run of podium finishes with a bronze medal in the Skud 18 class.
The pair, who will represent Australia at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, finished in the top three in four of the six races to be three points off the silver medal and a further five behind the gold medal winning British crew.
Fitzgibbon and Tesch will remain in Weymouth for some training as they continue their campaign towards the Paralympic Games.
Australian sailors will be in action in five classes on Saturday, heading into three medal races in first position.
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen will take an eight point lead into the 49er medal race, with France’s Emmanuel Dyen and Stephane Christidis currently second.
Outteridge and Jensen, who last month won their third 49er World Championship title together, have finished in the top eight in all 10 races this week. A gold medal on Saturday will mean they will head into London 2012 undefeated in Weymouth.
Another Australian out to make it five from five at the Olympic venue is Laser sailor Tom Slingsby.
Slingsby, a five-time World Champion, is five points clear of Germany’s Philipp Buhl with the Australian finishing in the top seven in every race this regatta.
Slingsby will be joined in the medal race by fellow Australian Tom Burton who is fourth overall, currently just two points off the podium and just a further six away from the silver medal.
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page will be out to win their first regatta in Weymouth in the 470 men’s fleet, taking a three point lead into the medal race.
The Australians, who have won the last three 470 World Championships together, lead the British crew of Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell with New Zealand’s Paul Snow-Hansen and Jason Saunders five points further back in third.
Australia’s Women’s Match Racers, Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty will head into the quarter finals, which have been shortened to a best of three races to allow the full schedule of finals to be completed on the last day..
The Australian trio has had a good week on the water in Weymouth, following the announcement on Monday that they’ll make their Olympic debut this year.
Krystal Weir will contest the Laser Radial medal race, heading into the final 10-boat race in seventh position.
Weir has worked her way up the ladder on each day of the event, currently sitting 11 points off fourth.
The strong winds have brought an early end to the event for those sailors outside of the top 10 in the Olympic classes.
Sam Kivell and Will Ryan narrowly missed out on a spot in the 470 men’s medal race, finishing in 11th, tied on points with 9th and 10th. Matthew and Robert Crawford were 13th in the silver fleet.
In the Sonar class Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris finished up fifth overall.
Matt Bugg ended his week 13th in the 2.4mR class with the Tasmanian to make his Paralympic Games debut at London 2012.
Brendan Casey finished up 14th in the Finn fleet, while Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell were 13th in the 470 women’s class.
Jessica Crisp was 14th in the RS:X women’s, with fellow Australian Joanna Sterling 36th.
In the Laser fleet Ryan Palk was 32nd while in the silver fleet Ki-Raphael Sulkowski was ninth, Jared West 13th and Jake Lilley 18th.
Alexandra South finished the week 34th in the Laser Radials, with Ashley Stoddart and Caitlin Elks 13th and 23rd in the silver fleet respectively.
Luke Baillie was 40th in the RS:X men’s class.
Extreme conditions don’t slow Australians down as three crews hit the front at Sailing World Cup
Released: Friday, June 8, 2012
Strong winds, heavy rain and big seas have limited racing on day four of the 2012 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth, England.
The forecast for Thursday was never promising and it played out as expected with the breeze continuing to build and heavy seas testing all of the crews.
Following four days of racing three Australian crews now sit at the top of their respective classes with Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page retaking the 470 lead, Tom Slingsby in front in the Laser class for the first time this week while Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen extended their lead in the 49ers.
Belcher and Page went into the first day of finals racing tied on points for the lead in the 470 class but second on a count back to the New Zealand crew.
The Australians, who are out to defend Page’s 2008 gold medal next month, won the opening finals race and placed third in race two to retake the overall lead and head into the last two fleet races with a three point lead over British pair Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell.
“It was a good first day of finals, you could certainly feel the intensity on the water that comes with racing against all of the top crews,” said Belcher.”It was great to race against a number of crews for the first time this week and get an idea of where we’re at overall.
“We’re enjoying the conditions this week as we continue to build our knowledge heading into the Games, the results were never key this week but it’s always nice to be out in front,” he said.
Tom Slingsby went into the first day of finals racing fourth overall in the Laser class with the five-time World Champion excelling in the tough conditions to finish with a fourth and a first to hit the lead, five points ahead of German sailor Philipp Buhl.
“Today was a good day with a fourth and a first, I sailed really well today,” said Slingsby. “In race one I had a good start and rounded in the top few boats, I lost a lot down the first run though and after that sailed really well to get back to fourth.
“For race two I started well and got out to a good lead and was able to hold on all the way to the finish,” he said. “Going into tomorrow I have a small lead, but in this regatta you're not going to win it before the medal race. So I’ll try to extend by a couple of points tomorrow to make it a little more comfortable heading into Saturday's medal race.”
Fellow Australian Tom Burton went into the day first overall but had mixed results with a 33rd in race one followed by a 14th in race two. Burton is now fourth overall, just two points off the podium.
Australia’s 49er Olympic representatives, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, had a short but productive day on the water.
The 49er gold fleet completed one race in Portland Harbour with Outteridge and Jensen picking up a convincing win, their third straight and fourth overall of the regatta.
The result has seen the pair open up an eight point lead over the second placed French crew of Emmanuel Dyen and Stephane Christidis.
“We had a good day today,” said Outteridge. “Due to the conditions we only got one race in, but we made the most of it by winning and moving a few points ahead. We're looking forward to more finals racing tomorrow if the weather permits.”
Krystal Weir has moved into seventh overall in the Laser Radial fleet following the first two races in the finals series, finishing the day with a sixth and a fifth to move up from her overnight 11th.
“Conditions were pretty hectic today with big waves that were a lot of fun,” said Weir. “For me it was another good day on the water with a sixth and a fifth.”
Fellow Australian Alex South is 34th while the silver fleet did not get any races in with Ashley Stoddart 16th and Caitlin Elks 24th.
The Women’s Match Racing competition finished off the gold round robin on Thursday with Australians Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty qualifying fourth for the quarter-finals.
The Australian trio will race against Great Britain’s Lucy Macgregor in Friday’s first to three race wins quarter-final.
In the 470 women’s class Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell are currently 13th overall after the opening eight races.
The pair finished 17th in race one of the day and 16th in race two.
Sam Kivell and Will Ryan had two good races in the 470 men, finishing with an eighth and a seventh. The results have moved the pair into 11th overall, up from their overnight 15th, tied on points with 10th and ninth. Brothers Matthew and Robert Crawford are 13th in the silver fleet.
The Finn class completed one race inside Portland Harbour with Brendan Casey finishing ninth to be 14th overall.
It was the same story for the RS:X women with just the one race possible with Jessica Crisp crossing the line 18th to be 14th overall, with fellow Australian Joanna Sterling 36th.
Ryan Palk is now 32nd in the Laser class with the Queensland sailor finishing with a 34th and a 12th on Thursday, while fellow Laser sailors Ki-Raphael Sulkwoski, Jared West and Jake Lilley are in the silver fleet and were all kept ashore due to the conditions.
In the RS:X men’s class Luke Baillie is currently in 40th position.
The conditions kept the three Paralympic classes on shore all day, with Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch currently third in the Skud 18, Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris fifth in the Sonar and Matt Bugg 13th in the 2.4mR.
More strong conditions are predicted for Friday ahead of the medal races on Saturday 9 June.
Competition to heat up as racing enters finals series at Sailing World Cup
Released: Thursday, 7 June 2012
Australian sailors are in strong positions as racing enters the finals series after day three of the 2012 Skandia Sail for Gold regatta in Weymouth, England.
The regatta is providing the final chance for sailors to measure themselves against their competition ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with Australian crews currently in podium positions in four classes and the Women’s Match Racing crew qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Reigning World Champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have taken the lead in the 49er class following their best day of the regatta so far with a fourth and two race wins.
The pair entered the day in second with their results on Wednesday giving them the overall lead, six points ahead of the French crew of Emmanuel Dyen and Stephane Christidis.
“It was a good day of racing for us,” said Outteridge. “We had a good come back in the first race and then some tough battles with Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes who will be representing Great Britain at the Games in the second and third races.
“The racing with Stevie and Ben was really close in those final two races with us winning and them second in both, in race two we got them by one metre on the line,” he said. “We were racing in the harbour today with flat water which was nice for a change and an average of 20 knots of breeze.
“We head into the finals series tomorrow which is going to be tough but the conditions look even tougher with breeze in the high 20s and low 30s forecast for the next few days,” said Outteridge.
In the 470 men’s Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page enter the finals series in second position on a count back, tied on points with New Zealanders Paul Snow-Hansen and Jason Saunders.
Belcher and Page, who have won the last three 470 World Championships together, won the opening race of the day before finishing third in race two and now head into the finals series in a strong position with their worst results so far this week a fourth.
“We’re sailing well at this stage of the regatta and are happy with where we sit,” said Belcher. “In race one we started well, got some good shifts and managed to extend to take the win. Then in race two we started well again but a rain squall came through and rotated things and we rounded the top mark around 12th or 13th with all of the top guys.
“We plugged away and came back to third which we were happy with,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the finals and racing the top crews, it will be the first chance to race against the third placed British crew this event which will be good.
“We’re sailing well, are in a good position and are getting a good understanding of the conditions as we continue the lead-in to the Games,” said Belcher.
Tom Burton continues to lead the way in the Laser class, opening up an eight point lead on second place after six races.
Burton won the day’s first race before crossing the line ninth in race two, giving him the overall lead heading into the final series.
“Today was another solid day, I had a first in the opening race after a nice start, rounding in fourth and kept the pressure on to get the lead down the final run,” said Burton. “In race two my start wasn't that great but I rounded the top mark in sixth but then had some speed issues downwind and lost a few places and it was a hard battle for the rest of the race finishing in ninth. So a solid day as I was able to drop the ninth.
“Similar to yesterday the goal is to have another solid day tomorrow,” he said. “We are racing earlier tomorrow in the hope of getting some racing in before the big breeze which is forecast, comes in. The next two days are supposed to be really windy so it will be interesting if we get any racing in. The points at the front are still really close so it will be all down to the finals series over the coming two days.”
Fellow Australian Tom Slingsby is fourth overall, just a point off second, following a sixth and a seventh from Wednesday’s two races.
Australia’s Women’s Match Racing crew of Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty qualified for the gold group in third position after winning nine of their 12 races in the round robin.
Price and crew are currently racing in the gold round robin to decide the seedings for the quarter-finals with the Australians having two wins and a loss from the opening three races.
The two wins came against their British and French opposition, impressive results given they lost to both crews during racing on Tuesday.
Price, Curtis and Whitty are currently second in the group with two races remaining ahead of the quarter-finals.
“We’re feeling happy with the way we’ve been sailing, our technical skills are high and we are achieving some good race wins,” said Price. “We raced well against the British, Finnish and French teams in the gold fleet this afternoon, which has continued from the past couple of days racing. We’re getting some great racing in against the top performers and it's great that we have an opportunity to measure up against them at the Olympic venue.”
In the Skud 18 fleet Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch continue to hold down third position with four races remaining.
The pair, who will represent Australia at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, did not finish the opening race due to a broken mainsheet block, before bouncing back with a third in race two to sit three points behind the second placed Canadian crew.
Brendan Casey has moved up to 14th overall in the Finn fleet following his best day of the regatta so far.
After gear breakages troubled him on day two Casey was 19th in the opening race of the day before his best results of the regatta so far in race two, a fifth.
Krystal Weir heads into the finals series 11th overall in the Laser Radial fleet, working her way up the ladder. The Victorian finished the day with a seventh and a third. Alexandra South is the next best Australian in 32nd, ahead of Ashley Stoddart in 51st and Caitlin Elks in 59th.
In the 470 women’s fleet Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell have slipped to 12th position, after not finishing race one following a capsize which saw their spinnaker caught under the boat forcing them to retire. They then came home 17th in race two.
Jessica Crisp is 12th in the RS:X women’s class after a 13th and a 22nd from the day’s two races. Fellow Australian Joanna Sterling is 36th.
Australia’s Sonar crew of Colin Harrision, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris have dropped one position to be fifth overall following a sixth and an eighth in the two races on Portland Harbour.
“It was a very tough day on the race track today with winds ranging from 10 to 28 knots,” said Harrison. “The fleet again remains tight with any mistake very costly in positions and tomorrow has a stronger wind forecast, so we’ll have another chance to test ourselves in these conditions.”
Sam Kivell and Will Ryan are 15th in the 470 men’s fleet following day three results of a sixth and a ninth, the pair finished in the top 10 in all six races so far this regatta and head into the finals series just six points off the top 10. Matthew and Robert Crawford are 36th.
Matt Bugg is now 13th in the 2.4mR class after his two best results so far this event. The Tasmanian was eighth in race one before finishing 10th in race two and is now just 10 points off 10th overall.
Ryan Palk is 35th in the Laser class following his best day so far this week, a 12th and a ninth, with Ki-Raphael Sulkowski 57th, Jared West 61st and Jake Lilley 66th.
In the 49er fleet West Australians Luke Parkinson and Jaspar Warren are 22nd overall, while in the RS:X men’s Luke Baillie is 37th.
Australians hit the front in two classes as conditions turn bleak at Sailing World Cup
Released: Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Australian sailors lead the way in two classes after the opening two days of racing at the 2012 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth, England, the penultimate round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup.
Crews were greeted with stronger winds on Tuesday but rain and cold temperatures made the going tough for the final regatta in Weymouth before the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
On day two Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page extended their lead in the 470 men’s class while in the Laser fleet it’s an Australian one-two, with Tom Burton leading and Tom Slingsby second.
Belcher and Page took a three point lead into Tuesday with the pair picking up a second and a fourth from the day’s two races to open up a seven point lead over the second placed New Zealand crew.
The Australians, who will be out to defend Page’s Olympic gold medal at London 2012, are on a great run at the moment, having won their last six regattas, including the 2011 and 2012 470 World Championships.
“Today was another good day for us,” said Belcher. “We were faced with some tough conditions today, it just didn't stop raining all day. The wind was quite good ranging from 12 to 18 knots throughout.
“We probably didn't have the best grasp of the conditions and found ourselves working hard early on in both races,” he said. “We rounded around 13th or 14th at the top mark in each race so to come away with a two and a four we must have sailed quite well, it was one of those days.
“Mal and I are looking forward to tomorrow’s races with a little more wind expected,” he said.
It was a long day on the water for the Laser class with three races held to get back on schedule after the light conditions on Monday.
At the end of the day it was two Australians who came out on top on the leader board with Tom Burton hitting the lead and Tom Slingsby close behind in second.
Burton finished with a second, a first and a third to take the regatta lead with Slingsby four points behind following a first, a third and a fifth.
“Today was a hard day with it being very cold, pretty wavy and with lots of rain,” said Burton. “With all the rain it was hard to see the marks but any day that you end up with good results turns into a good one in the end.
“Leading the event after the first four races is a good feeling,” said. “Although the thing I need to work on the most is minimising the points I put on the board after I get into good positions. At the Worlds I followed up some good days with a really bad day so at the moment I know I can sail well enough to win. I just need to be a little more consistent and turn my bad races into reasonable ones.
“That’s what separates me at the moment from being able to be in contention to win the regatta at the end of the week, so that’s the plan for tomorrow,” he said.
Slingsby said that he’s in a good position at this stage but that the day could have been even better.
“It was a little frustrating today, I was very fast but not too smart,” he said. “Race one was really good and then in race two I was doing well but couldn’t find the top mark in the pouring rain and overlayed by hundreds of metres, sailing well to get back to third.
“In race three I was doing well and accidently fouled the Swedish sailor when ducking on port,” he said. “I lost a lot of ground doing my turns and ended up fifth, I’m in a good position heading into tomorrow.”
As the Women’s Match Racing round robin continues the Australian team of Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty sit third overall on a count back with eight wins and two losses.
The Australian trio contested four races on Tuesday, finishing with two wins and two losses, and have two races remaining to book themselves a spot in the quarter-finals.
“Today was a mixed day for us results wise but another solid day in terms of our system and team,” said Price. “The conditions were cold on the coach boat in between races, but when we were racing, it was fun with the swell and wind big enough to get some pretty nice rides downwind!”
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have moved into second overall in the 49er fleet following a consistent day on the water.
The current World Champions were seventh overnight and started their day in the best way, winning the opening race. Outteridge and Jensen were sixth in the next race after capsizing whilst leading, before rounding their day out with a second to move within seven points of the leading British crew.
Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell are sixth overall in the 470 women’s fleet with the West Australian pair finishing 18th and 15th in the day’s two races.
In the Skud 18 class Australian Paralympic Team members Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch are third overall, tied on points with second and four behind the leading British crew.
The Skud 18 fleet completed three races in the pouring rain on Portland Harbour with Fitzgibbon and Tesch beginning their day with a fourth, before improving with a pair of seconds to round out the day.
Australia’s Sonar crew of Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris remain fourth overall after another three races were completed on Tuesday.
The Australians, competing in just their third international regatta together, won the opening race of the day, before finishing in fifth and eighth from the next two to be just a point off the silver medal position.
Matt Bugg continues to hold down 15th in the 2.4mR class, finishing 13th in both of the races on day two.
Krystal Weir is the leading Australian in the Laser Radial fleet, ending day two 15th overall following a pair of eighth place finishes.
Fellow Australian Alexandra South is 28th, with Ashley Stoddart 53rd and Caitlin Elks 59th.
In the RS:X women’s class Jessica Crisp is 15th after the opening four races. The triple-Olympian was 16th in race one before not finishing race two due to equipment failure. Fellow Australian Joanna Sterling is 36th.
Brendan Casey has moved up from his overnight 36th to be 25th overall in the Finn class following another three races.
The Gold Coast based sailor who will compete at his first Olympic Games this year was 14th in the first race of the day, before a 10th and a 29th from the next two, with gear failure costing valuable places in two races.
In the 470 men’s fleet Sam Kivell and Will Ryan ended day two in 12th overall. The pair finished the opening race in 10th, improving a position in race two with a ninth to be six points outside the top 10. Fellow Australians Matthew and Robert Crawford are 36th.
Luke Parkinson and Jaspar Warren are 25th in the 49er fleet after the West Australians were 14th, sixth and ninth in the three races held on Weymouth Bay.
Ryan Palk is 38th in the Laser class, ahead of Jake Lilley in 51st, Ki-Raphael Sulkowski in 59th and Jared West in 79th.
In the RS:X men’s class Queenslander Luke Baillie is 45th overall.
Australian sailors make winning start to final Weymouth regatta ahead of London 2012
Released: Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Australian sailors have made a winning start to the 2012 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth, England, as light conditions made for an exceptionally long day.
The ISAF Sailing World Cup round is the last hit out in Weymouth before the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with four Australian crews beginning their final run to the Games in style with race wins.
On the day they were named to make their Olympic Games debut Australia’s Women’s Match Racing crew of Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty began their regatta in perfect style with six wins from six starts.
Price and crew sailed exceptionally well in the light and tricky conditions with the Australians scoring wins against a number of higher ranked crews, including reigning World Champion, American Anna Tunnicliffe.
“We had a solid first day in tricky conditions,” said Price. “The racing was close and a lot of fun in the Nothe Course. All of our races were tight with the conditions forcing us to make decisions all around the racetrack and we’re looking forward to more racing tomorrow with hopefully some more breeze.”
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page continued their great form from the recent 2012 470 World Championship, winning the opening two 470 men’s races.
The pair has won their last six regattas, including two World Championships, with the two race wins on Monday the perfect start as they look for that elusive overall victory in Weymouth.
“After being sent out early on for an 11am start we got away on time in quite marginal conditions,” said Belcher. “The wind was very unstable with big shifts and large velocity changes. We just kept our cool and played the cards we had. We saw a small opportunity on the last downwind to catch the leaders after being in fourth at the last top mark and managed to take the win.
“We then waited two hours until the committee decided enough was enough and sent us back ashore to join the other classes,” he said. “Unluckily for us we only spent 15 to 20 minutes ashore before being sent back out. The wind was much more stable and we sailed a nice race leading from start to finish. We’re in good shape, obviously coming from our win at the Worlds, so we’re just enjoying our performances on the water and trying to improve each day.”
Fellow Australians Sam Kivell and Will Ryan also sailed well in the light conditions with the pair seventh overall following a sixth and a third with brothers Matthew and Robert Crawford 33rd.
Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell kicked off their first regatta in Weymouth together in style with an opening race win in the 470 women.
Rechichi and Stowell finished fourth in race two to end the day second overall, tied on points with new World Champions Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark of Great Britain.
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen are seventh overall after the opening three 49er races, 10 points behind the leading British crew.
The current World Champions were fifth in the opening race on Monday morning before being sent back to shore as the breeze died out.
After a long delay the fleet returned to the water with Outteridge and Jensen rounding out day one with a second and an eighth, with their final race not finishing until almost 8pm. West Australians Luke Parkinson and Jaspar Warren sit in 28th position.
The Laser fleet only managed to complete one race late in the day with Tom Burton the leading Australian in fifth overall. One place further behind is five-time World Champion Tom Slingsby with the pair finishing third and fourth respectively in the opening race.
Ryan Palk is the next best placed Australian in 43rd, ahead of Jake Lilley in 75th, Ki-Raphael Sulkowski in 87th and Jared West in 93rd.
Jessica Crisp started her regatta in perfect fashion with an opening race win in the RS:X women’s fleet. The triple-Olympian was 12th in race two to be fifth overall. Fellow Australian Joanna Sterling finished the day in 33rd.
The Skud 18 fleet completed just one race early in the day with Australians Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch crossing the line second to be in the same position overall.
“Today was good result for our first day of racing in very light breeze,” said Tesch. “Whilst we were happy with our downwind performance, we still have loads of room to improve.”
It was a similar story for the Sonar class with just the single race held inside Portland Harbour. Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris were fourth in their first race in Weymouth together as they continue to prepare for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
“We made a good start but unfortunately missed the first shift which left us chasing some pressure out to the left side of the course,” said Harrison. “This brought us back to the leaders and over the next few legs we consolidated our third place and closed in on the French in second. The breeze dropped out in the final run to the finish line and we briefly had the lead but some pressure from the other side of the course brought the lead pack over us in the final 50 metres.”
The 2.4mR fleet were able to complete two races later in the day with Tasmanian sailor Matt Bugg currently sitting 15th overall. Bugg was 10th in the opening race before finishing 20th in race two.
The Laser Radial fleet was able to complete two races late in the day with Krystal Weir the leading Australian in 20th.
Weir was 15th in race one and eighth in race two, having been named to compete at her second Olympic Games earlier in the day. Alexandra South is 35th overall, ahead of Caitlin Elks in 59th and Ashley Stoddart in 66th.
Brendan Casey finished the day’s one and only Finn race in 36th to be in the same position overall.
In the RS:X men’s class Queenslander Luke Baillie is 50th following a 55th and a 45th.
Setting sail for historic Games
Released: 4 June 2012
Australia will head out onto the seas of Weymouth with a star studded team determined to become Australia’s most successful sailing Olympians in history when competition kicks off at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The team was finalised today with the addition of Olympic gold medallists Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell (470), recent Hyeres World Cup winner Brendan Casey (Finn), Krystal Weir (Laser Radial) and the Women’s Match Racing team of Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty.
The total sailing team now stands at 13 members, with selections already taken place for five-time Laser world champion Tom Slingsby, 49er world champions Nathan Outerridge and Iain Jensen, 470 world champions Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page and two time former world champion Jessica Crisp in the RS:X who will be competing at her fourth consecutive Olympic Games.
Beijing gold medallist Elise Rechichi will have the chance to defend her 470 title in London, after coming out of retirement and teaming up with Sydney 2000 gold medallist Belinda Stowell who also came out of retirement for another shot at Olympic glory.
“Defending gold for anyone is a huge task and a real challenge, there are no guarantees at an Olympics, second, third, fourth time around,” 26-year-old Rechichi said.
“Going into this Games I probably understand a bit better what it took to be successful in China but things have moved forward in the last four years and there is a different recipe for success now.
"I’ve had quite a different campaign, last time it was a long slog over four years and for London it’s been quite short and the reality is there’s a lot of pressure going back as defending champion and we’re taking it one step at a time.”
Belinda Stowell is relishing the opportunity to compete at an Olympic Games for the first time since Athens in 2004.
“It’s the pinnacle of our sport and the racing at the Olympics is something that’s quite different to all the other racing that we do,” said Stowell. “Being the pinnacle of the sport it’s the most amazing experience to be able to race and test yourself in that environment.”
After just a few weeks together, Rechichi and Stowell placed ninth at the 2011 World Championships, qualifying Australia the 470 women’s spot for London and proving that despite their limited preparation they will be a force to be reckoned with in Weymouth.
All but one member of the now 13-strong sailing team, its youngest in 19-year-old Olivia Price, has at least one world championship to their name and all could bring home a medal as they look to eclipse Australia’s best sailing performance at a single Olympic Games - two gold, a silver and a bronze achieved in Sydney.
Bringing some youthful exuberance to the team, Price will skipper the Elliott 6m crew alongside Lucinda Whitty (22) and Nina Curtis (24). A new discipline for 2012, match racing is set to be one of the most exciting events of the Olympic regatta.
“Everyone has said it is a massive show so I’m really looking forward to the whole experience,” Price said.
“It’s going to be a good thing that we are in Weymouth [three hours south of London]. There are less distractions and it is slightly smaller and not as intense.”
The team has been campaigning all over the world and know that the last few months will be vital to a successful debut Olympics.
“We have built a strong base this year and we are excited to get back overseas and keep building on those results,” said Curtis, who alongside fellow crew member Whitty won the 2009 Match Racing World Championships.
Despite some early success in their careers, the girls know the status the Olympic Games has in world sport, in particular sailing.
“Ever since I was young I’ve always wanted to go to the Olympics so it is really exciting. It is definitely going to be a lot of fun,” said Whitty.
“You just have to pinch yourself sometimes. It has been a whirlwind for the past couple of months and we’re really excited,” said Curtis.
Krystal Weir will compete in the Laser Radial and is heading to her second Olympic Games after competing in the three-person Yngling class in 2008.
“The Laser Radial is the class I’ve been sailing in for the past 12 years, I developed all my skills in this class and got into the Yngling six months before the last Games,” said Weir. “Beijing was an amazing experience and invaluable to my sailing skills now, it taught me how to work within a team and how important communication is.
“My second campaign has been an entirely different experience as I said I would never go to an Olympics to make up the numbers, I’m going to the Games to come home with a medal,” she said.
Brendan Casey has qualified in the Finn class and is on his way to his first Olympic Games after many years of campaigning.
“It’s been a long journey to reach London 2012,” he said. “Personally it’s satisfying to be here, it’s a great reward for a long dedication to the sport and it’s also a great reward for those who have supported me during my sailing career.
“To compete at an Olympics is a great honour and it brings a great deal of personal satisfaction to make it to the ultimate level of sport and I’m really looking forward to each race,” said Casey.
All athletes are currently at the Olympic course in Weymouth where competition kicks off today in the Sail for Gold Regatta.
|
Name
|
Event
|
Age at Games
|
Born
|
Lives
|
|
Lucinda Whitty
|
Elliott 6m
|
22
|
Sydney, NSW
|
Sydney, NSW (2066)
|
|
Olivia Price
|
Elliott 6m
|
19
|
Sydney, NSW
|
Sydney, NSW (2047)
|
|
Nina Curtis
|
Elliott 6m
|
24
|
Sydney, NSW
|
Sydney, NSW (2107)
|
|
Krystal Weir
|
Laser Radial
|
27
|
Melbourne, VIC
|
Melbourne, VIC (3186)
|
|
Brendan Casey
|
Finn
|
35
|
Sydney, NSW
|
Gold Coast, QLD (4217)
|
|
Belinda Stowell
|
470
|
41
|
Harare, Zimbabwe
|
Perth, WA
|
|
Elise Rechichi
|
470
|
26
|
Perth, WA
|
Perth, WA (6011)
|
|
Previously selected
|
|
Mathew Belcher
|
470
|
29
|
Gold Coast, QLD
|
Gold Coast, QLD (4218)
|
|
Malcolm Page
|
470
|
40
|
Sydney, NSW
|
Sydney, NSW (2099)
|
|
Nathan Outteridge
|
49er
|
26
|
Newcastle, NSW
|
Lake Macquarie, NSW (2267)
|
|
Iain Jensen
|
49er
|
24
|
Belmont, NSW
|
Lake Macquarie, NSW (2283)
|
|
Tom Slingsby
|
Laser
|
27
|
Gosford, NSW
|
Gosford, NSW (2250)
|
|
Jessica Crisp
|
RS:X
|
42
|
Sydney, NSW
|
Sydney, NSW (2027)
|
Aussie sailors prepare for final Weymouth hit out ahead of the Games
Released: Sunday, 3 June 2012
Australian sailors are preparing for a final hit out in Weymouth ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with the Sail for Gold Regatta, the penultimate round of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, beginning on Monday.
Australia has had great success in Weymouth in recent years and a strong contingent have again made the trip to England with 27 crews competing in 12 classes.
The Australian Sailing Team has had an incredibly successful last month with Laser sailor Tom Slingsby, 49er crew Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, and 470 pair Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page all defending their World Championship titles.
Slingsby’s win at the 2012 Laser World Championship was his fifth in six years, and third straight, and the world number one heads into the Sail for Gold regatta with the added confidence of knowing that he’s never been beaten in Weymouth.
“This regatta is important but for me I’m just really concentrating on learning as much as I can more than focusing on the result,” said Slingsby. “Hopefully we get a few different conditions so there are no surprises come the Olympics.
“I’m more focused on the bigger picture, the Olympics, but to win here for a fifth straight time would be nice for the confidence,” he said. “After the worlds in Germany I have had some forced rest to recover from an ankle injury. It’s a tricky injury because it’s kept me out of the boat and off the bike so my cardio fitness is lacking a bit leading into this regatta. I’ve had a few days in the boat here but am a bit behind the eight ball in regards to fitness for this event, I’m looking forward to the final hit out on the Olympic waters.”
Slingsby will be joined in the Laser fleet by Tom Burton who was fifth at the 2012 Laser World Championship, Jared West, Ryan Palk, Jake Lilley, Luke Elliott and Ki-Raphael Sulkowski.
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Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen also head into the event having won four straight events in Weymouth.
The pair recently won the 2012 49er World Championship, their third together and Outteridge’s fourth, making him the first sailor to reach the milestone in the class. Racing alongside Outteridge and Jensen in the 49er class are West Australians Luke Parkinson and Jaspar Warren.
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page’s 2012 470 World Championship win made it three straight for the Australians as they continue their strong buildup to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The pair has yet to stand on the top step of the podium in Weymouth, winning three silver medals from four events, but head into the event as the stand out performers in the class, winning their last six regattas, including two World Championships.
“Our form coming into this event has been great,” said Belcher. “We’re really happy with where we’re at and from now to the Games we’re just trying to continue to improve our performances.
“Winning the 2012 worlds in Barcelona was a great reward for our performances over the year,” he said. “It was a special moment for us, being the first team to win three men’s titles in a row. But in saying that our competition are working extra hard because of this, but our approach is simple, we are continuing to work on our performance and focusing on making ourselves better.
“It’s important for us to be here at Sail for Gold, everyone is here to gain valuable experience on the Olympic course and we just want to get familiar with the conditions and try and get comfortable with the surroundings,” he said.
Australia will have three crews in the 470 men’s fleet at the event with Sam Kivell and Will Ryan, and Matthew and Robert Crawford also lining up against the world’s best.
In the Skud 18 class Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch will be out to make it back-to-back golds in Weymouth.
The pair recently won round four of the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Hyeres, France, as they continue their preparations for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Krystal Weir heads into this week’s regatta off the back of her first ever ISAF Sailing World Cup win, taking out the Laser Radial class at the Delta Lloyd Holland Regatta last week.
Weir will be joined in the Laser Radial fleet by fellow Australians Alexandra South, Ashley Stoddart and Caitlin Elks.
Jessica Crisp also had success in Holland, winning silver in the RS:X women’s class. Crisp will race in her fourth straight Olympic Games this August, the most of any current member of the Australian Sailing Team. Racing alongside Crisp at the Sail for Gold regatta will be Queenslander Joanna Sterling.
In the 470 women’s class Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell will race together for the first time in Weymouth this week.
Australia will be represented in the Finn class by Brendan Casey. Casey heads into the event off the back of a win at the ISAF Sailing World Cup round in France and a 13th at the recent Finn Gold Cup in Falmouth, England.
Australia’s Sonar Crew of Colin Harrison, Stephen Churm and Jonathan Harris won bronze last week in Holland and will race in Weymouth together for the first time.
The trio is progressing well as they continue towards the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Fellow Paralympian Matt Bugg is racing in the 2.4mR class, having competed at the last two Sail for Gold Regattas.
Luke Baillie will compete for Australia in the RS:X men’s class at the event.
Racing begins on Monday 4 June and continues until Saturday 9 June.
| |
Mathew Belcher, Malcolm Page and Victor Kovalenko after winning gold |
Nina Curtis, Olivia Price and Lucinda Whitty on the podium in Weymouth |
Tom Slingsby & Tom Burton on the Laser podium - Photo onEdition.jpg |
Strong winds have battered the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy |
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page on day four of the Sail for Gold regatta in Weymouth |
Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page on day two in Weymouth |
Jessica Crisp on day one in Weymouth |
Skud 18 crew Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch in Weymouth |
Krystal Weir after winning in Holland |
Olivia Price and crew |
Brendan Casey on his way to victory in Hyeres |
Elise Rechichi and Belinda Stowell in Perth |
Australian sailor Tom Slingsby racing in Weymouth |
Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen racing in the 49er fleet at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta | |
