Day 3, Finals day… forecast was for 20+ knots with gusts between 30 -40 knots – ecck!
Thankfully the forecast didn’t come true but instead sailors had showers and very cold temperatures at 9 degrees celsius. With the cold weather yesterday the race organisers made a point of ensuring sailors were well wrapped up.
Conditions were similar, if not slightly winder than day 2 and with fleets split into Gold and Silver it was all on to see how the top 3 places would play out.
First Gold race saw a somewhat messy start with Alex Norman and Joe Leith taking a 1,2 and Nicola Hume who had been sailing impressively across the regatta come in 3rd.
Race 2 for Gold had a similar feel with the tides still flowing out but this time going more through the middle seemed to pay with Oliver Scott storming through for the race win and Nicola fighting her way through from the right to finish 2nd ahead of Alex in 3rd who had a tight cover over Sean (4th) coming in from the left.
A good call from the race committee saw Silver fleet complete two races and go in to get warm.
Gold fleet and the Open Skiff stayed out for a third and the final race of the regatta with it all to play for. After finals race 2 Alex was on 9pts, Sean 12pts, Joe 14pts and Nicola 16pts so with a 7 point spread and with gusts firing down the course it wasn’t going to be follow the leader.
Right off the start line Liam Richards got a flyer and sailed well defending his off the start line lead from numerous attacks from Cam Brown during both up wind legs. Alex and Sean battled it out with a role reversal occurring seeing Alex get out of Sean’s lose cover half way up the final beat to finish just ahead. Meanwhile Joe Leith and Nicola Hume bet big on the change in tide and hit the right, unfortunately it didn’t pay with both very deep at the top mark which meant they had few options to get back to the front of the fleet and for Nicola carrying an OCS took her out of the overall placings.
Amazingly run regatta, thanks Tauranga Yacht and Boat Club and well done to everyone that took part and braved the cold, wet and strong winds.
Congratulations to Overall winners: Alex Norman – 1st, Sean Kensington – 2nd and Joe Leith – 3rd.
Congratulations also to Birkdale Intermediate (6pts) who took the School title ahead of Murrays Bay intermediate (9pts) and Balmoral School, Auckland (20pts)
A full list of results and placing can be found below:
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