Temperatures soared once again on the final day of racing, accompanied by a light but steady breeze of 8-12 knots. With just two races to finish off the regatta, it looked to be an easy last day under the hot Australian sun.
Team NZ was affected by some misfortune; only 17 of our sailors made it to the start line today. Alex Somerville, who had been struggling with illness throughout the regatta, managed a commendable 4th place on the first race day but was unable to compete today. Phoebe Willis got unlucky on the water – her mainsheet snapped during the first race, thankfully our coaches were able to replace it in time for the last race.
The final race had some more drama to add. At the start line a staggering 23 sailors got flagged with an UFD, including our own Mari, Juliet, Bailey and Isaac. Understandably, getting black flagged is disappointing – especially for Mari who crossed the finish line in 7th – however we should congratulate these sailors, as it shows they have learned really well how to push the line!
On the final leaderboard, several of our Kiwi sailors finished the regatta within the top 20: Flora Stevens secured 8th place overall, Lucas Kandziora 10th, Micah Bollen 12th, James Currell 14th, and Tom Hall 18th. With 72 boats on one startline, including Australian Worlds and Euros Team sailors, all of our sailors should be really proud of themselves as this regatta certainly wasn’t the easiest with some tricky conditions.
Back ashore, we washed down our fabulous charter boats one last time, and rolled our sails to fit them back into their flight-safe packaging. Once we were all sort-of-half-packed, we met for one final picnic with everyone grabbing their favorite take-outs from across the road. A stunning sunset over the lake concluded our time together appropriately.
A special thanks to our fantastic coaching team: Naiomi, Kim and Sam. Your dedication and support on & off the water has been nothing but extraordinary. The kids have learned so much from you – and not just about racing! Thanks also to all our young sailors, you have worked so hard and you all did New Zealand and your parents proud. For some, this was the last time in an Optimist; being part of this team has hopefully given you a special memory to cherish forever. And last but not least: thank you to all parents for your efforts and support of each other. The friendships that were made across clubs, enjoying this international event together, has been an invaluable experience.
On water photos: Mark Rothfield
All results: https://sailingresults.net/sa/results/overall.aspx?ID=81971.21
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