French Olympic Sailing Week - Day 1 Report

New Zealand RS:X Boardsailor Tom Ashley leads racing after Day 1 of French Olympic Sailing Week, with other NZL Sailing Team members, including Jon-Paul Tobin, and our 470 duo Paul Snow-Hansen and Jason Saunders, in the top ten after a solid start to one of the year's most important regattas.

With 1100 sailors participating from 60 countries, and in the year before an Olympic Games, the Semaine Olympique Francaise is an important regatta for Olympic selection, with most of the top international favourites present.

Perfect conditions blessed the first day of competition in Hyeres, France, with an easterly breeze ranging from 12-18 knots, big waves and sun.

Tom Ashley finished two races in second place, and one in third, on day one, and his team-mate Jon-Paul Tobin, also finished all of his races in the top ten, to end the day in seventh place, from ninety entries.

There are 11 members of the NZL Sailing Team competing, plus another 11 New Zealand entrants.

Five of these are in the intensely competitive Laser class. Andy Maloney won the second of two races held yesterday in the 155-strong fleet, and currently sits in eleventh place. Andrew Murdoch is in 13th, after a fifth and an eighth placing. Josh Junior, Michael Bullot, and Sam Meech also each secured a top ten race finish.

In the Laser Radial Class, Sara Winther, fresh from a win at the Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia regatta, finished second in the first race, and lies 18th overall.

In the Men's 470 class, Paul Snow-Hansen and Jason Saunders are in sixth, with nine points, after a solid day's sailing.

Classes divided in groups will sail their qualification stages until Tuesday 26th to be then divided in Gold, Silver and Bronze for the Lasers. The Medal races will be staged on Friday 29th in front of the Hyères harbour jetty.

Results:

Men’s RS:X (90 entries)
Tom Ashley (NZL Sailing Team)-1st (7points)
Jon-Paul Tobin (NZL Sailing Team) -7th (14 points)
Antonio Cozzolino-16th (30 points)

Women’s RS:X (75 entries)
Stefanie Williams-36th (56 points)
Justina Sellers-53rd (75 points)
Natalia Kosinska-27th (36 points)
Georgia Schofield-66th (98 points)
Jazmine Lynch-50th (74 points)

Laser (155 entries)
Andrew Murdoch (NZL Sailing Team)-16th (33 points)
Mike Bullot (NZL Sailing Team)-44th (31 points)
Andy Maloney (NZL Sailing Team) -11th (11 points)
Sam Meech (NZL Sailing Team) -29th (21 points)
Josh Junior (NZL Sailing Team) -26th (20 points)

Laser Radial (98 entries)
Sara Winther (NZL Sailing Team) -15th (18 points)
Rachel Basevi-41st (43 points)
Miranda Powrie-19th (21 points)

Finn (81 entries)
Dan Slater (NZL Sailing Team)-13th (16 points)
Matt Coutts-23rd (25 points)

Men’s 470 (106 entries)
Paul Snow-Hansen and Jason Saunders (NZL Sailing Team) -6th (9 points)

Women’s Match Racing
Stephanie Hazard, Jenna Hansen and Susannah Pyatt (NZL Sailing Team)-four races sailed, four losses in first round robin


Regatta website: http://sof.ffvoile.net/