Great effort by NZ sailors at the 2019 Laser Master Worlds at Port Zelande, Netherlands.

With Dave Ridley winning the Standard Apprentice Masters only securing the win on the last day after and epic battle with Eduardo Van Vianan (NED) and Jared West (ESP).

And Scott Leith won yet again in the Radial Masters, holding the lead from the 2nd day of the regatta to beat Anders Mattsson (SWE) and Ledet Jean-Christophe (FRA).

Rounding put the NZ tean were Andrew Dellabarca, Cris Brodie and Luuk Van Basten Battenburg now living and sailing for the Netherlands.

It was a tricky regatta with big wind shifts in some races, catching out even some of the big names.

• Standard Results
• Radial Results

Photo: Junichi Hirai / Bulkhead Magazine

https://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/news/gautrey-snares-bronze-laser-world-champs

The event was at Miho Bay, Sakaiminato, Japan and George in 3rd was followed by Sam Meech in 4th and a 10th for Thomas Saunders.
Aussies Tom Burton & Matt Wern were 1st an 2nd.

All results at
https://2019worlds.laserjapan.org/standard/results/
 

Photo: Sailing Energy

Huge congratulations to Josh Armit who won the boys Laser Radial at the 2018 Youth Worlds in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Josh sealed the deal in the 58 boat fleet with a day to spare, then went on to get a second in the final race. He started the regatta with a 6th, his eventual drop race, then was a model of consistency, including 3 firsts, 2 seconds, a third, fourth and fifth.

Samantha Stock finished 20th from 46 in the girls Radial.

Josh and Samantha were part of a successful NZL team which include
- 2nd girls RSX Windsurfer (nice to see)
- 2nd in boys 29er
- 3rd mixed Nacra 15
- 5th Boys 420

All 2018 youth world results

More at YNZ

© Jesus Renedo / Sailing Energy / Trofeo Princesa Sofia IBEROSTAR

Sam Meech collected silver at the 49th Princess Sofia regatta in Palma, finishing off by winning the medal race.

Also in the Men's Laser - 8th Tom Saunders, 20th George Gautrey, 24th Andre McKenzie, 165th (silver fleet) Matt Kempkers

And in the Momen's Laser - 20th Suzanna Pyatt and 44th Olivia Christie.

Other podiums from the team NZL where silver for Alex Maloney and Milloy Meech in the 49erFX and bronze for Andy Maloney as he gets momentum in his Finn campaign.

More on Sail World

2017 North Harbour Laser Masters Results

A fine but chilly day with a gusty 8 to 12 knot southerly greeted the Masters for the 20th running of the North Harbour Masters at Lake Pupuke.

PRO Garth Briden was able to set a windward leeward course with just a very short offset reach at the top and the start finish line off the carpark. The course remained unchanged for the days 5 races. While this may imply that the breeze remained steady this was far from the case, with many large shifts and pressure lines offering plenty of opportunities up and down wind to those able to figure it out and leading to some dramatic place changes in many races.

Consistency, as is so often the case, was the key and those able to limit their day to at most a single discarded disaster were in the end at the top of the pile.  Local knowledge seemed to help some, although Phil Wild (A) from Manly was an exception to this, winning the Radials overall after overcoming Pete Thomas (GM) who had led after 3 races at the lunch break. Pete ended up third with Georgi Yankov (M) snatching second on a tie break. Both ended with identical scores, placings and discard with the tie only being broken on who beat who in the last race. Hamilton visitors Werner Hennig (GM) and Scott McDougall (GM) rounded out the top 5.

In the Standards Tony Nicholson (M) sailed super well all day, recovering from a couple of tricky mid race positions to count 2 bullets a 2nd and a 4th to win overall from Masters Rohan Lord in second and Dean Drummond third. The chasing pack of GM's was eventually led by John Showell, who took 4th overall after creating a mission for himself by getting an OCS in race 1. Gary Lock was 5th, convincingly winning race 4 after finding the shift of the day on the right hand side of the beat. GM Chris Brodie was 6th and Club stalwart (and secretary) Dave Lowe raised himself above the chasing pack with a well executed win in the last race, which he will no doubt use as justification  to delay getting a new boat for at least another 25 years!

The prize giving under the control of Commodore John Dowsett was as usual a highlight of the day. The next major regatta for many in the fleet will be the North Islands in Napier, which is sure to offer different conditions and a whole new set of challenges.

Nick Page