Nations Cup

2009 ISAF Nations Cup
Regional Final - Oceania
25 September – 28 September 2008

ORGANISING AUTHORITY - ROYAL NEW ZEALAND YACHT SQUADRON (RNZYS)
PRESS RELEASE – FINALS DAY (Saturday 27 September 2008)
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New Zealand and Australia share the honours in Oceania!
Friday 26th September 2008


After a morning practice session comprising a mixed round-robin at the request of the competitors, racing got underway at 1.30 this afternoon in absolutely sparkling conditions but with a shifty light south-westerly breeze that ranged from 8 – 13 knots. Racing was made challenging for sailors and the race management personnel alike.
The format for this event is direct to finals with the first to win seven races declared the winner of the Regional Finals and then going on from here to the Grand Finals of the Nations Cup in Brazil next March.
The Australians have sent two very strong teams and this was reflected in the results from today’s matches.
Katie Spithill’s Australian Women’s team leads New Zealand’s Jessica Smyth 4 – 0, however competition couldn’t be closer in the Open Division with Evan Walker’s Australian team going out to 2 – 0 before the Kiwi’s came back and won the next two races to level the score.


Saturday 27th September 2008
With the promise of more wind in the forecast today, New Zealand's Jessica Smyth and her crew left the dock this morning determined to claw back the 4-0 lead that Katie Spithill's Australian Women's crew had scored yesterday. Things went well and they won the first two races of the day before the Australians re found their form and bounced back to win the next three races and clinch the Women's place in the Nations Cup Final in Brazil next year.
The Australian and New Zealand Open teams continued their close battle from yesterday, trading wins before young Adrian Short and his Kiwi crew put three wins together to give them a buffer and then went on to be the eventual winners by 7 - 4.


NEW ZEALAND
Women's Team
Jessica Smyth
Raynor Smeal
Anna de Fluiter
Amy Mulcahy
Open Division
Adrian Short
Scott Burling
Peter Burling

AUSTRALIA
Women's Team
Katie Spithall
Nina Curtis
Jessica Eastwell
Amanda Scrivenor
Open Division
Evan Walker
Will Ryan
Edward Hackney