Wild & Windy Day 3 of ISAF Sail the World Celebrations

The Takapuna Sailing Centre Laser Icebreaker Regatta lived up to its name on Sunday 2 September as winds averaged 20 knots with regular gusts to 30 knots throughout the day.

These conditions provided a real test for those sailors who were brave enough to experience these early spring conditions. There were 65 sailors across the Laser 4.7, Laser Radial and Laser Standard fleets, which was less than expected, as the wintry conditions kept many sailors at home.


The Laser 4.7 fleet sailed on the inner course with less seaway than the outer course but consequently had big winds shifts from the sheltering cliffs. The Sailors had to use all the skills they had learnt at the previous 2 day training camp just to stay in the boats. The 4.7s managed to get their 5 scheduled races completed with 3 in the morning and 2 after lunch. Travis Dow from Whangarei Cruising Club showed why he is the 2007 NZ National Champion in the Laser 4.7 with 3 wins in the Morning. He was followed by the pack of Scott Tillet, Daniel Jones, Chris Steele, Sarah Thom and Robert Pasco all sitting on 12 to 14 Points. Straight after lunch Travis had a 5th which gave some hope to the pack, but he won the last race to take the Title easily. Chris Steele 2007 World Optimist Champion showed his sailing talent by improving over the Regatta. Chris had first sailed in a Laser 4.7 the day before and remarked with a big smile on his face when sailing the 4.7 out to race after lunch “that it was the fastest he had ever gone in a sailboat!” Chris had two 5th places in the first 2 races of the day but finished with three 2nds, to take 2nd place 1 point ahead of 1st Girl and 3rd overall Sarah Thom and 5 points ahead of 4th Robert Pasco. Daniel Jones and Scott Tillet did not do as well in the afternoon and Nick Croft, another fast improving ex Opti sailor, had a good afternoon with 1st and 4th to move up to 6th overall. The NZ Laser Association is pleased with the growth of the Laser 4.7 class and with 17 sailors taking part over the course of the Training camp & Regatta and will now provide support for a Team of 4.7 Sailors to go the Laser 4.7 Worlds in Croatia in August 2008. The Association will also be arranging more 4.7 Regatta to help Travis Dow prepare for the 2007 Worlds in South Africa at the end of this year. Full Results below.
Laser 4.7 Fleet
Sailed:5, Discards:1, To count:4, Entries:16, Scoring system:ISAF standard scoring
SailNo SailorName Division Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Total Nett Place
180214 Travis Dow Youth Whangarei CC 1.0 1.0 1.0 (5.0) 1.0 9.0 4.0 1st
7 Chris Steele Youth Wakatere (5.0) 5.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 16.0 11.0 2nd
178631 Sarah Thom Youth Manly (6.0) 2.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 18.0 12.0 3rd
184690 Robert Pasco Youth Manly 4.0 (6.0) 3.0 4.0 5.0 22.0 16.0 4th
6 Scott Tillet Youth Manly 2.0 4.0 6.0 (7.0) 6.0 25.0 18.0 5th
8 Nick Croft Youth Wakatere (9.0) 9.0 5.0 1.0 4.0 28.0 19.0 6th
5 Daniel Jones Youth Manly 3.0 3.0 (8.0) 6.0 7.0 27.0 19.0 7th
11 Claudia Mesaric Youth Manly 7.0 (8.0) 7.0 8.0 8.0 38.0 30.0 8th
180213 Ian Schipper Youth Wakatere 8.0 7.0 9.0 9.0 (10.0) 43.0 33.0 9th
177768 Nick Mahoney Youth Wakatere (17.0 DNF) 10.0 11.0 10.0 9.0 57.0 40.0 10th
4 Henry Maddever Youth Christchurch 10.0 11.0 10.0 (DNC) DNC 65.0 48.0 11th
2 Alex Prior Youth Manly 11.0 12.0 12.0 (DNC) DNC 69.0 52.0 12th
2 Julia Tillet Youth Manly (DNC) DNC DNC DNC DNC 85.0 68.0 13th
1 Bree Griffiths Youth Manly (17.0 DNF) DNC DNC DNC DNC 85.0 68.0 13th
Timothy Wall Youth Manly (17.0 DNF) DNC DNC DNC DNC 85.0 68.0 13th
175282 Jack Collinson Youth Wakatere (DNC) DNC DNC DNC DNC 85.0 68.0 13th



The Laser Radials & Standard Rigs battled the full force of the wind and waves over long testing courses which led to a few sailors deciding that they wouldn’t be going out again after lunch and that only 4 races could be completed. In the Standard Rigs Aaron Hume-Merry from Evans Bay in Wellington sailed well all day in winds that to him were just a Gentle Zephyr, while his softer mates from Auckland went home after lunch. Aaron won 1st overall and 1st Youth. Murray Thom proved that some sailors from Auckland have some backbone, and did very well in the conditions he loves, to take 2nd overall and 1st Master. Andy Maloney from Kerikeri was 3rd overall and 2nd Youth. Pete Thomas from South Africa also sailed very well to take 4th overall and 2nd Master with another Auckland sailor and long time servant of the NZ Laser Association Bob Blakey taking 5th overall and 1st Grand Master.
Standard Rig Fleet
Sailed:4, Discards:1, To count:3, Entries:23, Scoring system:ISAF standard scoring
• SailNo SailorName Division Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Total Nett Place
182967 Aaron Hume-Merry Youth Evans Bay (4.0) 1.0 1.0 3.0 9.0 5.0 1st
177771 Murray Thom Master Manly (5.0) 2.0 3.0 1.0 11.0 6.0 2nd
18 Andy Maloney Youth Murrays Bay (7.0) 5.0 2.0 2.0 16.0 9.0 3rd
088 Pete Thomas Master Wakatere 8.0 (13.0) 4.0 6.0 31.0 18.0 4th
175277 Bob Blakey Grand Master Tamaki (13.0) 8.0 7.0 5.0 33.0 20.0 5th
183004 Ian Gladwell Master Wakatere (11.0) 11.0 6.0 4.0 32.0 21.0 6th
156993 Josh Wild Youth Kohi (10.0) 9.0 5.0 9.0 33.0 23.0 7th
181719 Nick Page Master Pupuke 9.0 7.0 9.0 (11.0) 36.0 25.0 8th
181999 Blair Lindsay Youth Murrays Bay 1.0 3.0 (DNC) DNC 52.0 28.0 9th
181996 Colin Caldwell Master Pupuke 14.5 (15.0) 8.0 7.0 44.5 29.5 10th
162112 Ray Beale Grand Master Pupuke (12.0) 12.0 11.0 8.0 43.0 31.0 11th
178664 Jason Geale Open Pupuke 3.0 6.0 (DNC) DNC 57.0 33.0 12th
185379 Lloyd Andrews Youth Murrays Bay 6.0 4.0 (DNC) DNC 58.0 34.0 13th
181880 Max Andrews Youth Murrays Bay 2.0 10.0 (DNC) DNC 60.0 36.0 14th
3 Phil Clark Appr Master Manly (24.0 DNF) 14.0 13.0 10.0 61.0 37.0 15th
161272 Ian Wallace Open Panmure 16.0 (17.0) 10.0 13.0 56.0 39.0 16th
136712 Mike Parker Master Manly 17.0 (18.0) 12.0 12.0 59.0 41.0 17th
181964 Mike Davies Appr Master 18.0 16.0 (DNC) DNC 82.0 58.0 18th
185382 Brendan McCarty Youth Kerikeri 14.5 (24.0 DNF) DNC DNC 86.5 62.5 19th
158832 Mike Clark Appr Master Maraetai (24.0 DNF) DNC DNC DNC 96.0 72.0 20th
175278 Marcus Frith Master Manly (24.0 DNF) DNC DNC DNC 96.0 72.0 20th
187887 Malcolm McCowan Grand Master Manly (DNC) DNC DNC DNC 96.0 72.0 20th
156765 Denis Maddever Grand Master Christchurch (24.0 DNF) DNC DNC DNC 96.0 72.0 20th


In the Laser Radials, 2006 World Apprentice Master Champion Mark Orams had a good battle with 2007 World Apprentice Master 2nd place getter Mark Page and New Zealand’s top Female sailors Sara Winther & Jo Aleh. Jo Aleh who has just returned for China where she won Silver in the Olympic Test event, found the conditions the complete opposite to what she has been preparing and training for in China where they struggle to get wind. That said, Jo did very and beat most of her heavier male opponents finishing 4th overall and 2nd Women. Sara did really well with 2nds beating both Marks at some point in the Regatta, unfortunately she had the only OCS out of 65 boats over 13 races and that put paid to her chances of the overall Title, but she does get the prize of being the OOD for the Manly Boxing Day Regatta and of course 3rd overall and 1st women. Mark Orams won beating Mark Page by 2 points but I thought I heard someone say that Mark Orams sail was lot newer! Andrew Childs sailed well to win first youth and he was very happy when he won the spot prize of a Rooster Radial Training Sail! Not a bad return for the $15 entry fee
Radial Fleet
Sailed:4, Discards:1, To count:3, Entries:26, Scoring system:ISAF standard scoring
SailNo SailorName Division Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Total Nett Place
157149 Mark Orams Appr Master Browns Bay 1.0 1.0 (3.0) 1.0 6.0 3.0 1st
170537 Mark Page Appr Master Manly 2.0 (3.0) 1.0 2.0 8.0 5.0 2nd
181881 Sarah Winther Open Takapuna 6.0 2.0 2.0 (27.0 ocs) 37.0 10.0 3rd
8 Jo Aleh Open Sandspit 3.0 (4.0) 4.0 3.0 14.0 10.0 4th
95 Mike Keeton Master Wakatere 4.0 (5.0) 5.0 4.0 18.0 13.0 5th
187893 Mike Knowsley Appr Master Manly 5.0 6.0 7.0 (8.0) 26.0 18.0 6th
187890 Andrew Childs Youth Murrays Bay (7.0) 7.0 6.0 6.0 26.0 19.0 7th
184218 Spencer Loxton Youth Whangarei (16.0) 12.0 10.0 5.0 43.0 27.0 8th
187891 Mike Pasco Appr Master Manly (19.0) 14.0 8.0 7.0 48.0 29.0 9th
181966 Tom Speed Grt Grnd Master Tamaki 10.0 10.0 9.0 (12.0) 41.0 29.0 10th
18194 Luke Deegan Youth Howick 15.0 (17.0) 13.0 9.0 54.0 37.0 11th
188800 Joshua Weeks Youth Napier 12.0 (16.0) 14.0 11.0 53.0 37.0 12th
150092 Jessica Barrell Youth Torbay 18.0 (27.0 DNF) 12.0 10.0 67.0 40.0 13th
163936 Nigel Halliburton Youth Tamaki 8.0 8.0 (DNC) DNC 70.0 43.0 14th
176919 Jim Quinn Grt Grnd Master Tamaki 9.0 11.0 (DNC) DNC 74.0 47.0 15th
170535 Jack Hansen Grt Grnd Master Tamaki 14.0 9.0 (DNC) DNC 77.0 50.0 16th
171101 Tim Short Master 20.0 19.0 11.0 (DNC) 77.0 50.0 17th
850 Briar Dye-Hutchinson Youth Murrays Bay 13.0 13.0 (DNC) DNC 80.0 53.0 18th
181875 Georgi Yankov Appr Master Murrays Bay (27.0 DNF) DNC 15.0 13.0 82.0 55.0 19th
177516 Stewart Morley Appr Master Tamaki 17.0 15.0 (DNC) DNC 86.0 59.0 20th
171924 Kayne Jacobson Youth Onerahi 11.0 (27.0 DNF) DNC DNC 92.0 65.0 21st
167075 Chris Smith Youth Torbay 21.0 18.0 (DNC) DNC 93.0 66.0 22nd
136690 Thomas Borrmann Master Torbay 22.0 (27.0 DNF) DNC DNC 103.0 76.0 23rd
159927 Thomas Barker Youth Whangarei (DNC) DNC DNC DNC 108.0 81.0 24th
181871 Averil Hibbard Youth Taipa (DNC) DNC DNC DNC 108.0 81.0 24th
188809 Vincent Saunders Youth Glendowie (27.0 DNF) DNC DNC DNC 108.0 81.0 24th

At the Prize giving Manly Sailing Club were pleased to welcome some ISAF guests including Hal Wagstaff former ISAF International Vice-President, David Cook - former Chairman of the ISAF Centreboard Committee and Richard Endean - former Chairman of the ISAF Match Racing Committee. Hal Wagstaff gave a touching and memorable speech about ISAF and the 100 year Birthday celebrations and presented a Birthday Cake which he got Jo Aleh and Chris Steele to cut. Sailors and Guests then went home to bed and slept like they had been partying all weekend after being beaten up on the water all day, except of course for Aaron Hume-Merry who could not see what everyone was complaining about!

Photos attached. And next email

1. Cake
2. Jo Aleh & Chris Steele Cutting Cake
3. Ray Beale 2nd Grand Master (Day 3 005(1))
4. Mark Page 2nd Radial (Day 3 007(1))
5. Mark Orams 1st Radial (Day 3 008(1))
6. Sara Winther 1st Women 3rd Overall (Day 3 010)
7. Jo Aleh 2nd Women 4th Overall (Day 3 011)
8. Phil Clark Manly Committee member (Day 3 017)
9. Laser 4.7s @ lunch Robert Pasco 4th Overall 3rd Boy (Laser icebreaker camp 069)
10. Whimps who went home!
11. Coming Home after a long day
12. Launching at the start of the day (2[3])