Kiwis going for Gold in 2008

European Lasers:  Blair McLay reflects and looks towards the Worlds

Blair McLay is a 17year old sailor from Torbay Sailing Club. He represented New Zealand at the 2005 ISAF Youth Championships in Korea, where he was the best performed Kiwi sailor, finishing fourth in the Laser class and was unlucky not to medal. Now he has stepped up into an Olympic campaign, first stage of which has been to sail in the European Championships in Cartagena, Spain. He filed this report as the Kiwi team build up for the World Championships.

The Kiwi team will be looking for winds stronger than this in their training camp (photo: Cartagena 2005)

'The European Championships finished yesterday. I ended up ninth in the silver fleet or 74th overall (out of 126). I was racing in the Open fleet not the Youth so I could learn from the best Laser sailors in the world even if it meant I got a bit smacked. Although the result doesn't look that glamour I've learnt much more by racing the best Olympic sailors instead of just trying to beat youths.

'The best Kiwi was Andrew Murdoch who finished in 8th in the European Championship after having a fantastic finals series. The other Kiwi, Mike Bullot came 34th both showing the extra experience of being older and therefore having raced at the top level for a while longer.

'We´re all enjoying our time here in Spain and obviously feel very blessed to be over here training and competing. Mike organised the accommodation and pulled a stunner. We've been staying in a town about 30 minutes from the venue but the apartment is 100 metres from a beach, has Sat TV, laundry, three bedrooms, kitchen all for a super cheap price of about 15 Euro each. The cheapest hotel or cabin in this part of Spain would be at least double that price. On the 15th we're moving on down the coast to a place called Tarifa which is right on the Straits of Gibraltar. The wind there is meant to honk every day as it funnels through the Straits. The conditions are meant to be similar to what is expected for the World champs so will make the training really effective (and the town will be a fun place to be)

'Today we've just been packing the trailer up for our next journey. Tarifa is about four hours drive from where we are. We will train there for about four weeks driving back to Barcelona about the 7th or 8th of September to pack the boats back into the container and then head to the World Champs in Brazil the 11th.

Have a great week

Blair McLay'
 

Blair is supported by Regency Duty Free, Premium Real Estate, Peter Snell Institute of Sport, Vision Senior Living, and Navman see his website: www.blairmclay.com

Kiwis going for Gold in 2008

European Laser Radials & Lasers:  Kiwis finish in Top Ten

Paige Railey (USA) is all smiles after her second major victory in as many weeks.

New Zealand's Jo Aleh has finished in ninth place overall in the European Laser Radial Championship, sailed at Split Croatia, after racing was cancelled on the final day due to the non-appearance of a sailing breeze. Current ISAF Youth Champion, Paige Railey (USA) has won the regatta in convincing style.

In Cartagena, Spain the wind was more co-operative allowing two races to be sailed in the European Championship for the Olympic Laser class. Sailing in a 12kt breeze the first of two races of the day finally got underway after two general recalls and five Black Flags starts. Australia's Tom Slingsby dominated the racing taking the fist of his two wins for the day, forcing the Olympic Gold medalist, Robert Scheidt into second place. The breeze picked up to 14 knots for the final race of the regatta which got away less nervously with just one general recall. Slingsby was again on fire to take first place, however it was sufficient only to lift him to fifth place on the final points-score.

Robert Scheidt (BRA) heads Tom Slingsby (AUS)

New Zealand's Andrew Murdoch had a consistent final day finishing with an eight and fifth placings which hoisted him into eighth place overall in the regatta.  Of the other Kiwis, Mike Bullot had a day to forget being Black Flagged at the start of the ninth race and then being scored DNC for the tenth race - dropping him down to 34th place overall for the Championship.

In the Silver fleet, Blair McLay had a 31st and eighth in the second race to finish 78th in the 129 competitor regatta. He sent this brief report on the final day of racing:

' The final races were sailed in about 10 -12 knots two days ago and about 15-18 yesterday. The breeze was reasonably consistent both days. Andrew had a ´good day´ yesterday to pull him up to eighth overall.

'In seventh place was the Bronze medallist from Slovenia. Mike was apparently well over in the first race yesterday but crossed the finish in fifth (counted as DSQ). Rob Schiedt won overall with Paul Goodison runner up

'I had a good day and have been making some making rapid improvements over the regatta to finish 5th and 7th in my races yesterday. (in the silver
fleet) '

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Kiwis going for Gold in 2008

European Laser Radials & Lasers:  Paige and Scheidt Dominate

Robert Scheidt (BRA)

Brazil's Robert Scheidt continues to dominate the European Laser Championships in Cartagena, Spain, but only one race was sailed yesterday.

 Scheidt finished third, but still leads by a margin of seven points over Mate Arapov (CRO), Paul Goodison (GBR) is equal on points but lies in third overall. The competitors have been split into Gold and Silver fleets. Australian Tom Slingsby had a big fall overnight finishing in 28th place and dropping from third to seventh place overall. Kiwi Andrew Murdoch finished 20th and is 12th overall, with Michael Bullot scoring a 7th place and lies in 18th overall. In the Silver Fleet, Blair Mclay was the big mover, finishing 8th and jumped to 78th place overall.

In Split, Croatia, Paige Railey (USA) continues to lead the European Laser Radial Womens  Championship, scoring 12th and fourth in the two races sailed. The 12th is her worst place in the regatta and becomes her discard. Kiwi Jo Aleh had a mixed day finishing 16th and second in the last race, to lie in ninth place overall.

 A spectacular backdrop for the racing in Split, Croatia (Photo: Natasa Seric)

Top Australian, Krystle Weir scored 17th and eight to be placed 15th overall. Sarah Winther (NZL) cintinued to have an indifferent regatta finishing 36th and 40th (her discard) to be 38th position overall.

A major incident appears to have occurred, according to the following notice posted on the regatta website:

'Notice 16:51:
Panamanian flagged ship 'Asahi' very seriously disturbed race putting in question even the lives of the sailors. Pilot on board,  should be ashamed for such a maneuvering and action. Besides navigational warning no.140. he did not follow instructions. Such incidents should be avoided under any conditions. Incident reported to harbor office in Split and person in charge confirmed all this because discussion was openly on VHF ch / 16 and 11. Captains like that deserve not to run the ships, said Capt. Fedja Pavic, director of the race.'

It is not known what effect this incident had on competitors placings or if redress is being claimed.

Launching in a crowd (Photo: bullot.org)

Earlier reports on Thursday morning said that the day had  dawned with no wind, but the locals were expecting a southerly (not the sea breeze) of about 10 knots by 14:00. This will be a breeze similar to the first day of racing.

Discussions with the Kiwi girls it seemed that Jo Aleh was happy with her downwind speed. On the first day she led at the top mark but lost it downwind. This does not seem to be a problem for her now and she is gaining on the runs, although her light weight is working against her upwind.

There are 350 boats launching from 5 single lane ramp so the kiwi girls have found it easier to launch straight off the dock edge (with YNZ coach Paul Page's help).
 

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European Laser Radials & Lasers:  Aussie Excels, Kiwis Survive

No racing was possible in the Laser Radial Europeans being sailed in Split Croatia, due to a lack of wind. The regatta is expected to finish tomorrow.

Over in full-rig Laser Europeans being sailed in  Cartagena, Spain, two of the New Zealand Team had a useful day, with Andrew Murdoch scoring a sixth and fourth in the two races sailed to move three places up the points table to lie in 11th place after six races were sailed, and four points out of the top ten. Michael Bullot had another interesting day, staring off with a 13th place in race Five and then chipping up into second place in the sixth race. He lies in 14th place overall. A discard now applies - but he is still carrying a 22nd place from the third race.

Top Kiwi Youth sailor, Blair McLay continued his learning experience in the van of the fleet scoring 37th and 21st placings to lie in 82nd place in the 129 competitor fleet.

2004 Olympic Gold medalist, Robert Scheidt (BRA) has moved through to top of the points table after scoring a pair of wins, today. Almost equally consistent was Paul Goodison (GBR) who finished the day with a first and second placings. Australian Tom Slingsby is also having a very good regatta finishing the day with 3rd and ninth placings, but is ten points astern of the top two on the points table.

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European Laser Radials and European Lasers:  Bullot scores third

Idyllic sailing conditions for the Laser Radial fleet - Day 2(Photo:David Kuzmanic and Natasa Seric)

Only one race was sailed in the 2005 European Laser Championships in Cartagena, Spain, due to uncooperative winds. Zhuik sponsored, Michael Bullot made the best of a difficult day scoring third place in the only race sailed - his second podium placing of the regatta, and clearly something that will stand him in good stead once discards kick in , and he can drop 42nd and 22nd placings which he is currently carrying in his score.

Top placed Kiwi is still Andrew Murdoch, however he slipped from ninth place overall to be 14th overnight with a 26th place on the water. Blair McLay, NZ's ISAF Youth Representative, who finished fourth in the Worlds in Korea, found it a big step up into the Open fleet finishing 33rd to lie in 96th place overall - which should improve if he can discard the DSC in his score from the third race, yesterday.

Australia's Tom Slingsby, had a very good day, finishing in second place, his second of the regatta and he has moved up into third place overall, one point behind Olympic Gold Medalist Robert Scheidt (BRA) who finished ninth yesterday. The series is led by Andreas Geritzer (AUT) who has finished in podium places in each race.

Blair McLay explains the day as he saw it:  Only one race again today. Same problems with the wind as yesterday.  Mike Bullot finished 3rd Andrew Murdoch finished about 26th and I was low 30´s I think. The two fleets finished together so it´s pretty hard to say for sure. Yesterday the Kiwis didn´t do as well as I thought. Andrew was 12th  Mike about 40 I think and I was one of the many who finished outside the time limit.

Blair McLay is sponsored by  Vision Senior Living, Premium Real Estate, Navman, Onyx, Peter Snell Institute of sport and Hopper Developments.

In the Laser Radial European Championships, sailed in Split, Croatia,  Jo Aleh had 4,8,14 placings overnight and lies in 15th overall with a discard. Sarah Winther had 23, 14 and 5th to lie 35th overall. The series is being dominated by Paige Railey (USA) the current ISAF Youth Worlds gold medalist, who scored two wins and a second place in the second day of racing. Top Australian sailor is Krystle Weir who finished the second day with placings of 3,11,14 to lie in 24th position overall after applying the discard.

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